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Alabama · Oversize & Overweight

Alabama Oversize & Overweight Permits filed with ALDOT for you, 24/7

In Alabama, a load over 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high, 57 ft of truck and semitrailer or 80,000 lbs on the interstate needs an ALDOT permit. Permitted loads run in daylight only and never on Sundays. Off the interstate Alabama allows heavier legal loads with a 10% tolerance. Send us the load and route: our permit desk quotes the price and files it for you.

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What will an oversize permit in Alabama cost?

Enter your pickup and delivery locations, choose your permit type, and compare estimated permit costs across route options.

  1. Oversize and overweight permits across the lower 48 and DC
  2. State-by-state fee breakdown for each route option
  3. Order your permit or talk to a specialist
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Alabama rules

Alabama legal limits and permit rules

The size and weight Alabama allows without a permit, when escorts and troopers are required and when a permitted load may run.

Legal limits without a permit

Width
8 ft 6 in
Height
13 ft 6 in
Single vehicle
40 ft
Truck and semitrailer
57 ft
Trailer in a double
28 ft 6 in
Overhang, front and rear
5 ft in total
Single / tandem axle, interstate
20,000 / 34,000 lbs
Gross, interstate
80,000 lbs
Gross off the interstate
Up to 84,000 lbs, plus a 10% tolerance

Escorts

12 to 14 ft wide
Front escort on two-lane, rear on multi-lane
Over 14 ft wide
Front and rear on all roads
Over 15 ft 6 in high
Front escort with a height indicator
90 to 125 ft long
Rear escort
125 to 150 ft long
Front and rear
Over 150 ft long
Front and rear law enforcement escorts
Overhang over 5 ft rear / 10 ft front
Rear / front escort
Escort drivers
18 or older, pilot/escort flagging course equal to Alabama's

When you can move

Hours
Daylight only
Sundays
No travel at any time
Holidays
New Year's, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas
Weather
Not with visibility under 500 ft
Spacing
Half a mile between permitted loads
Congestion
Pull off the road when traffic is impeded

Source: Alabama Administrative Code 450-3-1 (ALDOT oversize and overweight permits), Code of Alabama §§ 32-9-20 and 32-9-29, ALEA superload escort rules (760-X-2). Your permit's own conditions always apply.

Which permit you need

Alabama permits for oversize and overweight loads

  1. One move

    Single-trip permit

    Five days to complete the trip, valid for one round trip. Applied for online, by phone, fax or in person.

  2. All year

    Annual permit

    Twelve months, up to 150,000 lbs, 14 ft high and 75 ft long; over 100,000 lbs each trip needs advance routing.

  3. On the interstate

    14 ft wide interstate permit

    Loads up to 14 ft wide may be permitted on the interstate highways.

  4. The biggest moves

    Superload permit

    Over 16 ft wide, 16 ft high or 150 ft long: a route survey, at least two trooper or police escorts on top of civilian escorts, and travel from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday. ALDOT issues the permit once ALEA has scheduled the escort.

Routes and road rules

Where Alabama routes add their own rules

The interstate, the Port of Mobile and the Mobile tunnels each set their own limits.

  1. Interstate versus state highways

    Off the interstate Alabama allows heavier legal loads, up to 84,000 lbs plus a 10% tolerance. On the interstate the tolerance does not apply and the limits are 34,000 lbs per tandem and 80,000 lbs gross.

    Long trailers:Semitrailers over 53 ft 6 in only on designated highways.

  2. Port of Mobile containers

    Sealed containerized cargo may run up to 100,000 lbs port to port on five full-time load-bearing axles, around the clock, seven days a week.

    Also:An annual version of the permit is available.

  3. The Mobile tunnels

    ALDOT warns that height is a key concern at the Wallace and Bankhead tunnels, where over-height vehicles have struck repeatedly.

    Route:We route tall loads around the tunnels.

  4. Posted bridges and your route

    Permitted loads must stay on the route printed on the permit and obey posted bridge limits; annual permit holders request advance routing.

    Two vehicles:A permit covers at most a vehicle and one other.

Alabama loads

Alabama permits for the loads Alabama hauls

Alabama writes permits for its port, mines, house movers and highway work zones.

  1. Ports

    Sealed container permits

    Up to 100,000 lbs port to port on five axles, with continuous movement every day of the week.

  2. Mining

    Bauxite mining equipment

    A special annual permit up to 16 ft wide and 18 ft high, kept off bridges and interstates.

  3. Buildings

    House moves

    Houses over 28 ft wide or 16.5 ft high need pre-approval and may move at most 50 miles; over 17 ft high, a route survey and utility notice.

  4. Construction

    Work zone equipment

    An annual permit for construction equipment in ALDOT work zones, with 24-hour continuous movement.

How it works

Your Alabama permit in three steps

  1. Send the load and route

    Truck, trailer, dimensions, weight, origin and destination. Your fleet details are saved for next time.

  2. We check and file

    Our permit desk checks the Alabama rules for your load and files with ALDOT.

  3. Get your permit

    You get the permit PDF, a written route and an interactive route map to share with the driver.

From our permit desk

What we check before filing in Alabama

  1. Sunday is a full stop

    Permitted loads cannot move on Sundays in Alabama, not even in daylight. We plan the route so the truck crosses the state between Monday and Saturday.

  2. Insurance on file

    Single trips over 12 ft wide or 100,000 lbs need proof of insurance on file with ALDOT. We check it before the permit request goes in.

  3. Superloads go through ALEA

    Superload permits are issued only after ALEA schedules the trooper escort. We start that process as soon as the load is confirmed.

FAQ

Alabama oversize permit questions

When is an Alabama permit needed for a big load?

When the load is over 102 inches wide, 13 ft 6 in high, 57 ft of truck and semitrailer, or the weight limits: 80,000 lbs on the interstate and up to 84,000 lbs plus tolerance on other highways. Farm commodities and equipment are exempt from permits.

How much does an Alabama oversize permit cost?

It depends on the permit type, size, weight and route, and superloads add ALEA escort fees. Put your route into our permit cost calculator for an estimate, or send us the load and our permit desk quotes the exact price before filing.

Can oversize loads move on Sundays in Alabama?

No. Permitted loads move in daylight only, and never on Sundays or on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas.

When does Alabama require a law enforcement escort?

For loads over 150 ft long, front and rear, and for superloads, which ALEA schedules. Troopers, sheriffs or city police may escort; constables may not.

How heavy can a Port of Mobile container load be?

Up to 100,000 lbs for sealed containerized cargo moving port to port on five full-time load-bearing axles, with movement allowed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Who may drive an escort vehicle in Alabama?

They must be at least 18 and have completed a pilot/escort flagging course equal to or better than Alabama's. A vehicle towing a trailer may not act as an escort.

How does Route One GO get my Alabama permit?

Send us the truck, trailer, load dimensions, axle weights and route. Our permit desk checks the Alabama rules, files with ALDOT, and sends you the permit with a route map. Requests are taken 24/7.

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Send the details once. We file with ALDOT, plus every other state on your route.

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