Understanding Florida Oversize Permits
Florida oversize permits authorize vehicles to exceed statutory dimensions and weights, specifically beyond:
Width: 8 feet 6 inches (with some exceptions on non-designated routes)
Height: 13 feet 6 inches
Length: 75 feet overall (53-foot semi-trailers require a kingpin setting of 41 feet)
Weight: 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight
Transporters moving loads outside these dimensions must obtain appropriate permits before transit. These include Florida overweight permits, overhang permits, single trip permits, and annual permits—each tailored to different hauling needs.
Types of Permits and Their Strategic Applications
Florida Oversize Permits: Allow transport of extra-wide or tall equipment.
Florida Overweight Permits: For vehicles exceeding weight regulations.
Florida Overhang Permits: For load extensions greater than the legal 3-foot front or rear limit.
Florida Single Trip Permits: Valid for single shipments with a 10-day validity period.
Florida Annual Permits: Designed for companies with regular oversize hauling requirements.
Choosing the right permit type not only ensures compliance but also optimizes operational efficiency.
Florida DOT Permits: Regulations and Restrictions
Florida permits are valid for ten days and regulate operating hours. Vehicles with loads 10 feet wide or less may operate from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset daily, including weekends. Loads between 10 feet and 14 feet wide are restricted to travel until 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Overweight-only permits generally permit 24-hour operation.
Travel restrictions are noteworthy. Movements are prohibited between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., as well as 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., in Hillsboro and Dade Counties. Enhanced curfews may apply in other counties based on permit specifics. Additionally, travel during six principal holidays and Martin Luther King Day is restricted for loads exceeding specified dimensions, with further limitations around major holidays such as New Year’s, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Safety Compliance and Escort Requirements for oversize load in Florida
Safety remains paramount. Oversize loads must display mandatory signage including “Oversize Load” banners, and red or orange flags on all protruding parts. Amber flashing lights provide additional visibility for widths exceeding 10 feet or rear overhangs beyond 4 feet.
