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Louisiana · Oversize & Overweight

Louisiana Oversize & Overweight Permits filed with LA DOTD for you, 24/7

In Louisiana, a load over 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high or 80,000 lbs needs a permit from the LA DOTD truck permit office, issued through LaGeaux, and it has to be in hand before the truck enters Louisiana. Permitted loads run in daylight only, with rush-hour limits in the big cities and on the Mississippi River bridges. 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 Louisiana 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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Louisiana rules

Louisiana legal limits and permit rules

The size and weight Louisiana allows without a permit, who escorts a permitted load and when it may run.

Legal limits without a permit

Width
8 ft 6 in
Height
13 ft 6 in
Height, interstate-only trucks
14 ft
Single vehicle
45 ft
Semitrailer
59 ft 6 in
Overhang, front / rear
4 / 8 ft
Single / tandem axle
20,000 / 34,000 lbs
Gross weight
80,000 lbs

Escorts

Over 12 to 16 ft wide, or over 90 to 125 ft long
Private escort
Over 16 ft wide or over 125 ft long
State Police escort under the state rule
Private or self escorts
Not allowed for loads over 16 ft wide
Cities and parishes
May require their own escorts
Escort vehicle
Louisiana-approved escort vehicle permit, amber light, signs and flags
Escort speed
Up to 45 mph

When you can move

Hours
Sunrise to sunset; no night travel
Holidays
No travel on designated holidays
Over 12 ft wide, city interstates
Not 7–9 a.m. or 3:30–5 p.m. weekdays in Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, New Orleans
Mississippi River bridges, New Orleans
Not within 2 miles, 6:30–9 a.m. and 3:30–6 p.m. weekdays
Weather
Severe rain, fog or ice stops movement; drizzle and wet pavement do not

Source: Louisiana Administrative Code Title 73 Part I (truck permits), Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:380–386, Louisiana Legislative Auditor report on DOTD permits (May 2025), Louisiana OMV trip permits. Your permit's own conditions always apply.

Which permit you need

Louisiana permits for oversize and overweight loads

  1. One move

    Single-trip permit

    An oversize permit covers one trip under a day, or one day of a longer trip; an overweight permit covers one trip.

  2. Repeated moves

    Monthly and annual permits

    Monthly oversize, annual oversize and annual overweight permits, plus a semi-annual permit for critical off-road equipment.

  3. The heaviest loads

    Heavy-load permit

    Loads over 232,000 and up to 254,000 lbs run on DOTD-approved routes; heavier loads pay for a structural evaluation, including every Mississippi River structure on the route. Apply four to six weeks ahead.

  4. Very tall or very wide

    District approvals

    Over 16 ft 5 in high the route has to be pre-approved at least 48 hours ahead; over 18 ft wide a DOTD district representative goes with the load.

Routes and road rules

Where Louisiana routes add their own rules

The Mississippi River, the city interstates and the ports shape every Louisiana permit route.

  1. Mississippi River bridges in New Orleans

    Permitted loads may not cross a Mississippi River bridge, or be within two miles of one, from 6:30 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

    No easy detour:The nearest interstate river crossing outside Louisiana is in Memphis.

  2. City interstates for wide loads

    Loads over 12 ft wide stay off listed interstates in Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans from 7 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

    Includes:I-110 and I-10 in Baton Rouge, I-610 and I-10 in New Orleans, I-210 in Lake Charles.

  3. Ports and harbor districts

    Containerized cargo permits cover heavier container moves within 50 miles of a port or harbor district.

    Classes:Class I and Class II containerized cargo, plus liquid bulk permits.

  4. Height in the New Orleans area

    Loads over 18 ft high around New Orleans need utility clearance arranged through the district maintenance engineer before they move.

    Statewide:Over 16 ft 5 in high, a route pre-approved at least 48 hours ahead.

Louisiana loads

Louisiana permits for the loads Louisiana hauls

Louisiana writes permits for its cane fields, forests, oilfields and ports.

  1. Sugar cane and harvest

    Sugar cane and harvest season permits

    Separate permits for sugar cane and for harvest-season loads, including natural forest products and cotton modules.

  2. Timber

    Forest products

    Natural forest products may carry 37,000 lbs per tandem axle off the interstate, with rear overhang up to 20 ft; forest management equipment has its own permit.

  3. Oilfield

    Oilfield equipment

    Permits for oilfield equipment moves, including empty lowboys, and a semi-annual permit for critical off-road equipment.

  4. Ports

    Containerized cargo and liquid bulk

    Heavier container and liquid bulk moves near Louisiana's ports and harbor districts.

How it works

Your Louisiana 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 Louisiana rules for your load and files with LA DOTD.

  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 Louisiana

  1. Permit before the state line

    Louisiana requires the permit before the truck enters the state, and only DOTD's permit office issues it. We file before the truck leaves.

  2. Over 16 ft means the State Police

    Private escorts may not take loads over 16 ft wide. DOTD's short civilian-escort allowance ended in January 2025, so we book State Police escorts whenever the load needs them.

  3. Daylight only, so plan the river

    Permitted loads do not run at night, and New Orleans river bridges close at rush hour. We time the crossing for midday.

FAQ

Louisiana oversize permit questions

When does a load need a Louisiana DOTD permit?

When it is over 102 inches (8 ft 6 in) wide, 13 ft 6 in high (14 ft for trucks that stay on the interstate), the legal length, or 80,000 lbs gross, or over the axle limits. The permit must be issued before the truck enters Louisiana.

How much does a Louisiana oversize permit cost?

It depends on the permit type, size, weight and route. According to the state's legislative auditor, Louisiana's single-trip oversize fees are lower than those of Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. Put your route into our permit cost calculator for an estimate, or send us the load and we quote before filing.

When does a Louisiana load need a State Police escort?

Under the state rule, over 16 ft wide or over 125 ft long. Private escorts cover loads over 12 ft wide or 90 ft long up to those limits, and cities or parishes may require their own.

Can oversize loads travel at night in Louisiana?

No. Permitted loads move from sunrise to sunset, as set by the National Weather Service, and not on designated holidays.

When can a permitted load cross the Mississippi River in New Orleans?

Not from 6:30 to 9 a.m. or 3:30 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, when loads may not cross a river bridge or be within two miles of one.

How heavy can a permitted load be in Louisiana?

Loads over 232,000 and up to 254,000 lbs may travel statewide on DOTD-approved routes. Heavier loads need a structural evaluation, including all Mississippi River structures. Requests should reach DOTD four to six weeks before the move.

How does Route One GO get my Louisiana permit?

Send us the truck, trailer, load dimensions, axle weights and route. Our permit desk checks the Louisiana rules, files with LA DOTD before the truck reaches the state, and sends you the permit with a route map. Requests are taken 24/7.

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