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Georgia trucking

Georgia oversize and overweight permits

Georgia publishes one set of legal dimensions and a single legal gross weight, and anything past them needs a permit from the Public Safety permit unit through GAPROS. Georgia prices those permits as flat permit types rather than a base fee plus a weight tier, and its escort thresholds start earlier than many states.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 25, 2026

Width
8.5 ft8 feet 6 inches. The oversize permit unit publishes this as the overall legal width before a permit is required.
Height
13.5 ft13 feet 6 inches. Georgia is a 13 foot 6 inch state, not a 14 foot state.
Gross weight
80,000 lb
Length: overall_including_overhang
100 ft
Length: semitrailer_in_truck_tractor_semitrailer
53 ft
Length: semitrailer_note
53 feet in a truck tractor-semitrailer combination, unless signs are posted indicating a semitrailer length restriction.
Length: trailer_in_truck_tractor_semitrailer_trailer
28 ft
Length: extendable_semitrailer_interstate_nhs
75 ft
Length: extendable_semitrailer_other_roads_overall
100 ft
Length: extendable_semitrailer_note
On interstate and NHS routes a single-piece load may ride an extendable semitrailer longer than 53 feet up to 75 feet, provided no pieces are loaded end to end. Off the interstate and NHS the same applies except the OVERALL length may not exceed 100 feet. An empty extendable semitrailer, or one carrying a single-piece load of 53 feet or less, must stay at 53 feet or less. When extended, the rear extremity of the semitrailer or load must carry a four inch multidirectional amber strobe light and 18 inch bright red or orange warning flags.
Length: maxi_cube_cargo_box
34 ft
Length: maxi_cube_pair
60 ft
Length: maxi_cube_overall
65 ft
Length: saddlemount_overall
97 ft
Length: automobile_and_boat_transporter_unit_max
56 ft
Length: note
Per-configuration limits read from the official O.C.G.A. § 32-6-24, Length of vehicles and loads, current through the 2026 Special Session. They apply unless the vehicle is exempted under § 32-6-25 or authorized by a permit under § 32-6-28. The 100 foot overall figure the DPS Oversize Permit Unit publishes matches subsection (b)(2)(C) for combinations operated off the interstate and NHS, and includes the federal allowance for automobile and boat transporter loads to overhang up to three feet at the front and six feet at the rear. The trailer and semitrailer limits do not apply to automobile and boat transporters, though no single unit may exceed 56 feet.
Off interstate limits
The DPS Oversize Permit Unit publishes one set of overall legal dimensions (8 feet 6 inches wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, 100 feet long, 80,000 pounds gross) without splitting interstate from non-interstate. The axle limits DO split: see the axle weight table, which carries a separate row set for the Interstate Highway System and for state routes.

Axle weight limits

Gross weight is one ceiling; each axle group carries its own limit, and a load can be legal on gross weight yet overweight on an axle. Exceeding any of these needs an overweight permit.

Georgia legal axle weight limits by axle group
Axle groupMaximum weight
Single axle, Interstate Highway System20,340 lb (Published by the DPS Oversize Permit Unit as the legal axle weight on the Interstate Highway System.)
Tandem axle, Interstate Highway System, standard34,000 lb (The DPS Oversize Permit Unit page states 34,000 pounds where gross weight is greater than 73,280 pounds or length is greater than 55 feet, and 40,680 pounds for the lighter, shorter case. The two conditions as printed on that page overlap on the length test, so the 40,680 pound figure is recorded as a separate row and a carrier near either boundary should confirm with the permit unit before loading. A tandem axle on the Interstate system is any two or more axles within 96 inches.)
Tandem axle, Interstate Highway System, lighter and shorter combinations40,680 lb (Applies where the gross weight is less than 73,280 pounds, per the DPS Oversize Permit Unit page. See the note on the standard tandem row about how the page prints the length condition.)
Single axle, state routes20,340 lb (Published by the DPS Oversize Permit Unit as the legal axle weight limit on state routes.)
Tandem axle, state routes, all trucks37,340 lb (The DPS Oversize Permit Unit page states the legal tandem weight limit on all trucks as 37,340 pounds, defining tandem for this purpose as any two or more axles within 216 inches on the unit, not counting the steering axle.)
Tandem axle, state highways, tractor semi-trailer combinations40,680 lb (The DPS Oversize Permit Unit page states 40,680 pounds for tractor semi-trailer combinations on state highways and attributes it to O.C.G.A. 32-6-26 (j).)

Scroll sideways to see every column.

Permit fees

Single trip
$30 (Georgia prices oversize and overweight permits as flat permit-type fees, not as a base fee plus a weight-tiered maintenance fee. The standard single trip permit is $30.00 and covers width and height up to 16 feet and gross weight up to 150,000 pounds. Superload, Superload Plus, and Mega Load single trips carry their own flat fees.)
Annual permit
$150
Annual eligibility
The Standard Annual permit is $150.00 and covers width 12 feet 0 inches, height 14 feet 6 inches, length 100 feet 0 inches, and gross weight 100,000 pounds. GDOT Board Rule 672-2 adds that the Standard Annual applies to specific types of loads on a five-axle tractor-trailer combination. The NHS Annual is $500.00 and covers width 14 feet 0 inches to 14 feet 8 inches, height 14 feet 6 inches, length 100 feet 0 inches, and gross weight 100,000 pounds; the rule describes this Annual Plus permit as limited to the interstate and limited access routes, with the 14 foot width from the base of the load up to ten feet above the pavement and 14 feet 8 inches for the upper portion.

Single-trip permit fee schedule

A single-trip permit stacks a base fee with a weight-tiered maintenance fee, and the heaviest loads add a supervision fee.

Georgia single-trip oversize permit fee components
Fee componentApplies toAmount
Standard SingleWidth and height up to 16 feet; gross weight up to 150,000 pounds$30
Superload SingleWidth or height greater than 16 feet, or gross weight 150,001 to 180,000 pounds$125
Superload PlusGross weight over 180,000 pounds$500
Mega LoadGross weight of 300,000 pounds or more$500

Scroll sideways to see every column.

To price a specific load, try the oversize permit cost estimator, or compare every state on the national oversize permit table.

To see how these fees combine on real loads, walk through Georgia oversize permit cost worked examples.

Escort thresholds

DimensionThresholdEscortsWhere the escorts ridePolice escort
lengthover 75 ft up to and including 100 ft1Rear escort with amber lightNo
lengthover 100 ft up to and including 125 ft1Vehicle rear escortNo
lengthgreater than 125 ft2Vehicle front escort and vehicle rear escortNo
height15 ft 6 in or greater1Vehicle front escort with a height sensor, unless the hauler holds a valid trip approval ticket from NJUNS (National Joint Utilities Notification Service)No
widthover 12 ft up to and including 14 ft 8 in, two lane road2Vehicle front escort plus rear escort with amber lightsNo
widthover 12 ft up to and including 14 ft 8 in, four lane road1Vehicle rear escort onlyNo
widthover 12 ft up to and including 14 ft 8 in, limited access highway1Rear escort with amber lights onlyNo
widthover 14 ft 8 in up to and including 16 ft, two lane highway2Vehicle front escort and vehicle rear escortNo
widthover 14 ft 8 in up to and including 16 ft, four or more lane road or limited access highway1Vehicle rear escort onlyNo
widthgreater than 16 ft, or any load not defined in the rulecase by caseSet by the Department on the permitThe Department determines escort requirements case by case and may require a vehicle police escort with operating blue lights displaying its jurisdiction.
bridge lateral clearancewidth over 14 ft 8 in on routes with bridges of less than 28 ft lateral clearance1Vehicle front escort required; the movement may not be made on such routes without oneNo

What the escort itself has to be

Hitting the threshold is only half of it. The escort vehicle, its equipment, its driver's certification and where it rides are all regulated, and the carrier is the one holding the permit when they are not met.

Escort driver certification
Georgia certifies pilot and escort vehicle drivers. Any driver escorting an oversize or overweight load must meet the Department's training and certification requirements, and the certification credentials must be carried in the escort vehicle and produced for law enforcement or an authorized Department employee. The certification may provide reciprocity with other states running a similar pre-approved program.
When the state adds escorts at its discretion
As a condition of issuing a permit, the Department may require a front escort, a rear escort, or both whenever it deems that necessary in the interest of public safety.
Equipment the escort vehicle carries
An escort vehicle must be an automobile or pickup truck with a revolving or flashing amber warning light on top, permitted under O.C.G.A. 40-8-92, 40-8-93, and 40-8-95. The escort and the permitted vehicle must carry working two-way communication with each other, with GDOT TMC operators and enforcement personnel if required, and with any other escorts of the same load. When four or more vehicles queue behind the permitted load, the escorts and the load must pull over and let traffic pass.
Signs the escort displays
On all loads over legal width, height, or length, an OVERSIZED LOAD sign goes on the front of a front escort and the rear of a rear escort. Black letters on an orange or yellow backboard, letters at least 8 inches high and 4 inches wide, on a backboard at least 1 foot high and 6 feet wide.
Police escort definition
A police escort vehicle is an automobile marked with its law enforcement jurisdiction and equipped with a flashing or revolving blue light as defined in O.C.G.A. 40-8-91 and 40-8-92. The carrier is responsible for two-way communication so the permitted load driver, any civilian escorts, and the police escorts stay in constant contact.
Governing rule
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06

Escort rules beyond the thresholds

Knowing when you need an escort is half of it. These are the Georgia rules on who may run one, what the vehicle has to carry, and how the move is conducted.

Certification
Georgia certifies pilot and escort vehicle drivers. Any driver escorting an oversize or overweight load must meet the Department's training and certification requirements, and the certification credentials must be carried in the escort vehicle and produced for law enforcement or an authorized Department employee. The certification may provide reciprocity with other states running a similar pre-approved program.
Discretionary
As a condition of issuing a permit, the Department may require a front escort, a rear escort, or both whenever it deems that necessary in the interest of public safety.
Equipment
An escort vehicle must be an automobile or pickup truck with a revolving or flashing amber warning light on top, permitted under O.C.G.A. 40-8-92, 40-8-93, and 40-8-95. The escort and the permitted vehicle must carry working two-way communication with each other, with GDOT TMC operators and enforcement personnel if required, and with any other escorts of the same load. When four or more vehicles queue behind the permitted load, the escorts and the load must pull over and let traffic pass.
Signs
On all loads over legal width, height, or length, an OVERSIZED LOAD sign goes on the front of a front escort and the rear of a rear escort. Black letters on an orange or yellow backboard, letters at least 8 inches high and 4 inches wide, on a backboard at least 1 foot high and 6 feet wide.
Police escort definition
A police escort vehicle is an automobile marked with its law enforcement jurisdiction and equipped with a flashing or revolving blue light as defined in O.C.G.A. 40-8-91 and 40-8-92. The carrier is responsible for two-way communication so the permitted load driver, any civilian escorts, and the police escorts stay in constant contact.
Regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06

Travel restrictions

Daylight only
Yes (Unless the permit says otherwise, a permitted vehicle or load moves only Monday through Saturday, from 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Saving Time as applicable.)
Curfews
No permit is valid for travel into or through the area bounded by Interstate 285, the Atlanta bypass, unless the vehicle is making a pickup or delivery inside that area, and the driver must be able to show proof of it. Even then, a permit is not valid inside that area between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. or between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Parking on interstate and limited access right of way while waiting for an authorized entry time is not allowed. The Department may limit travel in other major cities on the face of the permit or at the written request of local jurisdictions.
Weekend / holiday
No permitted vehicle or load moves on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, or December 25th. Sunday movement is outside the standard Monday through Saturday window unless the permit says otherwise or the load qualifies for continuous movement.
Wind / weather
A permitted load over 12 feet wide may not travel when visibility is less than 600 feet or when the ground wind exceeds 25 miles per hour. When either condition arises the driver must proceed to the first place the load can be safely taken off the roadway.
Continuous movement
A permitted load of legal overall dimensions weighing up to 125,000 pounds may move continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, subject to the weather and holiday bars below.
House moves
A house may be moved Monday through Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., except in counties requiring moves after 12:00 midnight and before 5:00 a.m., and unless the permit designates otherwise. Application must be made at least 72 hours before the move with prior approval of affected local utilities, and the straight-line distance between origin and destination may not exceed 150 miles. NJUNS approval is required for any load 18 feet high or taller.
Regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.03(c)
Daylight hours rule
Unless the permit says otherwise, a permitted vehicle or load moves only Monday through Saturday, from 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Saving Time as applicable.
Continuous movement
A permitted load of legal overall dimensions weighing up to 125,000 pounds may move continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, subject to the weather and holiday bars below.
Weather
No permitted vehicle or load moves during foggy weather or during snow or icy conditions.
House moves
A house may be moved Monday through Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., except in counties requiring moves after 12:00 midnight and before 5:00 a.m., and unless the permit designates otherwise. Application must be made at least 72 hours before the move with prior approval of affected local utilities, and the straight-line distance between origin and destination may not exceed 150 miles. NJUNS approval is required for any load 18 feet high or taller.
Regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.03(c)

Superload and beyond-permit review

Loads past the standard single-trip permit thresholds get individual state review rather than an off-the-shelf permit.

A non-divisible load exceeding a width or height of 16 feet, and/or a gross vehicle weight exceeding 150,001 pounds up to 180,000 pounds. Axle weights and spacings are not required for superloads that are oversize by dimension only, but once gross vehicle weight passes 150,000 pounds axle weights and spacings are required.

Superload plus
A non-divisible load exceeding 180,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. Axle weights and spacings are required for a complete bridge analysis. Axle weights may not exceed the limits printed on the permit and axle spacings must be accurate or longer than those on the permit; shorter spacings void the permit, and an overweight citation is then based on all excess weight above 150,000 pounds GVW rather than the legal 80,000 pounds.
Mega load
The DPS fee schedule adds a Mega Load single trip category at 300,000 pounds or more for $500.00.
Invalid permit penalty
If a Superload Plus permit becomes invalid, the overweight citation is assessed at 125 percent for all excess weight greater than 150,000 pounds, and a new permit is required before travel.
Regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.01(k) and (l)

More Georgia permit rules

Weight variance: variance percent
10
Weight variance: max gross weight lb
88,000
Weight variance: commodities
Forest products from the forest to first point of marketing or processing; Live poultry or cotton from farm to processing plant; Feed from mill to farm; Poultry waste from point of origin to farm; Agricultural product from first point of marketing or processing; Agricultural finished goods for distribution or for retail sale and purchase by consumers; Recovered materials from points of generation to a processing facility
Weight variance: radius miles
150
Weight variance: geographic exclusion
Prohibited in the 13-county non-attainment area
Weight variance: equipment condition
Truck and trailer must be certified to meet or exceed weights allowed by the variance
Weight variance: history
HB 189 (2023) raised the variance from 5 percent to 10 percent effective May 3, 2023 with a sunset of July 1, 2025. Act 174 (HB 164) of the 2025 session repealed that automatic repeal provision and extended local law enforcement authority, amending O.C.G.A. Sections 32-6-26 through 32-6-30 effective July 1, 2025, so the 10 percent variance is now permanent.
Weight variance: statute
Ga. L. 2025, Act 174 (HB 164), amending O.C.G.A. Sections 32-6-26 through 32-6-30
Weight variance detail: source document
House Budget and Research Office policy brief on HB 189
Weight variance detail: penalty schedule gross
Less than 93,000 pounds: 5 cents per pound over 80,000. 93,000 to 100,000 pounds: 10 cents per pound over 80,000. 100,000 pounds or more: 15 cents per pound over 80,000.
Weight variance detail: penalty schedule single axle
25,520 pounds or less: 5 cents per pound over the limit. Over 25,520 and under 27,450: 10 cents per pound over the limit. 27,450 or more: 15 cents per pound over the limit.
Weight variance detail: penalty schedule tandem axle
51,000 pounds or less: 5 cents per pound over the limit. Over 51,000 and under 54,880: 10 cents per pound over the limit. 54,880 or more: 15 cents per pound over the limit.
Weight variance detail: penalty schedule posted bridge
Gross weight exceeds the posted limit by 7,500 pounds or less: 5 cents per pound over. More than 7,500 but less than 15,000: 10 cents per pound over. 15,000 or more: 15 cents per pound over.
Weight variance detail: statute
Ga. L. 2023, HB 189 (truck weights), as made permanent by Ga. L. 2025, Act 174 (HB 164)
Single trip fee USD
30
Single trip fee note
Georgia prices oversize and overweight permits as flat permit-type fees, not as a base fee plus a weight-tiered maintenance fee. The standard single trip permit is $30.00 and covers width and height up to 16 feet and gross weight up to 150,000 pounds. Superload, Superload Plus, and Mega Load single trips carry their own flat fees.
Annual permit eligibility
The Standard Annual permit is $150.00 and covers width 12 feet 0 inches, height 14 feet 6 inches, length 100 feet 0 inches, and gross weight 100,000 pounds. GDOT Board Rule 672-2 adds that the Standard Annual applies to specific types of loads on a five-axle tractor-trailer combination. The NHS Annual is $500.00 and covers width 14 feet 0 inches to 14 feet 8 inches, height 14 feet 6 inches, length 100 feet 0 inches, and gross weight 100,000 pounds; the rule describes this Annual Plus permit as limited to the interstate and limited access routes, with the 14 foot width from the base of the load up to ten feet above the pavement and 14 feet 8 inches for the upper portion.

Annual permit schedule

PermitFee USDWidth ftHeight ftLength ftWeight GVW lbWidth noteAxlesNoteRegulationApplies toValidityMax tandem weight lbMax single axle weight lb
Standard Annual1501214.5100100,000
NHS Annual (Annual Plus)5001414.5100100,00014 feet 0 inches to 14 feet 8 inches; the rule limits this permit to interstate and limited access routes
Annual Commercial Wrecker Emergency Tow Permit500135,0007The DPS permit types and fees page lists this permit at 7 axles and 135,000 pounds for $500.00. GDOT Board Rule 672-2-.01(n) describes the same permit with a maximum width of 12 feet, height 14 feet 6 inches, length 125 feet, and GVW 100,000 pounds, and bars a single axle over 25,000 pounds, a tandem over 50,000 pounds with a secondary tandem over 28,000 pounds, or total length over 125 feet. Both figures are recorded because the fee page and the rule differ; confirm the current envelope with the permit unit.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.01(n)
Seasonal Annual259Cotton and tobacco only6 months46,00023,000
Annual Permit for Transportation of Hazardous Materials100Ordered through GAPROS. The carrier must have insurance on file and must upload an Emergency Action Plan with the application. Payment requires an escrow account; credit cards are not accepted. Mail-only delivery. Escrow setup runs through the Oversize/HazMat Permit Unit at (404) 624-7257.Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB), and Radioactive Materials (RA) only1 year
Permit validity: single trip days
10
Permit validity: single trip note
No single trip permit is valid in excess of ten allowable travel days unless the Department grants an extension; validity expires ten days after issuance.
Permit validity: multi trip
A multi-trip permit authorizes the permitted load to return to its original destination on the same permit within ten days, with the same vehicle configuration and route, and authorizes unlimited permitted loads on that permit within the allowable ten days.
Permit validity: regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.02(2)
Escort notes: certification
Georgia certifies pilot and escort vehicle drivers. Any driver escorting an oversize or overweight load must meet the Department's training and certification requirements, and the certification credentials must be carried in the escort vehicle and produced for law enforcement or an authorized Department employee. The certification may provide reciprocity with other states running a similar pre-approved program.
Escort notes: discretionary
As a condition of issuing a permit, the Department may require a front escort, a rear escort, or both whenever it deems that necessary in the interest of public safety.
Escort notes: equipment
An escort vehicle must be an automobile or pickup truck with a revolving or flashing amber warning light on top, permitted under O.C.G.A. 40-8-92, 40-8-93, and 40-8-95. The escort and the permitted vehicle must carry working two-way communication with each other, with GDOT TMC operators and enforcement personnel if required, and with any other escorts of the same load. When four or more vehicles queue behind the permitted load, the escorts and the load must pull over and let traffic pass.
Escort notes: signs
On all loads over legal width, height, or length, an OVERSIZED LOAD sign goes on the front of a front escort and the rear of a rear escort. Black letters on an orange or yellow backboard, letters at least 8 inches high and 4 inches wide, on a backboard at least 1 foot high and 6 feet wide.
Escort notes: police escort definition
A police escort vehicle is an automobile marked with its law enforcement jurisdiction and equipped with a flashing or revolving blue light as defined in O.C.G.A. 40-8-91 and 40-8-92. The carrier is responsible for two-way communication so the permitted load driver, any civilian escorts, and the police escorts stay in constant contact.
Escort notes: regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06
Load marking: requirement
An OVERSIZED LOAD sign of the escort-vehicle type goes on both the front and the rear of any vehicle or load over 8 feet 6 inches wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, or 100 feet long. The signs come off once the load no longer exceeds legal dimensions. A square red flag 18 inches on a side flies at the corners of both sides of an overwidth vehicle or load, front and rear. Loads exempt from permits under O.C.G.A. 32-6-25 and 32-6-25.1 must still be marked this way.
Load marking: regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.07

Permit insurance requirements

Applies toBodily injury USDProperty damage USDNoteRegulationBodily injury per person USDBodily injury multiple persons USD
Permitted loads with GVW of 10,000 pounds or less50,00050,000Bodily injury liability $50,000 limit for injury or death per person as a result of any one occurrence; property damage liability $50,000 limit for damage to property of others in any one occurrence.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.03(e)
Commercial motor carriers with permitted loads of GVW 10,001 pounds or more1,000,000$1,000,000 minimum property damage to others in any one occurrence, $300,000 minimum bodily injury for each person, and $1,000,000 for multiple persons injured per occurrence. A copy of the insurance certificate must be furnished to the Department before the permit issues.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.03(e)300,0001,000,000

Seasonal permits

NameFee USDValidityEnvelope
Seasonal Annual permit (cotton and tobacco)256 monthsWidth 9 feet 0 inches, maximum tandem weight 46,000 pounds, maximum single axle weight 23,000 pounds
Annual Permit for Transportation of Hazardous Materials1001 yearLNG, PCB, and radioactive materials only; Emergency Action Plan and escrow account required
Containerized freight: detail
A sealed container with an origin or destination at a port used for international trading, with the driver able to show an international bill of lading, gets its own weight envelope: a 40 foot box container is allowed 100,000 pounds gross on a five-axle tractor-trailer combination; a 20 foot box container is allowed 80,000 pounds with a tandem weight of 44,000 pounds; and a 20 foot box container on a 40 foot center mount or center-mount triaxle trailer is allowed 100,000 pounds gross on a five or more axle tractor-trailer.
Containerized freight: regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.01(c)
Application process: detail
Permits are requested through the Oversize Permit Unit. A single trip permit may be applied for by telephone, letter, email, fax, electronically through the web based program, or in person, with the fee transmitted before issuance. Payment may be made by credit card, company check, money order, or certified or cashier's check; personal checks are not accepted. An annual permit is applied for on the prescribed application form and issued by mail or in person after approval and payment.
Application process: system
GAPROS, https://www.gaprospermits.com/
Application process: regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.08
Off road equipment restriction: detail
No permit is issued for off-the-road equipment exceeding 25,000 pounds on any one axle. Off-the-road equipment with axle loads between 20,340 and 25,000 pounds is routed by the Oversize Permit Unit and limited to a ten mile radius from the trip origin.
Off road equipment restriction: regulation
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.02(3)
Statute
O.C.G.A. § 32-6-28
Statute note
The DPS Oversize Permit Unit states that it operates under Federal Code Title 23, Georgia Code Title 32, and GDOT Board Rule 672-2. GDOT's oversize page cites O.C.G.A. 32-6-28 and 32-6-1 along with Chapter 672-2. Those catchlines are now VERIFIED at the official source: the Official Code of Georgia Annotated published for the Georgia Code Revision Commission at lexisnexis.com/hottopics/gacode, read 2026-07-26. The GDOT Board Rule 672-2 citations throughout this file are individually verified against the published rule text.
Verified statute catchlines: note
Official O.C.G.A. catchlines read at the Georgia Code Revision Commission's own LexisNexis edition on 2026-07-26. These replace the agency-cited labels used at first research, when the portal could not be reached.
Verified statute catchlines: sections: 32 6 1
Obstructing, encroaching on, or injuring public roads.
Verified statute catchlines: sections: 32 6 22
Height of vehicles and loads.
Verified statute catchlines: sections: 32 6 23
Width of vehicles and loads.
Verified statute catchlines: sections: 32 6 24
Length of vehicles and loads.
Verified statute catchlines: sections: 32 6 25
Exemptions for farming, agricultural, and forest management equipment.
Verified statute catchlines: sections: 32 6 25.1
Exemptions for port vehicles used to transport cargo or containers.
Verified statute catchlines: sections: 32 6 26
Weight of vehicle and load.
Verified statute catchlines: sections: 32 6 28
Permits for excess weight and dimensions.

The Georgia permit office

Agency
Georgia Department of Public Safety, Oversize Permit Unit
System
Georgia Permitting and Routing Optimization System (GAPROS)
System url
https://www.gaprospermits.com/
Phone
(844) 837-5500
Hours
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Address
959 United Ave, Atlanta, GA 30316 (in person); P.O. Box 1456, Atlanta, GA 30371 (mail)
Note
Georgia moved oversize and overweight permitting to the Department of Public Safety; GDOT's own oversize page now points applicants at the DPS Oversize Permit Unit and GAPROS. The permit regulations are still GDOT Board Rule 672-2. The GDOT oversize page lists a permit fax of (575) 353-7732 and a GDOT main office line of (404) 635-8176; the DPS Oversize Permit Unit page lists a GAPROS fax of (404) 738-1081.

The permit unit publishes one set of overall legal dimensions covering width, height, and overall length including overhang, plus a legal gross weight, without splitting interstate from non-interstate travel.

The axle limits do split. There is one row set for the Interstate Highway System and another for state routes, and the definition of a tandem changes between them: the interstate rule measures axles within a short spacing, while the state route rule measures a much longer one. A carrier that reads only the interstate row and then runs a state route can be legal on one road and over on the next.

Per-configuration trailer limits sit in the state code rather than on the permit unit's page, and that code could not be read at an official current source during this research pass, so no per-configuration figure is asserted here.

Single trip permits and the superload ladder

The standard single trip permit covers a generous envelope of width, height, and gross weight for one flat charge. Past that envelope the permit becomes a superload, then a superload plus, then a mega load, each at its own flat price.

The paperwork grows with the tier. A load that is oversize by dimension alone does not need axle weights and spacings, but once gross weight passes the superload line the department needs them, and at the superload plus tier it runs a full bridge analysis. Axle weights may not exceed what the permit prints, and axle spacings have to match the permit or be longer. Shorter spacings void the permit, and the overweight citation that follows is calculated from the superload line rather than the ordinary legal weight, which makes it far more expensive.

Annual permits, and what each one covers

The standard annual permit covers a fixed envelope of width, height, length, and gross weight, and the board rule ties it to specific load types on a five-axle tractor-trailer combination. The interstate version allows more width but limits the movement to the interstate and limited access routes, with a narrower allowance for the lower part of the load and a wider one above it.

A separate annual permit covers commercial wrecker emergency towing. Be careful with that one: the permit unit's fee page and the board rule describe different maximums for it, so both are recorded on this page and a carrier near either boundary should confirm the current envelope with the permit unit before dispatching.

Escorts, and Georgia's certified pilot car drivers

Georgia certifies the people who escort permitted loads. Any driver escorting an oversize or overweight load completes the department's training and certification program and carries the credentials in the escort vehicle for inspection, and the certification may carry reciprocity with other states running a comparable pre-approved program.

The thresholds start earlier than many carriers expect. A rear escort with an amber light attaches at a length well below where several neighboring states set theirs, a front escort with a height sensor attaches at a set height unless the hauler holds a valid utility notification ticket, and width thresholds shift with the number of lanes on the road. Past the widest published band the department sets escort requirements case by case and may require a police escort.

Equipment and signs are specified too: an escort vehicle is an automobile or pickup with a revolving or flashing amber warning light, both vehicles carry working two-way radios, and the oversized load sign has a prescribed lettering and backboard size. When four or more vehicles queue behind the load, the whole group pulls over and lets traffic pass.

When permitted loads can move

Unless the permit says otherwise, a permitted load moves Monday through Saturday between set hours around sunrise and sunset. A permitted load of otherwise legal overall dimensions under a stated weight ceiling may move continuously, day and night, subject to the weather and holiday bars.

Six holidays close the road to permitted movement outright. Fog, snow, and ice stop movement at any time. A load past a set width stops when visibility drops below a published distance or the ground wind passes a published speed, and the driver takes the load off the roadway at the first safe place.

House moves get their own window, their own advance notice period, and a straight-line distance ceiling between origin and destination, plus utility notification approval for anything tall enough to reach the wires.

The Atlanta perimeter rule

This is the Georgia rule that surprises out-of-state carriers most. No permit is valid for travel into or through the area bounded by the Atlanta bypass interstate unless the vehicle is making a pickup or delivery inside it, and the driver has to be able to prove that.

Even with a pickup or delivery inside the perimeter, the permit is void there during the morning and afternoon rush windows on weekdays. Waiting out a closed window by parking on interstate or limited access right of way is not allowed either. The department may add limits in other cities on the face of the permit or at the written request of a local jurisdiction, so route planning through Georgia's metro areas is a permit-by-permit exercise, not a habit you can reuse.

How to read this page

A value reading "Not confirmed" means we could not verify the figure on an official agency page at review time, so it stays open rather than guessed. Superload moves above the standard permit thresholds get individual review by the state; contact the permit office named on this page. For the rest of the Georgia permit stack, see Georgia trucking permits.

Frequently asked questions

What can I haul in Georgia without an oversize permit?

Anything inside the published legal width, height, overall length including overhang, and gross weight, and inside the axle limits for the road you are on. Those limits are sourced fields on this page, and the axle rows differ between the interstate system and state routes.

How much does a Georgia oversize permit cost?

Georgia charges a flat price by permit type rather than a base fee plus a weight tier. The standard single trip, the superload tiers, the standard annual, and the interstate annual each have their own published amount, listed here as sourced fields.

When does an oversize load need an escort in Georgia?

Escort requirements attach by length, height, and width, with the width rules changing by how many lanes the road has, and bridge lateral clearance adding a front escort on some routes. Georgia also requires escort drivers to hold a state certification and carry it in the vehicle.

Can a permitted load run inside the Atlanta perimeter?

Only when the vehicle is picking up or delivering inside it and the driver can prove that, and even then not during the weekday rush windows. Parking on interstate right of way to wait for an open window is not allowed.

Does Georgia allow extra weight for farm and forest loads?

Yes. A published variance raises the gross weight ceiling for a defined commodity list within a fixed radius of the origin, barred inside the metropolitan non-attainment counties and conditioned on the equipment being certified for the weight. A 2025 act removed its expiry date.

Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.