Georgia Oversize Permits for Flatbed Loads (2026)
Georgia requires an oversize permit once a flatbed load passes 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in tall or 80,000 lbs gross — GDOT single-trip permits start at $30 for routine moves, the height-pole escort does not kick in until 15 ft 6 in tall, and no permitted load may travel on a Sunday.
TL;DR
Georgia legal limits: 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in tall, 75 ft long, 80,000 lbs.
GDOT single-trip oversize permits start at $30; superload tiers run to $500.
Travel is 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, Monday through Saturday.
No permitted oversize travel on Sundays, and Atlanta's I-285 area has rush-hour curfews.
A height-pole escort is required in front of loads 15 ft 6 in tall or taller.
Why Georgia permit rules matter for flatbed carriers
OpenDeck, powered by Load Work covers the Southeast lanes flatbed and heavy haul carriers actually run, and Georgia is the corridor state — I-75 and I-85 feed Atlanta construction, I-95 moves port machinery out of Savannah and Brunswick, and I-20 connects the machinery dealers of Birmingham and the Carolinas. Nearly every heavy load in the Southeast passes through GDOT jurisdiction.
Georgia's rules are unusual in two ways that catch carriers from other states: Sunday is off-limits for permitted loads entirely, and the escort schedule splits by road type — two-lane roads need more escorts than the interstate for the same load.
Georgia oversize permits for flatbed loads: the step-by-step
This is the working sequence for an owner-operator running a flatbed, step deck or RGN into, out of or across Georgia in 2026.
Confirm the legal limits first
Georgia legal limits without a permit:
Dimension | Legal limit (no permit) |
Width | 8 ft 6 in (8 ft on some non-designated routes) |
Height | 13 ft 6 in |
Length | 75 ft overall including overhang (53 ft trailer) |
Gross weight | 80,000 lbs on 5 axles |
Single axle | 20,340 lbs |
Tandem axle | 34,000 lbs |
The 75-foot overall length is shorter than many states' 80-95 foot routine envelopes, and it includes overhang. A long boom or blade that fits Texas legally can tip into a Georgia permit.
Pick the right permit tier
GDOT prices permits by how far outside the legal envelope the load sits:
Standard single trip ($30): up to 16 ft wide or high, up to 150,000 lbs gross.
Superload single ($125): over 16 ft wide or high, or 150,001-180,000 lbs.
Superload Plus ($500): over 180,000 lbs, requires bridge analysis.
Mega Load ($500 and up): over 300,000 lbs, requires a 30-business-day review with a traffic control plan.
Standard annual ($150): 12 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high, 100 ft long, 100,000 lbs for recurring moves.
Routine machinery and steel work sits in the $30 tier almost always. The trap is the 30-business-day Mega Load window: a heavy RGN load can sit for six weeks waiting on GDOT's consultant review, so that timeline belongs in the delivery promise from day one.
Apply through the GDOT permitting office
GDOT issues permits by phone and through its online system:
Have exact loaded dimensions ready: width, height, overall length including overhang, and overhang amounts.
Have axle-group weights from a scale ticket, plus axle spacings.
Identify the truck and trailer — VINs, axle counts, and license data.
Submit the route. GDOT screens it for bridges, construction and weight-posted roads.
Request weekend travel at application time if the load qualifies — it is not automatic.
Carry the permit from the state line; there is no Georgia grace period.
Check the escort thresholds against your route type
Georgia's escort rules depend on both the load and the road class, which is the part out-of-state carriers miss:
Width over 12 ft up to 14 ft 8 in: on interstates, one rear escort or an amber-light truck at the rear; on two-lane roads, two escorts (front and rear).
Width over 14 ft 8 in up to 16 ft: two escorts front and rear on most roads; on limited-access highways a rear escort is required.
Width over 16 ft: case-by-case — GDOT may require police escort with blue lights.
Height 15 ft 6 in or taller: one front escort with a height pole.
Length over 75 ft: one escort or amber lights at the rear corners; over 100 ft, one escort; over 125 ft, two.
A 13-foot-wide step deck load runs clean on I-75 with a rear escort but needs a second vehicle the moment the route drops onto a two-lane state road. Plan the last mile with that in mind.
Watch the travel windows and Atlanta curfews
Permitted movement runs 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, Monday through Saturday — no Sunday travel at all for permitted oversize loads. Major holidays are blackouts. Inside Atlanta's I-285 loop, permitted movement is banned 6 a.m.-9 a.m. and 4 p.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays, and non-local loads may not pass through the loop at all without proof of a pickup or delivery inside it.
Signs and flags follow the standard pattern: OVERSIZE LOAD signs (minimum 7 ft by 18 in) front and rear, 18-inch red or orange flags on all four corners and the widest points, and an amber light on the power unit — which in Georgia requires its own amber-light permit. Loads over 10 ft wide are capped at 55 mph.
Why Georgia is different from other states
Three details catch carriers running other states:
No Sundays, period. Texas and Florida allow weekend movement in defined windows; Georgia does not. A Friday-loaded machinery move that slips sits until Monday.
Road-class escorts. The same load needs one escort on the interstate and two on a two-lane road, so the last-mile route can change your escort bill after the interstate portion is planned.
Height is forgiving — until it isn't. The 15 ft 6 in height-pole trigger is the most generous in the East, but the permit office needs the loaded height measured after securement, and a mis-measured tall load gets rescheduled, not amended.
How much do Georgia oversize permits cost?
The fee ladder is simple and predictable:
$30 standard single-trip permit — most flatbed and step deck machinery loads.
$125 superload single trip above 16 ft wide or high, or up to 180,000 lbs.
$500 superload plus above 180,000 lbs, with bridge analysis.
$500+ mega loads above 300,000 lbs, with a 30-business-day review.
$150 annual permit for recurring loads within routine limits.
Against neighboring states the entry fee is cheap — Alabama and Tennessee run similar tiers — but the real cost driver is the escort count, which doubles on two-lane roads, and the Sunday shutdown, which can add a weekend of layover to a tight schedule.
Common mistakes Georgia flatbed carriers make
Booking a Sunday delivery. No permitted oversize load moves in Georgia on Sunday. Build Monday-morning delivery windows into the quote.
Routing the last mile through two-lanes without checking escorts. The escort count changes by road class mid-trip.
Assuming 24/7 overweight travel. Overweight-only loads with no oversize dimensions and safety lighting can run continuously in 2026 — but you must request continuous travel when the permit is ordered, not assume it.
Ignoring the amber-light permit. Georgia requires a permit to operate the amber warning light itself, and the light must be decal-registered. Carry the paperwork with the load.
Forgetting the 75-foot length line. Overhang counts against it. Measure the loaded combination, not just the trailer.
Pricing oversize loads out of Georgia
The permit fee is the smallest line item on a Georgia oversize lane. The costs that move margins are escorts on non-interstate miles, the Sunday blackout, and the rush-hour curfews around Atlanta. Quote the schedule honestly: a load that cannot clear Atlanta before the 6 a.m. window closes loses half a day.
When you are building the lane, use OpenDeck, powered by Load Work to filter open-deck freight by trailer type, weight and length. Set load alerts around the home ZIP and radius you choose, and check OpenDeck pricing — every plan shown there is a Load Work plan, and account setup, load access and billing all happen inside the Load Work platform.
FAQ
How much does a Georgia oversize permit cost in 2026?
GDOT single-trip oversize permits start at $30 for loads up to 16 ft wide or high and 150,000 lbs. Superload tiers run $125 to $500, and annual permits cost $150.
What is the legal width limit in Georgia without a permit?
8 ft 6 in on most routes. Anything wider needs a GDOT oversize permit, with a 13 ft 6 in height limit, 75 ft overall length including overhang, and 80,000 lbs gross.
When does a Georgia oversize load require an escort?
Widths over 12 ft need escorts that scale by road class — one rear escort or an amber light on interstates, two escorts on two-lane roads. Height over 15 ft 6 in requires a front escort with a height pole.
Can oversize loads travel on Sundays in Georgia?
No. Permitted loads may travel only Monday through Saturday, 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, unless the permit states otherwise.
What are the Atlanta oversize travel restrictions?
Inside the I-285 loop, permitted movement is banned 6-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. on weekdays, and through-traffic without a local pickup or delivery is not allowed into the area at all.
What counts as a superload in Georgia?
Loads over 16 ft wide or high, over 150,000 lbs, or over 300,000 lbs for mega loads. Mega load review takes 30 business days plus a traffic control plan.
One last thing
Georgia punishes the Friday-afternoon schedule more than any other Eastern state. The Sunday blackout, the 30-minute sunrise and sunset buffers, and the Atlanta curfews all narrow the same week. When you quote a Georgia oversize load, build the travel calendar first — the permit is $30, but a weekend of layover on a machinery delivery costs more than the freight.
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