Alabama Oversize / Overweight Permit Requirements
Legal-without-permit dimension limits, escort and pilot car thresholds, height pole rules, daylight-only windows, and holiday restrictions for Alabama oversize moves.
Legal limits without a permit
In Alabama, you can move a load without an OSOW permit up to these dimensions on the Interstate and designated highways. Anything over the limits requires a permit (and may require escorts — see below).
| Dimension | Without a permit | Permit required when |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 8′6″ (federal limit) | Anything wider |
| Height | 13′6″ | Anything taller |
| Combo length | 75′0″ | Anything longer |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | Anything heavier |
Escort and pilot car thresholds
When permitted, the following escort or movement-restriction rules apply in Alabama. Thresholds are conservative — your specific permit conditions may impose tighter limits depending on the route.
| Trigger | Dimension | Threshold | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police escort | Length | 150 ft | Over 150 ft: front and rear law enforcement escorts required. Marked vehicle with blue lights (troopers/sheriffs/police). |
| Front pilot car | Length | 125 ft | 125–150 ft (except mobile homes): 1 front + 1 rear civilian escort required on 2-lane highways. |
| Rear pilot car | Length | 125 ft | 125–150 ft (except mobile homes): 1 front + 1 rear civilian escort required on 2-lane highways. |
| Rear pilot car | Length | 90 ft | 90–125 ft: 1 rear escort required on 2-lane highways. |
| Height pole | Height | 15 ft 6 in | Over 15'6" high: 1 front escort with height pole required. |
| Front pilot car | Width | 14 ft | Over 14 ft wide: 1 front + 1 rear on both 2-lane and 4+-lane divided highways. |
| Rear pilot car | Width | 14 ft | Over 14 ft wide: 1 front + 1 rear on both 2-lane and 4+-lane divided highways. |
| Front pilot car | Width | 12 ft | 12–14 ft wide: 1 front on 2-lane highways; 1 rear on 4+-lane divided highways. |
| Rear pilot car | Width | 12 ft | 12–14 ft wide: 1 rear escort on 4+-lane divided highways. |
| Certified escort required | Width | 12 ft | Escort drivers must complete a pilot/escort flagging course equal to or exceeding Alabama's course within 12 months of course availability. |
| Front pilot car | Front overhang | 10 ft | Front overhang over 10 ft: 1 front escort required. |
| Daylight-only movement | Width | 8'6" | Permitted vehicles may travel daylight hours only. No travel Sundays or on New Year's, Memorial, Independence, Labor, Thanksgiving, or Christmas Day. |
| Weekend / holiday restriction | Width | 8'6" | No travel after noon Saturday or any time Sunday. No travel New Year's, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas Day. |
| Rear pilot car | Rear overhang | 5 ft | Rear overhang over 5 ft: 1 rear escort required. |
Stop tracking these rules by hand.
OverSizeTMS encodes the per-state escort and dimension rules for every state plus DC. Enter the load dimensions and route, and the platform tells you which permits, escorts, and time windows apply automatically.
See how it works →Last updated 2026-06-06. Cross-checked against the state admin code.