Louisiana Oversize Load Permits, Regulations & Axle Rules

Standard permitted loads in Louisiana move between sunrise and sunset only, with hours defined by the National Weather Service rather than a fixed clock. The rule applies to the whole move; there is no partial-day exception. All permitted loads are capped at 55 MPH regardless of posted limits.

There is a narrow night-travel exemption, but it applies only to loads that aren't really oversize in any meaningful sense: if the load doesn't project beyond the vehicle's body, the width and length are both within legal limits, height is 13'6" or below (14'4" is the stated permit ceiling for this exemption), and gross weight stays at or under 120,000 lbs, movement isn't prohibited at night, during moderate rain, or on holidays. Anything genuinely oversized (projecting load, excess width, excess height) stays on the sunrise-to-sunset rule.

Louisiana has no blanket weekend prohibition. The sources identify no Saturday or Sunday blackout for standard permitted loads. The specific holiday list isn't enumerated in the permit regulations; they reference "certain designated holidays" without spelling them out, so verify current holiday restrictions with the DOTD Truck Permit Office before scheduling a sensitive move. The one seasonal restriction explicitly documented is Mardi Gras: no movement is permitted during the holiday window in the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard (including Interstates), the city limits of Lafayette and Lake Charles (excluding Interstates), and the city limits and surrounding areas of New Roads and Houma.

Louisiana's metropolitan curfews are significant and detailed. Loads wider than 12 feet are prohibited on specific Interstate segments in five cities Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM. The affected corridors are:

- Shreveport: I-20 between the two I-220 interchanges (east Bossier City to west Shreveport), plus the Jimmie Davis Bridge on LA 511 - Monroe: I-20 from the eastern city limits of Monroe to the western city limits of West Monroe - Lake Charles: All of I-210; I-10 from LA 397 east to LA 108 at Westlake west - Baton Rouge: All of I-110; I-10 from Bluebonnet east to the Mississippi River west; I-12 from O'Neal Lane east to the I-10 junction west - New Orleans: All of I-610; I-10 from Paris Road east to Williams Boulevard west (US 90 Business from the I-10 intersection westbound is excluded)

A second set of curfews applies specifically to Mississippi River crossings. In the New Orleans area (Jefferson and Orleans parishes), all permit loads may not cross or be within two miles of any Mississippi River bridge Monday through Friday, 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM. The US-190 Mississippi River Bridge at Baton Rouge has a separate curfew on the same schedule for loads that project beyond the vehicle, exceed 8'6" wide, 14'4" high, 70 feet long, or 120,000 lbs GVW.

Movement is prohibited in genuinely severe weather: extremely heavy rain, heavy fog, icy roads, heavy snow, or any condition creating low visibility or hazardous driving. Wet pavement, light drizzle, and wind do not qualify as inclement weather and don't stop movement. Louisiana sets no provision for continuous around-the-clock movement on any permit type.

Louisiana has more commodity-specific permit categories than virtually any other state: more than 25 annual permit types, each with distinct weight, dimension, and routing rules. The following covers the commodities with the most significant treatment differences.

Farm vehicles and equipment being transported for legitimate agricultural purposes within 50 miles of their origin are exempt from width, height, and length requirements. The exemption is non-Interstate only, limited to daylight hours (30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset), and requires front and rear reflector lights plus active hazard flashers. Draglines and bulldozers are specifically excluded.

Timber cutting and logging equipment qualifies for a similar exemption when transported between job sites, provided the trailer and equipment are owned or leased by the same person. The exemption covers non-Interstate travel in daylight only. A separate Timber Cutting/Logging Equipment Permit allows moves up to 14 feet wide and 105,000 lbs GVW, limited to two pieces per trip on equipment with at least 18 wheels.

Forest products in natural or treated state (logs, pulpwood, plywood bolts) travel under a Forest Product Permit (non-Interstate only, prohibited at night). Pulpwood and plywood bolts loaded across the vehicle are permitted up to 9 feet wide. The load-length allowance for forest products is 65 feet plus a 1-foot tolerance. Rear overhang on forest products may extend up to 20 feet beyond the rear of the vehicle, provided the overhang clears the pavement by at least 2 feet; overhang exceeding 15 feet is restricted to daylight hours. Poles and piling follow a slightly tighter rule: rear overhang up to 15 feet, with the same 2-foot ground clearance requirement and a daylight-only rule above 8 feet. Treated utility poles carried on a balance or fifth-wheel trailer get the most generous rear projection allowance in the state, up to 35 feet, with a minimum 1.5-foot ground clearance and no special permit required, though any combination over 90 feet overall triggers the private escort requirement.

Off-road equipment travels under either a Non-Critical annual permit ($1,000/year) or a Semi-Annual Critical permit (charged at $0.07 per ton-mile plus a $25 administrative fee). The maximum GVW for off-road equipment under permit is 212,000 lbs; anything over that requires a pre-approved route and an analysis fee. Cranes with tandem axle loads exceeding 48,000 lbs or tridum loads exceeding 60,000 lbs must have counterweights removed before movement.

Oilfield equipment travels on a monthly permit ($15/month). An empty lowboy is limited to 70 feet long and 10 feet wide on non-Interstate routes, or 70 feet long and 8'6" wide on the Interstate. Oilfield equipment permits are not restricted by night, moderate rain, or holidays.

Pleasure craft moves on a 30-day permit ($10) capped at 10 feet wide on non-Interstate routes only, and is likewise exempt from night, rain, and holiday restrictions.

Louisiana calls this tier Super Loads, and the classification is weight-driven; there are no oversize dimension triggers for superload status. A load becomes a Super Load when it exceeds 232,000 lbs on non-designated highways or 254,000 lbs on any highway in the state. Loads above 900,000 lbs may require analysis by an independent engineering firm. Extreme oversize dimensions (widths over 14 feet that are barred from the Interstate, or heights over 18 feet requiring multi-agency coordination) route through the pre-approval and route survey process rather than a separate dimensional superload tier.

The Super Load submittal process requires four to six weeks of lead time before the anticipated movement date, because structural evaluations are processed in the order received and cannot be expedited by filing closer to the move. Permit requests above 232,000 lbs on non-designated routes or above 254,000 lbs on any highway must be submitted to the DOTD Truck Permit Office with:

- A drawing of the assembled vehicle showing each axle's centerline location, wheel spacing and tire sizes, tare weights, kingpin location, and flatbed dimensions including load location and height - A drawing of the load itself (side and end elevations, plan views), with the load weight, total weight per axle, and center of gravity - A map of the proposed route and all alternate routes - If rail or waterway transport cannot be used: written documentation from the relevant facility authorities confirming the impediment - A certified statement from the load owner confirming gross weight and the axle load distribution

The state does not approve loads over 232,000 lbs (non-designated) or 254,000 lbs (all highways) until structural evaluations are complete for every bridge and structure on the proposed route. Structural evaluation fees apply per structure to moves over 254,000 lbs: $187.50 for timber, concrete slab, and precast concrete slab bridges; $750 for all other structures; and $1,275 for truss, continuous span, movable bridges, and any structure crossing the Mississippi River. The state also requires that carriers use rail or waterway transport where that infrastructure exists and is a realistic option; only when it can't be used does the highway movement proceed.

Louisiana does not publish explicit escort requirements for the Super Load weight band itself; weight alone doesn't trigger a fixed escort count. Escort requirements for a given move are determined by its dimensional profile (width, height, length), which may include Louisiana State Police escort regardless of weight.

Louisiana's pre-move review requirements are triggered by dimension, not by a single cross-cutting threshold. The process varies depending on what makes the load unusual.

For loads over 16'5" in height, the carrier must obtain a pre-approved route from the DOTD Truck Permit Office at least 48 hours before the scheduled move date. The permit is not issued until that approval is in place.

Loads over 18 feet high require contact with each DOTD District Office having jurisdiction over the state highways on the travel route, and each utility company serving those routes must also be contacted for line-clearance confirmation. The district offices assign a District Authorization Number; that number has to be in hand before the Truck Permit Office will issue the permit. Utilities and DOTD do not charge for adjusting lines below their approved installation height. If cost estimates are needed, carriers should allow four working days; movement should not be delayed more than seven days from initial contact. A bucket truck is required for the move once height exceeds 18 feet, and may also be required at lower heights in metro areas or heavy-utility rural corridors.

Loads over 18 feet wide require authorizations from parish and municipal authorities, utility companies, and any private property owners along the route. Railroad crossing protection must also be arranged. A DOTD district representative may be required to approve and physically accompany the load.

For Super Load weight moves (above 232,000 lbs on non-designated highways or above 254,000 lbs on all highways), the structural evaluation package (drawings, route maps, and alternate route documentation) must be submitted four to six weeks in advance and reviewed before a permit is issued. This functions as the state's structural route review; the carrier prepares the documentation, but DOTD's engineers perform the structural analysis.

All permitted OS/OW loads are prohibited from using either of Louisiana's two tunnels: the Harvey Tunnel (US 90 Business) and the Houma Tunnel (LA 3040). These are absolute restrictions; there is no variance or exception process for tunnel use.

Louisiana does not require or perform a carrier-conducted physical route survey the way some states do. The pre-approval requirements for high and wide loads serve the same protective function, but the documentation and clearance gathering falls on the carrier, while the structural analysis is performed by the state.

Louisiana State Police (LSP), operating through the Office of State Police, provides law-enforcement escort for oversize loads. The escalation by dimension is codified and explicit.

For width, private escorts handle the 12-foot-to-16-foot range. Once a load exceeds 16 feet wide, a Louisiana State Police escort is required, and private escorts are categorically prohibited from escorting any movement over 16 feet wide on either two-lane or multi-lane highways. At over 18 feet wide, two State Police escorts are required, one in front and one behind.

For length, loads over 90 feet up to 125 feet overall require one private rear escort. At over 125 feet overall, a State Police escort is required, and the hauling trailer must be equipped with steerable or trackable dollies.

For height, loads between 15'10" and 16'8" require a height pole (height indicator) vehicle in front on state-maintained highways; loads traveling only on the Interstate are exempt from this requirement. Above 16'8", the front height-pole vehicle must carry instruments capable of safely lifting utility lines; this requirement may be waived by the Truck Permit Office if the load has been stripped to clear low-clearance obstacles. Above 18 feet in height, a bucket truck is mandatory. Police escort at the 18-foot height threshold is discretionary rather than automatic; the sources indicate the state may require front and rear State Police escorts at that point, but it is not a fixed codified trigger.

There is no fixed weight-based threshold for State Police escort.

Escort positioning follows the road type: on multi-lane highways, an overwidth escort vehicle travels behind the load; on two-lane highways, it travels in front. Overlength escorts travel behind on all highway types. A load that requires both a height pole and a width escort on a multi-lane highway needs two escort vehicles, the height pole in front and the width escort behind.

Off-duty LSP troopers and Department of Public Safety officers working in uniform may serve as escorts; the permittee is responsible for both the escort permit fee and the officer's pay. Within city limits, city police may provide escort for overweight loads requiring police authority in place of State Police.

Escort vehicles must carry an "OVERSIZE LOAD" sign; Louisiana does not accept "WIDE LOAD" signs and will not allow them during moves in the state. Closed vans, buses, campers, motor homes, and motorcycles may not serve as escort vehicles, and an escort vehicle may not tow a trailer or another vehicle while on escort duty. One escort vehicle may accompany two overlength loads simultaneously, but only one overwidth load at a time.