Georgia Oversize & Overweight Permit Rules
What a load can be in Georgia without a permit, where the permit and escort tiers start on non-interstate and interstate, when it can move, and who to call. Every figure is the JaloPermit Atlas entry for Georgia, shown as the app shows it.
Rules as of Jul 31, 2026 · Links checked Jul 13, 2026
Read this before you trust a number. Rules change. The issued permit, posted signs and the state permit office always win over this page. JaloPermit is a reading aid, not a permit-filing service. Guests get 3 free decodes a day with no account and no card, logged-in users get 10 a day, and extra decodes are $3.50 each with no subscription.
What moves in Georgia without a permit
Legal limits are the dimensions and gross weight a vehicle may run at without an oversize or overweight permit. Georgia publishes its length limit as overall combination, so compare it against that measurement on your permit, not the overall rig.
Where the permit and escort tiers start
| Dimension | Legal without permit | Permit tier starts | First escort on non-interstate | First escort on interstate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8'6" | 8'7" | 12'1" · Front + Rear | 12'1" · Rear escort or amber light |
| Height | 13'6" | 13'7" | 15'6" · Front + High pole | 15'6" · Front + High pole |
| Length | 100'0"overall combination | 75'1" | 75'1" · Rear escort or amber light | 75'1" · Rear escort or amber light |
| Weight | 80,000 lbs | 300,000 lbs | 300,000 lbs · Police escort | 300,000 lbs · Police escort |
"Permit tier starts" is the lowest size in the Atlas ladder that needs a permit. "First escort" is the lowest size that adds a private or police escort on that road class; the full ladder with each tier's rule and source is below.
Georgia escort ladder, tier by tier
Open a tier to read the rule behind it, quoted with its source. Amber tiers add a police escort or a superload review; grey tiers are permit-only with conditions.
On non-interstate
Escorts begin at 12'1" wide
Width
Permit only up to 12'
Front + Rear12'1" – 14'8"
Two lane roads: front escort plus rear escort or amber light. A four lane highway needs a rear escort only
Front + Rear14'9" – 16'
Front and rear escorts required on two lane roads
Front + Rear16'1"+
Over 16 ft is a superload. Front and rear escorts on all roads; GDOT sets conditions case by case and Public Safety may require police escort. Above 20 ft, this row's escorts are the minimum; the permit sets any more.
Height
Permit only up to 14'11"
Permit required15' – 15'5"
Permit required. No escort or height pole below 15'6": Georgia's height-sensor rule starts at 15'6" (next band). Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 672-2-.06(3)(c)2.(i) (amended eff. 11/8/2011); GDOT Oversize Permits page.
Front + High pole15'6"+
Front escort with height pole required for the entire route of travel. Above 20 ft, this row's escorts are the minimum; the permit sets any more.
Length
Rear escort or amber light75'1" – 100'
Over 75 ft up to 100 ft long: a rear escort, or an amber light in its place ("Rear Escort/Amber Light"). Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 672-2-.06.
Rear escort100'1" – 125'
Rear escort required
Front + Rear125'1"+
Front and rear escorts required. Above 200 ft, this row's escorts are the minimum; the permit sets any more.
Weight
Police escort300,000 lbs+
A Mega Load (300,000 lb or more) needs at least two police escorts; GDOT sets the full escort detail on the permit. Source: GDOT Mega Load requirements (Sept. 2016 letter and Movement Summary, dot.ga.gov).
On interstate
Escorts begin at 12'1" wide
Width
Permit only up to 12'
Rear escort or amber light12'1" – 14'8"
Rear escort or amber light on interstate and limited access highways. An amber warning light may replace the rear escort. Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 672-2-.06 (GDOT rule: Pilot/Escort Vehicle Certification. Escorts of Permitted Vehicles or Loads).
Rear escort14'9" – 16'
Rear escort required on interstate and limited access highways
Front + Rear16'1"+
Over 16 ft is a superload. Front and rear escorts on all roads; GDOT sets conditions case by case and Public Safety may require police escort. Above 20 ft, this row's escorts are the minimum; the permit sets any more.
Height
Permit only up to 14'11"
Permit required15' – 15'5"
Permit required. No escort or height pole below 15'6": Georgia's height-sensor rule starts at 15'6" (next band). Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 672-2-.06(3)(c)2.(i) (amended eff. 11/8/2011); GDOT Oversize Permits page.
Front + High pole15'6"+
Front escort with height pole required for the entire route of travel. Above 20 ft, this row's escorts are the minimum; the permit sets any more.
Length
Rear escort or amber light75'1" – 100'
Over 75 ft up to 100 ft long: a rear escort, or an amber light in its place ("Rear Escort/Amber Light"). Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 672-2-.06.
Rear escort100'1" – 125'
Rear escort required
Front + Rear125'1"+
Front and rear escorts required. Above 200 ft, this row's escorts are the minimum; the permit sets any more.
Weight
Police escort300,000 lbs+
A Mega Load (300,000 lb or more) needs at least two police escorts; GDOT sets the full escort detail on the permit. Source: GDOT Mega Load requirements (Sept. 2016 letter and Movement Summary, dot.ga.gov).
When a permitted load can move
- Standard hours
One-half hour after sunrise to one-half hour before sunset, Monday through Saturday
- Night travel
Prohibited. No permitted load, oversize or overweight only, may move between one-half hour before sunset and one-half hour after sunrise unless the permit states otherwise.
- Weekend travel
Saturday travel allowed during standard daylight hours. No Sunday travel unless the permit specifically authorizes it.
- Holiday restrictions
No movement on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. Movement is also prohibited during fog, snow or icy conditions.
- Urban restrictions
No permitted load may travel into or through the area bounded by I-285, the Atlanta bypass, unless making a pickup or delivery inside it and carrying proof. Permits are also not valid 6-9 AM or 4-6 PM Monday through Friday.
Signage Georgia expects
- Oversize load sign
OVERSIZE LOAD sign required on the front of the towing vehicle, the rear of the trailer and on each required escort vehicle. Black letters at least 8 inches high and 4 inches wide on a yellow or orange background; sign at least 6 feet wide by 1 foot tall. Remove when legal.
- Flags
Red flags 18 inches square required on all four corners of the load and on all extremities, including any front or rear overhang.
- Beacons
Amber light may stand in for the rear escort only at 12'-14'8" wide or 75'-100' long; a rear escort vehicle is required above those bands, and a 2-lane front escort still applies. Amber light: 8 in diameter min, or 4 in strobe or LED, visible one-quarter mile.
Georgia permit office
The permit office is the authority on every number on this page. Call it, or open the official site, before you rely on a threshold for a load that is close to a line.
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What are the legal limits in Georgia without an oversize or overweight permit?
In Georgia, the legal limits without an oversize or overweight permit are 8'6" wide, 13'6" high, 100'0" long (overall combination) and 80,000 lbs gross. Legal overhang is 3'0" front and 4'0" rear. Anything over those figures needs a permit from the Georgia permit office before it moves.
When does an oversize load need an escort or pilot car in Georgia?
On non-interstate in Georgia, escorts begin at 12'1" wide. On interstate, escorts begin at 12'1" wide. The first escort tier is "Front + Rear" at 12'1" – 14'8" wide. Every tier on this page quotes its rule and source.
Can oversize loads travel at night, on weekends or on holidays in Georgia?
Night travel: Prohibited. No permitted load, oversize or overweight only, may move between one-half hour before sunset and one-half hour after sunrise unless the permit states otherwise. Weekend travel: Saturday travel allowed during standard daylight hours. No Sunday travel unless the permit specifically authorizes it. Holidays: No movement on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. Movement is also prohibited during fog, snow or icy conditions.