Florida oversize permits: how FDOT's PAS works and what it costs
Florida's oversize and overweight permits are cheap and fast to buy online. The conditions printed on them are what trip carriers up: travel windows, escorts, surveys, and routes that must be followed to the letter.
Florida oversize permits in numbers
Florida oversize permits are issued by FDOT's State Permit Office through its online Permit Application System (PAS). You need one when the vehicle and load exceed 102 inches wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, Florida's length limits, or its weight limits. Trip permits last 10 days; blanket permits last up to 12 months.
Florida runs oversize and overweight permitting through one office, FDOT's State Permit Office in Tallahassee, and one online system, PAS. The fees are modest. The conditions attached to each permit are where carriers get caught.
This guide covers the Florida specifics: legal limits, permit types, fees, the PAS steps, travel windows, escorts, and penalties. For oversize planning across several states, start with our oversize load permit guide.
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Key takeaways
Permits start past 102 inches or 13 ft 6 in
Florida's length limits and its 80,000-pound gross limit also apply, and no vehicle is exempt from an overweight permit.
PAS can self-issue most trip permits
Up to 16 ft wide, 18 ft high, 150 ft long, and 200,000 lbs, if you build the route on the PAS GIS map.
Trip permits last 10 days
Blankets last 12 months and route-specific blankets 3 months. Trip permits are final sale, with no amendments or refunds.
Fees are small, penalties are not
An overdimension trip permit starts at $5. Moving outside the permitted hours costs $1,000 and parks the truck.
FDOT covers state roads only
County roads, city streets, and local toll roads need permission from the local authority that maintains them.
Escorts scale with every dimension
One qualified escort over 12 ft wide, two over 14 ft wide, and law enforcement escorts for the largest loads.
In this articleContents
When do you need a Florida oversize permit?
You need a Florida oversize permit, or an overweight one, whenever the vehicle and load exceed the size limits in Florida Statutes 316.515 or the weight limits in 316.535. Under 316.550, the permit must be in hand before the vehicle enters or moves on a public road.
| Limit | Legal maximum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 102 inches | Includes the load |
| Height | 13 ft 6 in | 14 ft for automobile transporters |
| Straight truck | 40 ft | Truck and trailer together: 68 ft, including the load |
| Semitrailer | 48 ft | Up to 57 ft if the kingpin is within 41 ft of the rear axle and it has a rear underride guard |
| Front overhang | 3 ft | Beyond the front wheels or front bumper |
| Weight | 20,000 lbs per axle; 80,000 lbs gross | Gross weight is also limited by axle spacing |
Weight is stricter than size in two ways. No vehicle is exempt from an overweight permit, and the weights written on a permit already include every tolerance, so there is no scale allowance above the permitted number.
FDOT permits cover state-maintained roads only. County roads, city streets, and local toll roads need permission from the local authority that maintains them.
Which FDOT permit type fits your move?
FDOT's State Permit Office issues four permit types. A trip permit suits a one-off move; the three blanket types suit repeat work.
| Permit | Best for | Term and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Trip | One load from one origin to one destination, with no pickups or deliveries in between | 10 days. Electronic copy accepted. No amendments or refunds. |
| Blanket | Unlimited trips on approved roads, not tied to one truck | 12 months. The original must be on board, but it can move from truck to truck. |
| Vehicle-specific blanket | Unlimited trips for one power unit, identified by its VIN | 12 months. Electronic copy accepted. No amendments or refunds. |
| Route-specific blanket | Loads beyond regular blanket limits, on one route with one configuration | 3 months. Letter of essentiality required; review can take up to 10 business days. |
Regular blankets have ceilings: no movement over 14 feet wide, 18 feet high, or 120 feet long. Bigger loads need a trip permit or, for a repeated route, a route-specific blanket that FDOT reviews case by case.
Hauling a divisible load such as sand, rock, or timber? FDOT can permit up to 10% over the vehicle's legal gross weight, on state roads off the interstate only. The extra 10% doesn't apply to single-unit trucks such as dump trucks and concrete mixers.
Check the details before you pay. A blanket refund is considered only if the original comes back within 30 days, and the other types are final sale. For how these fit with the rest of a carrier's credentials, see our overview of truck permits.
What does a Florida oversize permit cost?
Florida's permit fees are set in Rule 14-26.008 and are low: an overdimension trip permit for a load up to 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, or 85 feet long costs $5. Overweight trip permits are priced per mile.
- Overdimension trip permits: $5 up to 12 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high, or 85 ft long; $15 up to 14 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high, or 95 ft long; $25 above that.
- Overdimension blankets (12 months): $20, $150, or $250 across the same tiers, up to 14 ft wide, 18 ft high, or 120 ft long.
- Overweight trip permits: $0.27 per mile up to 95,000 lbs, rising in steps to $0.47 per mile up to 162,000 lbs. Heavier loads pay $0.003 per 1,000 lbs per mile.
- Overweight blankets (12 months): $240 up to 95,000 lbs, rising to $500 up to 199,000 lbs.
- Inner bridge (overall wheel base) permits: $10 per trip or $35 per year.
Overweight trip fees are figured in 25-mile increments, plus a $3.33 administrative cost over 80,000 pounds. FDOT's own example: a 112,000-pound load going 67.5 miles pays for 75 miles at $0.32, plus $3.33, rounded up to $28. A $5 transmission fee can apply on top.
How do you apply for a permit in FDOT PAS?
Apply online in PAS, FDOT's Permit Application System. Trip permits up to 16 feet wide, 18 feet high, 150 feet long, and 200,000 pounds (140,000 for self-propelled equipment) self-issue with no Permit Office review, as long as you route with the PAS GIS map.
Step 1: Set up the account and the basics
PAS requires an Internet Subscriber Account (ISA). Before the first permit, confirm the permittee carries property damage insurance of $100,000 per person and $200,000 per occurrence, or an equal bond, and that the power unit is registered for 80,000 pounds. If it isn't, the permit can be declared void and the load fined for its weight.
Step 2: Measure and describe the load
- Total gross weight, or a statement that it is legal
- If overweight: the number of axles, the weight on each, each axle spacing, and the external bridge
- Overall loaded width, height, and length, with front and rear overhangs listed separately
- A description of the load and, for trip permits, the route with origin and destination addresses
Step 3: Build and validate the route
PAS only routes within Florida, starting and ending in the state or at its border. It flags roadway restrictions when you validate but does not route around them, so drag the route line or add waypoints and validate again. Check a generated route for U-turns or neighborhood shortcuts, and tick "Avoid Toll Roads" to keep the load off the Turnpike.
FDOT checks bridges. You check clearances: no move may start until the route has been surveyed for height and width.
Step 4: Submit and pay
An auto-approved application goes straight to payment, and the trip permit appears on your PAS home screen to print. Adding an attachment, such as a letter of essentiality, survey letter, or schematic, sends it to staff review, and you are emailed the decision. Once submitted, an application is locked; a change means a new application.
Allow at least 10 business days for non-routine permits. A vehicle schematic for structural evaluation is also due 10 business days ahead when any axle exceeds 30,000 pounds or the gross weight reaches 300,000 pounds. If you would rather not run PAS yourself, our oversize permits team can file for you.
When can you move, and when do you need escorts?
Most permitted loads move in daytime only, and the escort count rises at each dimension step. Rule 14-26.012 sets the baseline, and the permit itself can add conditions. A "local move" means within 50 miles of the origin.
| Dimension | When it can move | Escorts |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 ft wide | All days, daytime only | None; flags required |
| Over 10 to 12 ft wide | Daytime, no holidays | None; flags, signs, and warning lights |
| Over 12 to 14 ft wide | Daytime, no holidays, no peak hours in congested areas | 1 qualified escort; 2 on narrow or busy roads unless the load has 4 warning lights |
| Over 14 to 16 ft wide | Trip permits only; daytime, no holidays | 2 qualified escorts, front and rear |
| Over 16 ft wide | Trip permits only; local moves after FDOT district review | 2 qualified or law enforcement escorts, depending on road and time |
| Over 14 ft 6 in to 16 ft high | Daytime, no holidays | 1 escort with a height pole |
| Over 16 ft high | Daytime, no holidays, local moves only | Law enforcement plus a qualified escort with a height pole |
| Over 80 ft long | Daytime, no holidays | 1 qualified escort over 95 ft; 2 over 150 ft (1 on limited access); law enforcement plus 1 over 250 ft |
A tractor-semitrailer with three points of articulation can run up to 105 feet without an escort. Over 16 feet high, utility crews are also required where the load meets low wires or signals.
Holidays, weekends, and curfews
- Holidays: loads over 10 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high, or 80 ft long can't move on FDOT's listed holidays. The rest of 2026: Thanksgiving and the day after (November 26 and 27) and Christmas Day (December 25), per FDOT's 2026 holiday list.
- Weekends: the rule's default bars weekend moves unless the permit says otherwise.
- Peak hours: on blanket permits, loads over 12 ft wide or 85 ft long can't move from 7 to 9 a.m. or 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays on state roads in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orange, Duval, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties, or on non-interstate state roads in nine cities, including Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Sarasota.
- Florida Keys: south of Florida City, loads over 10 ft wide move only from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. with a qualified escort, and a blanket doesn't cover anything over 12 ft wide there.
- Weather: no movement when visibility is under 1,000 feet. A load already rolling exits at the first available location and parks.
- Weigh stations: permitted loads and their escorts must stop at every open weigh station.
Escort and marking requirements
A qualified escort must be at least 18 with a valid driver license, hold a CDL or have completed an 8-hour defensive driving course, pass an 8-hour flagging course from an FDOT vendor, and requalify every four years with a 4-hour refresher. Escorts certified by another state count if that state's standards are equal or stricter and they qualified within the past four years.
The escort vehicle must be a single-unit vehicle rated 2,000 to under 26,000 pounds, with amber warning lights visible at 500 feet and an "OVERSIZE LOAD" sign, and it stays within 300 feet of the load. On the load, anything over 10 feet wide, 80 feet long, or 14 feet 6 inches high needs two "OVERSIZE LOAD" signs and amber warning lights.
What happens if you move without a valid permit?
Florida fines oversize moves by the foot and overweight moves by the pound, and it can hold the vehicle until the problem is fixed or a permit is obtained. For size, Florida Statutes 316.516 sets the amounts.
- Width or height: $250 per foot, or part of a foot, over the limit.
- Length: $40 up to 2 feet over, $100 from 2 to 10 feet over, and $250 beyond 10 feet, plus $250 for each foot past 11.
- Cap: each width, height, or length penalty is capped at $1,000.
- Weight: $10 for up to 200 pounds over, then 5 cents for every pound over, under 316.545.
A valid permit doesn't end the exposure. Breaking its travel-time, weekend, holiday, or visibility restrictions costs $1,000, and the vehicle is parked until the next allowed travel period. Bypassing an open weigh station is another $1,000. Safety lapses cost $100 each and $250 per missing escort, up to $1,000.
Some violations void the permit for that trip, so you are fined as if you had none: an expired permit, leaving the permitted route, the wrong number of axles, a vehicle that doesn't match the permit, or no survey letter when asked. After a written warning, repeat problems can lead FDOT to deny future permits for 30 days, then 90 days, then 12 months.
How Simplex helps with Florida oversize permits
Florida permits are quick to buy and easy to get wrong. We help you get the dimensions, route, and conditions right before the load moves.
Florida and multistate oversize permits
Our oversize permits team handles oversize and overweight permits in all 50 states, including FDOT trip and blanket permits.
Every other permit on the trip
Our trucking permits service identifies which permits each trip needs and handles the paperwork from start to finish.
Compliance for Florida carriers
Based in Florida? Our Florida DOT compliance services cover registration, driver hiring, and day-to-day compliance.
Frequently asked questions
What is FDOT PAS?+
Do I need a wide load permit in Florida?+
How long is a Florida trip permit valid?+
How much is an overweight permit in Florida?+
How do FDOT blanket permits work?+
Does Florida have a spread axle permit?+
Where this information comes from
The requirements below come from Florida statute, the Florida Administrative Code, and FDOT's State Permit Office, checked on September 24, 2026.
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1
FDOT — Over-Weight Over-Dimension Permits
The four permit types, PAS self-issue limits, and the State Permit Office.
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2
Florida Administrative Code — Rule Chapter 14-26
Application data, insurance, fees (14-26.008), escorts and travel conditions (14-26.012), and penalties (14-26.015).
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3
FDOT — Blanket Permit Movement Conditions (revised July 27, 2026)
Blanket limits, peak-hour curfews, Florida Keys rules, holidays, and survey letters.
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4
FDOT — Permit Application System Demo
ISA accounts, permit type rules and refunds, PAS routing, auto-issue versus review, and payment.
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5
Florida Statutes — 316.515, Maximum width, height, length
Legal width, height, length, and front overhang limits (2026 Florida Statutes).
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6
Florida Statutes — 316.535, Maximum weights
The 20,000-pound axle limit, the bridge table, and the 80,000-pound gross limit.
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7
Florida Statutes — 316.550, Special permits
Permit before movement, state versus local jurisdiction, carrying the permit, and permit violation penalties.
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8
Florida Statutes — 316.516, Width, height, and length penalties
Per-foot penalties for oversize moves and the $1,000 cap per dimension.
Written by
Simplex Group
Permits & Fuel Tax Team, Simplex Group
Reviewed for technical accuracy by a Simplex permitting manager before publication. Simplex has registered and filed permits and fuel taxes for interstate carriers across all 50 states for more than 20 years.
Published · Updated
Related articles and services
Get the Florida permit right before the load moves
A Florida permit costs a few dollars. A wrong dimension, a turn off the permitted route, or a holiday move can void it and turn that permit into four-figure fines and a parked truck.
If you want a second check on your dimensions, route, and permit conditions before you apply, talk to our team.