How to Read a Florida Oversize Permit: Field-by-Field Guide

A Florida oversize or overweight permit comes from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), through its State Permit Office in Tallahassee. It covers state-maintained roads, and permits are ordered online through FDOT’s own Permit Application System (PAS), linked from the FDOT Over-Weight Over-Dimension Permits page. The rules sit in s. 316.550, Florida Statutes and Florida Administrative Code chapter 14-26. The short version: a trip permit gives you 10 days for one move, every over-width load is daytime only, even one just over 8'6" wide, escorts must be qualified under FDOT’s rule, every permitted truck and escort must cross every open weigh station, and the Florida Keys flip the clock: blanket-permit loads over 10 feet wide may move there only from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Right now: PAS is down. FDOT’s Blanket Permit Authorization Letter (PDF, dated November 6, 2026) says PAS has been out of service since November 4, 2026, because of server outages across several state agencies. The letter asks law enforcement to honor it as a road use permit through November 15, 2026, for loads up to 16 feet wide, 16 feet high and 120 feet long, with overweight vehicles held to the Truck Tractor Trailer (TTT) Map #1 routes and the axle charts in the letter, daytime travel only for anything over 8'6" wide, 14'6" high or 80 feet long, and no travel south of Florida City. Carry the letter and the map, or show an electronic copy. When we checked on November 13, the PAS address returned a “service unavailable” error. After November 15, check the FDOT permits page for a new letter or call the Permit Office.

This guide walks through what a Florida permit holds and the published rule behind each part, so a driver or dispatcher knows what to check before rolling. Every rule below links to its source. FDOT does not publish a filled-in sample of an issued trip permit, so where a detail depends on your own permit, the answer is the same: read the permit and its attachments, and ask the Permit Office. Where FDOT’s own documents disagree with each other, we say so.

MI 01

Who issues Florida oversize permits

Under s. 316.550(1), an oversize or overweight vehicle may not enter or run on a public road in Florida until the owner or operator has the special permit from the right jurisdiction. FDOT issues permits for highways under its jurisdiction, and a local authority issues them for its own roads (s. 316.550(2)). The FDOT rule says the same: travel on local roads needs permission from the local authority (Rule 14-26.00411(1), F.A.C.). The FDOT Over-Weight Over-Dimension Permits page says the State Permit Office oversees permits on all state-maintained highways and roadways.

Permit types. FDOT lists four: annual Blanket permits, annual Vehicle Specific Blanket permits, ten-day Trip permits, and three-month Route Specific Blanket permits. Trip and route-specific permits need a defined route with the request (FDOT permits page). A trip permit covers one haul from origin to destination; a multi-trip, blanket or annual permit allows many trips for up to 12 months (Rule 14-26.0041(19) and (28), F.A.C.).

How to apply. Online, use FDOT’s Permit Application System (PAS). FDOT says customers can self-issue trip permits in PAS for loads up to 16 feet wide, 18 feet high, 150 feet long and 200,000 pounds (140,000 for self-propelled equipment) with no contact with the Permit Office, as long as they use the GIS routing feature (FDOT permits page). By mail or walk-in, use Form 850-040-02, the paper application (PDF). Payment can be cash, check, money order or card (Rule 14-26.00411(4), F.A.C.). Requests for non-routine permits, those needing a structural evaluation or an override, must arrive at least ten business days before the move (Rule 14-26.00411(4); Rule 14-26.0041(20)).

Non-divisible loads only. Permits are meant for a single item that cannot reasonably be taken apart and cannot reasonably go by rail, water or air, and FDOT expects you to reduce the load to legal limits where you reasonably can (Rule 14-26.00411(2), F.A.C.). FDOT also posts separate instructions for divisible-load permits on its FDOT OWOD Permit Documents page.

MI 02

The top of the permit: type, dates and fees

The statute says a permit must describe the vehicle or vehicles, the load, and the highways requested (s. 316.550(2)). Check:

• Permit type and validity. A trip permit gives you ten days for a single trip from one origin to one destination (“When Do You Need a Permit?” sheet; Form 850-040-02). Blankets run one year, route-specific blankets three months (FDOT permits page). The statute lets FDOT issue blanket permits for up to 36 months with an annualized fee of no more than $500, and sets a $5 minimum fee (s. 316.550(6)).
• Identity of the load. On a trip permit, the vehicle or load must match one of the identifiers on the permit: truck tag, trailer tag, VIN, bill of lading number or load ID (Rule 14-26.012(1), F.A.C.). The application asks for one of those (Form 850-040-02).
• Trip permit fees. The FDOT Schedule of Fees (PDF) (Rule 14-26.008, amended April 24, 2018) sets oversize trip fees by size: $5 up to 12 feet wide, 13'6" high or 85 feet long; $15 up to 14 feet wide, 14'6" high or 95 feet long; and $25 beyond that, for straight trucks and tractor-semitrailers (towed trailers and equipment have their own rows). Overweight trip permits are charged per mile in 25-mile steps: 27 cents a mile up to 95,000 pounds, rising to 47 cents up to 162,000 pounds, then 0.3 cents per 1,000 pounds per mile above that. Loads over 80,000 pounds add a $3.33 administrative charge, and a $5 transmission fee applies when used. FDOT’s own example: a 112,000-pound load going 67.5 miles pays for 75 miles at 32 cents plus $3.33, rounded up to $28.
• Blanket fees. The same schedule lists 12-month oversize blankets for straight trucks and tractor-semitrailers from $20 to $250 (not issued over 14 feet wide, 18 feet high or 120 feet long) and overweight blankets from $240 to $500 (not issued over 199,000 pounds), with route-specific three-month versions priced lower (FDOT Schedule of Fees (PDF)).
• Changes. A valid permit is one that has not been altered unless FDOT does it in writing, attached to the original (Rule 14-26.0041(30), F.A.C.). If the permit is wrong, FDOT says to contact the Permit Office right away (“When Do You Need a Permit?” sheet).

MI 03

Vehicle, load, dimensions and axle weights

The load part of the permit shows what you applied for: gross weight, outer bridge and axle spacings, number of axles and weight on each, width at the widest point, total length with front and rear overhang listed separately, height from the pavement, and a description of the load (Rule 14-26.00411(4)(a)–(g), F.A.C.). The size, weight, axle count, spacings and any unique features on the truck must match the permit (Rule 14-26.012(1), F.A.C.). Florida’s legal limits, without a permit:

• Overweight routes and charts. Blanket overweight vehicles must follow FDOT’s overweight routing maps (TTT-1 to TTT-3 for tractor-trailers, CRN-1 to CRN-3 for cranes) with the Weight Restrictions Charts (PDF). For example, TTT Map #1 allows a five-axle unit with a 51-foot outer bridge up to 112,000 pounds, with 25,000 on a single axle and 50,000 on a tandem. Restricted structures on those maps may not be crossed. Trip permits are good only on the route printed on them (Rule 14-26.012(1), F.A.C.).
• Structural evaluation. If any axle is over 30,000 pounds, or gross is 300,000 pounds or more, you must send a schematic of all spacings, axle weights and dimensions at least ten business days ahead (Rule 14-26.00411(6), F.A.C.).
• Tires. Each axle needs tires of the same size and construction, and no tire may carry more than 550 pounds per inch of section width, plus scale tolerance (Rule 14-26.0091, F.A.C.).
• Multiple items. Multi-loading may not push dimensions over the legal limits. Gross may go over legal only for removed attachments (up to two), two overlength items at no more than 100,000 pounds, or a divisible-load permit (Rule 14-26.012(10), F.A.C.).
• Posted bridges. No vehicle may cross a posted bridge above its posted limits, permit or not (Rule 14-26.012(1), F.A.C.). FDOT links a Posted Bridges map.

Over the permit. Going over a permitted weight is charged per pound under s. 316.545; dimension violations are capped at $1,000 for the vehicle; breaking an operational or safety condition can cost up to $1,000; and breaking a special condition declared on the permit voids it, so the legal limits apply again (s. 316.550(10)). FDOT’s “When Do You Need a Permit?” sheet lists what voids a permit, including being off the permitted route, an expired permit, the wrong number of axles, tires smaller than the permit says, or night travel the permit does not allow.

MI 04

The route section

A trip permit lists the route, with origin, destination, addresses, mile markers or intersections (Rule 14-26.00411(4)(h), F.A.C.), and it is valid only on that route (Rule 14-26.012(1), F.A.C.). Blanket permits rely on attachments instead, and blanket vehicles may not use any restricted bridge or road listed in the permit or its attachments. FDOT says the original blanket permit must be in the vehicle, and that a multi-trip permit without its attachments is void (PAS FAQ; “When Do You Need a Permit?” sheet).

• Route restrictions. The Blanket Permit Route Restrictions (PDF, July 2026) lists roads and toll points with width, length or weight caps. Examples: US-1 from Florida City to Key West is capped at 12 feet wide and closed to overweight blanket loads; the SR-16 Shands Bridge over the St. Johns River is closed to overweight loads; the Port of Miami Tunnel northbound is capped at 8'6"; and several SR-91 toll ramps and plazas have width caps from 9 to 11 feet.
• Route survey. FDOT checks bridges; you check clearances. No move may start until the route is surveyed (Rule 14-26.00411(5), F.A.C.). Keep a signed survey letter on your letterhead on board when the load is over 15 feet high or 16 feet wide, showing at least 6 inches of spare height and 2 feet each side. The blanket conditions add that a qualified escort must do the survey (Blanket Permit Movement Conditions). Over 18 feet high or 22 feet wide, the survey letter goes in with the application (Rule 14-26.00411(5)).
• Two-lane connectors. Loads over 14 feet wide should not use two-lane roads as connectors when a workable four-lane route exists (Rule 14-26.012(7)(d), F.A.C.).
• Alabama line at night. With a law enforcement escort, a permitted load may enter Florida on I-10 at the Alabama line and run to the eastbound Pensacola weigh station at night, or leave the same way from the westbound station (Rule 14-26.012(11)(g), F.A.C.).
• Kennedy Space Center. Loads over 10 feet wide may not travel there weekdays 6 to 9 a.m. or 3 to 6 p.m., must call the KSC Duty Office (321-861-5050) before arriving, and need a NASA KSC travel permit to enter through Gate 2 or Gate 3 (Blanket Permit Movement Conditions).

FDOT links FL511 for traffic and an interactive project map for work zones on its FDOT OWOD Permit Documents page. Check them before you roll.

MI 05

Escort vehicles (pilot cars) and height poles

Florida calls pilot cars escort vehicles, driven by a qualified escort or a law enforcement escort. Requirements by size are in Rule 14-26.012(7)–(9), F.A.C.:

The blanket conditions add that a load over more than one escort threshold, such as over 12 feet wide and over 95 feet long, needs two escorts (Blanket Permit Movement Conditions). “Local moves” means within a 50-mile radius of the origin (Rule 14-26.0041(14), F.A.C.).

Who may escort. A qualified escort must be at least 18 with a valid driver’s license, have passed an 8-hour defensive driving course from a National Safety Council-qualified instructor or hold a valid Class A, B or C CDL, and have passed an 8-hour pilot/escort flagging course from an FDOT vendor, with a 4-hour refresher every four years. The escort must carry the course certificates. An escort qualified by another state counts if that state’s standard is equal or stricter and the qualification is less than four years old (Rule 14-26.012(2), F.A.C.). FDOT does not publish which states it considers equal, so ask the Permit Office before relying on an out-of-state certificate.

Where the escort rides. A single width escort leads on two-lane roads and follows on four-lane divided roads; with two, one leads and one follows; an over-length-only load gets its escort behind. Stay within 300 feet of the load unless conditions or the permit say otherwise. The height-pole escort leads far enough ahead for the truck to react. Escorts must go through weigh stations with the load, and the permittee must give the escort a copy of the permit before the move (Rule 14-26.012(4), F.A.C.).

The escort vehicle. A single-unit vehicle with a GVWR of at least 2,000 and under 26,000 pounds; company or driver name and phone number on both sides on signs at least 8 by 12 inches; Class 2 amber rotating, strobe or flashing lights visible from 500 feet; a yellow “OVERSIZE LOAD” sign with 10-inch black letters, visible front and rear; and two red or fluorescent orange flags, at least 18 inches square, on the roof rack at 40 to 70 degrees. On board: two-way communication with the driver, a 5-pound ABC extinguisher, STOP/GO or STOP/SLOW paddles, a Class 2 vest by day or Class 3 at night, a hand flag, two spare yellow warning signs at least 7 feet by 18 inches and three 36-inch cones, reflective at night (Rule 14-26.012(3), F.A.C.). FDOT’s older “When Do You Need a Permit?” sheet adds that a vehicle using only emergency flashers is not acceptable.

Height poles. The pole must be non-conductive and non-destructive, and set at least 6 inches above the load (Rule 14-26.012(3)(b)8, F.A.C.).

MI 06

Travel times, curfews, holidays and weather

Florida’s time rules depend on size (Rule 14-26.012(7)–(9), F.A.C.):

• All hours. Height up to 14'6" and length up to 80 feet may move all days and all hours. At night, rear overhang is limited to 10 feet unless the permit says otherwise.
• Daytime only, even when barely wide. Width over 8'6" up to 10 feet: all days, daytime hours only, flags required. Over 10 feet wide, over 14'6" high, or over 80 feet long: daytime only, excluding holidays.
• What “daytime” means. The rule does not define it. FDOT’s “When Do You Need a Permit?” sheet defines daytime hours as half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. If your permit says something different, follow the permit.
• Night moves. Night travel outside those classes needs a trip or multi-trip permit that FDOT recommends or requires, with law enforcement escorts and warning lights outlining the load (Rule 14-26.012(5)(f), F.A.C.). The application says nighttime or continuous travel requests need a letter of essentiality (Form 850-040-02). An empty tractor-semitrailer up to 11 feet wide and 105 feet long may run at night on or within five miles of limited-access roads under a valid permit (Rule 14-26.012(11)(b), F.A.C.).
• Weekends. FDOT’s documents differ here. The rule says that unless the permit says otherwise, movements are prohibited on weekends and holidays (Rule 14-26.012(5)(e), F.A.C.), yet its size sections allow some loads “all days.” The older “When Do You Need a Permit?” sheet says “excluding weekends” means moves only from half an hour before sunrise to noon on Saturday and Sunday. Read your permit’s travel times, and ask the Permit Office if they are unclear.
• Peak-hour curfews. On blanket permits, loads over 12 feet wide or 85 feet long may not move weekdays 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. on any state road, interstates included, in Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orange, Duval, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, or on state roads other than interstates in Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Lakeland, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Pensacola, Port St. Lucie, Sarasota and Tallahassee (Blanket Permit Movement Conditions). The rule itself bars these loads from “congested areas during peak traffic hours” unless the permit allows it (Rule 14-26.012(7)(c), (9)(b), F.A.C.). For a trip permit, check its provisions for the areas and hours that apply.
• Florida Keys. South of Florida City, blanket-permit loads over 10 feet wide may move only from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., never on holidays, with at least one qualified escort, and not over 12 feet wide (Blanket Permit Movement Conditions).
• Weather. No travel when visibility is under 1,000 feet. If weather turns, leave the road at the first available place and park until it clears (Rule 14-26.012(5)(d), F.A.C.).

Holidays. “Excluding holidays” means no movement all day on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas. A Saturday holiday adds the Friday before, and a Sunday holiday adds the Monday after (Rule 14-26.0041(6), F.A.C.). FDOT’s Florida Holiday Travel Restrictions 2026 (PDF) applies this to loads over 14'6" high, 80 feet long or 10 feet wide. For the rest of 2026:

The Permit Office also closes for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Veterans Day, but those days carry no travel restriction (2026 holiday sheet). For every state’s windows on one page, see our oversize load holiday restrictions by state.

MI 07

Signs, flags and lights

• Flags on any over-width load, clean, high-visibility and at least 18 inches square, on all four corners and at the ends of any projection or overhang (Rule 14-26.012(5)(a), (7)(a), F.A.C.). A flag is red or fluorescent orange (Rule 14-26.0041(9), F.A.C.).
• Two “OVERSIZE LOAD” signs on loads over 10 feet wide, 80 feet long or 14'6" high: black 12-inch letters with a 1½-inch stroke on yellow, at least 7 feet by 18 inches, bumper- or roof-mounted. If one is on the roof, the other goes at the rear of the towed unit or load. Signs may not cover lights or reflectors (Rule 14-26.012(5)(c), F.A.C.).
• Warning lights at the same thresholds, or over 3 feet of front overhang on self-propelled equipment: Class 2 amber rotating, strobe or flashing lights visible from 500 feet (Rule 14-26.012(5)(b), F.A.C.). Over 12 feet wide, use at least two, front and rear, and four, one at each corner, on manufactured and modular buildings, mobile homes, sheds and swimming pools (Rule 14-26.012(7)(c), F.A.C.).
• Overhang lighting. When rear overhang is more than 4 feet, put a warning light on top of the vehicle and two red lamps and two red reflectors at the extreme rear (Rule 14-26.012(9)(a), F.A.C.).

MI 08

Carrying the permit, weigh stations, insurance, and contacts

Carry it. Every special permit must be carried in the vehicle it covers and be open to inspection by any police officer or agent of the issuing authority (s. 316.550(7)). Florida says plainly that an electronic trip permit may be shown if it is easy to get to and legible (Rule 14-26.012(1), F.A.C.; PAS FAQ). Blanket permits arrive by mail, and FDOT says the original blanket permit must be in the vehicle (PAS FAQ).

Weigh stations. All permitted vehicles must stop at every open weigh station, including those with automatic vehicle identification. The exception is an inner-bridge permit vehicle told to proceed by an FDOT-approved electronic credentialing device (Rule 14-26.012(6), F.A.C.). The blanket conditions repeat the rule in bold capitals at the top (Blanket Permit Movement Conditions).

Insurance and liability. You are liable for damage to state roads and structures and must hold insurance or a bond of $100,000 per person and $200,000 per accident or occurrence (Rule 14-26.007, F.A.C.).

Suspension. FDOT will suspend or revoke a permit for breaking its terms, using unapproved routes, false applications or unpaid penalties, among other reasons. Repeat problems lead to a written warning, then 30-day, 90-day and 12-month bans on new permits (Rule 14-26.014, F.A.C.).

Who to contact.

• FDOT State Permit Office: (850) 410-5777, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. It no longer opens on Saturdays. Email permits.inquiry@dot.state.fl.us (FDOT permits page; Form 850-040-02).
• Walk-in: Barry Building, 3185 South Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32311, on the west side of the building (FDOT permits page).
• Mail: Florida Department of Transportation, Permit Section, 605 Suwannee Street, MS 62, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0450 (Rule 14-26.00411(3), F.A.C.).
• Online: FDOT’s Permit Application System (PAS) (out of service since November 4, 2026, as noted above).

MI 09

A pre-trip checklist, and where JaloPermit fits

Before departure on a Florida permit, confirm:

1. The permit, or a legible electronic copy of a trip permit, is in the cab and the move fits inside its 10-day window. A blanket permit is the original, with all its attachments. Until November 15, 2026, if you are running under FDOT’s PAS-outage letter instead, carry it and TTT Map #1.
2. The truck matches the tag, VIN, bill of lading or load ID on the permit, and every dimension, axle weight, spacing and tire size matches the loaded truck.
3. You will drive the permitted route, or only blanket-approved roads, avoiding restricted bridges and roads, and the route survey is done (with the survey letter on board over 15 feet high or 16 feet wide).
4. Escorts are qualified, carry their certificates and a copy of the permit, and match the chart for your width, height and length. The height pole is 6 inches over the load.
5. The move stays in daytime hours if the load is over-width, over 14'6" high or over 80 feet long, avoids the peak-hour curfews and the Keys night-only window, waits out visibility under 1,000 feet, and stops on November 26–27 for Thanksgiving and December 25 for Christmas.
6. You will stop at every open weigh station.

JaloPermit can speed up the reading part. Drop an already-issued, text-based permit PDF into the permit decoder on the JaloPermit homepage and it lays out the route, escorts, time limits, dimensions and limits on one route card, with weigh stations, truck stops and low-bridge alerts. Then compare it with the original. For the state rules at a glance, see the Florida page in the JaloPermit Atlas. For a general walk-through of any state’s permit, see how to read an oversize load permit; for escort rules across states, see pilot car requirements by state. Hauling around the Gulf, see our Louisiana and Texas permit guides, and for trips that cross several states, reading each state’s permit on a multi-state trip.

JaloPermit, which publishes this guide, is a reading aid for issued permit PDFs. It is not a permit-filing service and it does not plan routes or provide navigation. The issued permit always wins.

JaloPermit reads text-based PDFs only, not scans or photos. Guests get three free decodes a day with no account and no card. Logged-in users get 10 free decodes a day. After those free decodes, each one is $3.50. There is no subscription.

Questions about how JaloPermit reads a permit? Email support@jalopermit.org.

MI 10

FAQs