Louisiana Oversize Permits

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

⚠ 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 ↗

Legal Maximum Dimensions (no permit required)

Width: 8.5ft (102in)
Height: 13.5ft (162in) — limit varies by route
Max semitrailer length: 59.5ft
Gross Weight: 80,000 lbs
Single Axle: 20,000 lbs
Tandem Axle: 34,000 lbs

La. R.S. 32:381: the height of any vehicle and its load shall not exceed 13 ft 6 in (162 in) — EXCEPT that a vehicle and load operating EXCLUSIVELY on the Interstate highway system may reach 14 ft (168 in). The figure shown is the limit that holds on all other Louisiana highways; the 14 ft allowance applies only if the entire move stays on the Interstate system. (§32:382 is length, not height.)

Official source for this height limit →

La. R.S. 32:382 sets 59 ft 6 in for the semitrailer — an OUTLIER above the 53 ft norm. No statutory overall limit for a tractor-semitrailer. The 65 ft (+1 ft tolerance) applies only to FOREST-PRODUCTS combinations and must not be published as the general limit.

Official source for these length limits →

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

These escort figures are route-dependent — they can change with road classification, lane width, two-lane vs multilane, and time of day. Confirm with the permit office before dispatching.

Front escort required over: 12ft wide
Rear escort required over: 12ft wide
Both escorts required over: 18ft wide
Height escort required over: 15.8ft tall

Private (certified) escort required for loads over 12'0" (144 in) up to 16'0" wide, and for loads over 90' up to 125' long; on 2-lane highways the escort runs front, on multi-lane it runs rear. Over 16' wide requires a State Police escort; over 18' (216 in) wide requires BOTH front AND rear State Police escorts. Over 125' long requires a State Police escort (steerable/trackable dollies required). A pole truck/car (height-indicator escort) runs in front for loads over 15'10" (190 in) high on state-maintained highways (exempt if traveling only on Interstate); a line-lifting pole truck is required over 16'8" (200 in); bucket trucks required for all loads over 18' high. Not tied to gross weight.

Travel Restrictions

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

Permit loads generally travel sunrise to sunset only; night travel is prohibited for true oversize loads. Exception: loads that are non-projecting, legal width and length, height 14'4" or less, and GVW not over 120,000 lbs are typically not restricted at night. Saturday/Sunday daylight travel permitted. Rush-hour metro curfews for loads over 12' wide on the Interstate 7:00-9:00 AM and 3:30-5:30 PM in parts of Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. In New Orleans, permit vehicles may not be within 2 miles of any Mississippi River bridge 6:30-9:00 AM and 3:30-6:00 PM Mon-Fri. Prohibited in severe weather; OSOW loads banned from LA's two tunnels (Harvey US 90 Business, Houma LA 3040).

Holiday blackouts: The DOTD regulations state permit loads are prohibited on 'certain designated holidays' but do not enumerate a specific holiday list in the published rules; no official holiday list is verifiable from the 2025 regulations document.

See how Louisiana compares to every state ›

Superload Thresholds

Width over: 18ft
Length over: 150ft
Weight over: 232,000 lbs

Louisiana does not publish a single crisp dimensional 'superload' number. Its 'Super Loads' guidelines apply to overweight configurations requiring engineered drawings, certified weights, and route/structural review. Gross combination weight over 232,000 lbs on non-designated highways (or over 254,000 lbs on all highways) requires detailed submission 4-6 weeks in advance; loads over 254,000 lbs travel only on DOTD-selected routes; loads over 900,000 lbs may require independent engineering analysis. District approval required over 18' wide, pre-approved route over 16'5" high, utility coordination over 18' high.

Estimated Permit Cost Verify before relying

Oversize-only trip permit: $10/day flat. Overweight fee matrix could not be located as an official standalone document.

Source: Louisiana DOTD — 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.dotd.la.gov/lageaux.aspx
Phone: 800-654-1433

LaGeaux Permit Manager (official portal). Route Planner: lageauxrp.dotd.la.gov. Trouble Board for bridge/road closures on same domain. Max single-trip GVW 254,000 lbs (RS 32:387). State Police escort required >16ft wide.

Planning a move through Louisiana?

Enter your load's exact size to see whether it needs a permit or escort here, plan a truck-legal route, or find a transporter or escort.

Check my load in Louisiana Route Planner Find an Escort