Alabama Oversize Permits

Legal size/weight limits, escort thresholds, travel restrictions, and permit office contact for Alabama.

⚠ REFERENCE ONLY — NOT A PERMIT. VERIFY WITH THE STATE BEFORE YOU TRAVEL.

These figures are a reference summary of publicly published state rules, not a substitute for a state-issued permit and not legal advice. Rules change — always confirm current limits and requirements directly with the state permit office before you plan or run a move. Last verified: 2026-07-16. Oversize Ops is NOT responsible and CANNOT be held liable for decisions made from this reference. Official source ↗

Data confidence: Medium. We could not fully corroborate every figure on this page against a primary official source. Treat these numbers as a starting point and confirm with the permit office before you plan a move.
Legal limits (Code of Alabama 32-9-20), escort thresholds, holiday blackouts directly from official ALDOT Rules and Regulations Presentation (post-June-2017 harmonized column). Weekend/Sunday booleans inferred from official 'daylight only + holidays-only ban' text (weekends not prohibited there) and conflict with some broker sources - travel-day values medium confidence. Superload null (not codified). legal_max_length_ft = 57 semitrailer max (single-unit 40').

Legal Maximum Dimensions (no permit required)

Width: 8.5ft (102in)
Height: 13.5ft (162in)
Max semitrailer length: 57ft on designated routes · 53.5ft elsewhere
Max kingpin to rear axle: 41ft
Gross Weight: 80,000 lbs
Single Axle: 20,000 lbs
Tandem Axle: 34,000 lbs

Ala. Code 32-9-20 (Schedule of Restrictions): no vehicle, semitrailer or trailer shall exceed in height 13 1/2 ft (162 in), including load.

Official source for this height limit →

Act 2024-248 (amending Ala. Code 32-9-20): 57 ft semitrailer on DESIGNATED highways only; 53 ft 6 in off-network. No statutory overall limit. Anything over 53 ft 6 in also requires kingpin-to-rear-axle of 41 ft or less AND a rear underride guard. ⚠️ ALDOT's own permit PDFs on dot.state.al.us are STALE (2017 vintage — they show stinger-steered at 75 ft when it is now 80, and auto-transporter overhang at 3/4 ft when it is now 4/6). These figures come from the enrolled act, not those PDFs.

The 53 ft (VA) / 57 ft (FL) / 57 ft (AL) allowance is conditional on kingpin-to-rear-axle of 41 ft or less; in FL and AL a 49 CFR 393.86 rear underride guard is also required.

Official source for these length limits →

Escort / Pilot Car Thresholds (see glossary for terms, certification requirements for the driver)

Front escort required over: 12ft wide
Rear escort required over: 12ft wide
Both escorts required over: 12ft wide
Height escort required over: 15.5ft tall

Per ALDOT harmonized rules effective June 1, 2017: Overwidth >12' = 1 front AND 1 rear escort (additional escorts may be required by route/other dimensions). Overheight >15'6" = 1 front escort with height pole. Overlength 76'-105' (inclusive) = 1 rear escort; >105'-150' = 1 front + 1 rear escort. Front overhang >=10' = 1 front escort; rear overhang >5' = 1 rear escort. Gross weight over 100,000 lbs requires a separate Routing Authorization from the permit office.

Travel Restrictions

Night travel: Generally restricted
Weekend travel: Generally allowed
Sunday travel: Generally allowed

Oversize loads move daylight hours only. The official ALDOT rules restrict movement only on the listed holidays and do not prohibit Saturday or Sunday, so daylight weekend travel is permitted under the official text. NOTE: several broker/secondary sources state 'no Sunday travel' (older Mon-Sat rule); this is not in the current official ALDOT document - confirm with the permit office for a given move.

Holiday blackouts: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.

See how Alabama compares to every state ›

Superload Thresholds

Width over: 16ft
Length over: 150ft
Weight over: 300,000 lbs

The official ALDOT rules do not define a single numeric 'superload' class. Gross weights over 100,000 lbs require a Routing Authorization to accompany the permit; single-trip mobile-home max is 16' wide x 16' high. No fixed superload thresholds are stated.

Estimated Permit Cost Verify before relying

Tiered $10–$100 by weight bracket, +$10 if also oversize

Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 450-3-1-.09 (rule amended 2013, adopted 2016) — verify current fee with the permit office before budgeting a move.

Permit fee only — does not include escort/pilot-car service costs (market-rate, arranged separately) or third-party permit-service fees. This is an estimate for planning purposes, not a quote.

Get a Permit

Online portal: https://www.dot.state.al.us/business/permits/osowPermits.html
Phone: 800-499-2782

Planning a move through Alabama?

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