Louisiana Oversize / Overweight Permit Requirements
Legal-without-permit dimension limits, escort and pilot car thresholds, height pole rules, daylight-only windows, and holiday restrictions for Louisiana oversize moves.
Legal limits without a permit
In Louisiana, 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 Louisiana. Thresholds are conservative — your specific permit conditions may impose tighter limits depending on the route.
| Trigger | Dimension | Threshold | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police escort | Length | 125 ft | Length over 125 ft: State Police escort required. |
| Rear pilot car | Length | 90 ft | Length 90–125 ft: 1 rear escort on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways. |
| Police escort | Width | 18 ft | Width over 18 ft: 2 State Police escorts required on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways. |
| Police escort | Width | 16'1" | Width 16'1"–18': 1 State Trooper escort required on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways. |
| Height pole | Height | 15'10" | Height over 15'10" off interstate: front escort with height pole required. |
| Front pilot car | Width | 12 ft | Width 12 ft up to 16 ft: 1 front civilian escort on 2-lane highways; 1 rear civilian on 4+-lane. |
| Rear pilot car | Width | 12 ft | Width 12 ft up to 16 ft: 1 rear civilian escort on 4+-lane highways; 1 front on 2-lane. |
| Daylight-only movement | Width | 12 ft | Oversize loads must travel daylight hours only unless the permit specifically authorizes nighttime movement. |
| Weekend / holiday restriction | Width | 12 ft | No travel New Year's, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Mardi Gras areas subject to additional restrictions. |
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.