South Dakota Oversize / Overweight Permit Requirements
Legal-without-permit dimension limits, escort and pilot car thresholds, height pole rules, daylight-only windows, and holiday restrictions for South Dakota oversize moves.
Legal limits without a permit
In South Dakota, 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 South Dakota. Thresholds are conservative — your specific permit conditions may impose tighter limits depending on the route.
| Trigger | Dimension | Threshold | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front pilot car | Width | 20'0" | Front civilian escort required on 2-lane state highways for widths over 20' (70:03:01). |
| Rear pilot car | Width | 16'0" | Rear civilian escort required on interstate routes for widths over 16'. |
| Front pilot car | Width | 10'0" | Front escort required for widths over 10' in Black Hills designated area (SD Admin. Rules 70:03:01). |
| Daylight-only movement | Width | 10'0" | Sunrise-to-sunset travel only when width exceeds 10', height exceeds 14'6", or single-unit exceeds 45'. |
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.