Texas oversize permits: how TxPROS works and when loads can move
Texas offers nearly 30 oversize and overweight permit types, all ordered through one online system. For a general heavy haul, the work comes down to a few permit types, a fee table, and the daytime, holiday, and curfew rules printed on the permit.
Texas oversize permits in numbers
Texas oversize permits are issued by TxDMV through TxPROS, its online permitting and routing system. You need one before a vehicle and load exceed 8 feet 6 inches wide, 14 feet high, Texas length limits, or 80,000 pounds. A single-trip permit costs $60, plus a $150 to $375 highway maintenance fee over 80,000 pounds.
Texas runs oversize and overweight permitting through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) and one system, TxPROS. Most permits self-issue online. The work is in picking the right permit type, getting the truck's registration and numbers right before you apply, and following the time and route conditions once you have it.
This guide covers the Texas specifics. For the federal baseline, flag rules, and how to plan a move across several states, see our oversize load permit guide.
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Key takeaways
Permits start past 8 ft 6 in, 14 ft, or 80,000 lbs
Texas length limits also apply: 59 feet for a semitrailer in a two-vehicle combination and 45 feet for a single truck.
Single-trip permits cost $60 plus weight
A highway maintenance fee of $150 to $375 applies over 80,000 pounds, for a total of $210 to $435.
Register at 80,000 lbs before you apply
A truck not registered for Texas at its maximum legal weight needs temporary registration first, entered in TxPROS.
Most permitted loads move in daytime only
That means half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, unless the load is overweight only or small enough for the interstate exception.
Moving without the right permit costs twice
An overweight move a permit would have covered pays the weight fine plus $500 to $1,000, and TxDMV can add its own penalty.
In this articleContents
When do you need a Texas oversize permit?
You need a Texas oversize permit, or an overweight one, when the vehicle and load exceed any Texas legal limit below. TxDMV requires the permit, and an authorized route when applicable, before the load travels on Texas public roads.
| Limit | Legal maximum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 in | Measured at the widest points, excluding safety devices |
| Height | 14 ft | Measured from the roadbed to the highest point of the load or vehicle |
| Length | Semitrailer 59 ft; single truck 45 ft | Truck-tractor length is unlimited; 3 ft front and 4 ft rear overhang |
| Weight | 80,000 lbs gross | 20,000 single axle, 34,000 tandem, 42,000 triple, 50,000 quad |
One load can trip several limits, and each one counts. Texas also bars hauling extra items that create or increase an over-limit dimension: stacked steel plates are fine only if the stack stays under 14 feet and within legal weights.
A TxDMV permit covers state-maintained roads. Counties and cities can't require their own permit on the state highway system, but they can regulate their own streets. A delivery in Houston, for example, needs a city permit for the city-street leg, covered in our Houston compliance guide.
Which TxDMV permit fits your load?
Many of Texas's permit types are for specific commodities, such as hay, timber, or milk. For general nondivisible loads, these five are the main options: a single-trip permit for a one-off move, and time or annual permits for carriers that run the same kind of load again and again.
| Permit | What it covers | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| General single-trip | One movement, origin to destination, up to 254,300 lbs, during the times on the permit | $60, plus $150 to $375 over 80,000 lbs |
| 30, 60, or 90-day width or length | Overwidth up to 13 ft wide and 14 ft high, or overlength up to 110 ft on a trailer; issued to the truck | $120, $180, or $240 |
| Annual length | Up to 8 ft 6 in wide, 14 ft high, and 110 ft long for one year | $960 |
| Annual envelope, company or vehicle | Up to 12 ft wide, 14 ft high, 110 ft long, and 120,000 lbs for one year | $4,000 |
| Superheavy single-trip | Over 254,300 lbs, over the maximum permit weight on any axle group, or over 200,000 lbs on less than 95 ft of axle spacing | $60, $375, and a vehicle supervision fee |
The company envelope permit can move any truck the company owns or leases, one at a time; the vehicle envelope stays with one truck. When a load runs a little taller or wider than an envelope allows, you can add a single-trip permit for the extra height or width. Length and weight can't be raised that way.
Time and annual permits come with a catch: you route the load and check current restrictions yourself. TxPROS builds a free route for an active time permit under "Time Period Rte." Not sure which type fits? The TxPROS Permit Wizard asks about the load's type, size, and weight and recommends one.
What does a Texas overweight permit cost?
A Texas single-trip permit costs $60. Over 80,000 pounds, state law adds a highway maintenance fee by gross weight, so the total runs from $210 to $435.
| Gross weight | Highway maintenance fee | Total with the $60 permit |
|---|---|---|
| 80,001 to 120,000 lbs | $150 | $210 |
| 120,001 to 160,000 lbs | $225 | $285 |
| 160,001 to 200,000 lbs | $300 | $360 |
| 200,001 lbs and above | $375 | $435 |
Over 200,000 pounds, a vehicle supervision fee is added. It is $35 if the load stays within 254,300 pounds, has at least 95 feet of axle spacing, and is within permit axle weights. Otherwise, it is a superheavy move and the fee is $500, cut to $100 if the route crosses no bridges, or $35 for an identical load on the same route within 30 days.
Card payments add 25 cents per permit plus 2.25%; electronic check (ACH) is the other online option. TxDMV doesn't refund a permit fee once the permit number is issued, unless the refund corrects its own error, so check every number before you pay.
How do you apply for a Texas oversize permit in TxPROS?
Apply in TxPROS, TxDMV's online permitting and GIS routing system. Most permits self-issue; some go to the Permits Office for review first.
Step 1: Get the registration right first
TxDMV checks your USDOT number against FMCSA's MCMIS system for out-of-service orders and issues the permit to the company name on that number. Carriers that don't need a USDOT number file a $10,000 permit surety bond instead.
Under Transportation Code 623.079, the truck must also be registered for its maximum legal gross weight, up to 80,000 pounds. If Texas isn't on your IRP cab card, or the truck is registered lighter, buy a 72-hour or 144-hour temporary registration first and enter its tag number in the license plate field of the application. Our tag services team handles IRP plates and renewals.
Step 2: Set up the TxPROS account
Click "Create a New Company Account" on the TxPROS home page. Then add contacts, the users who may order permits, your yards, and your vehicles, so each application fills in automatically.
Step 3: Enter the vehicle and load
Give the loaded width, height, length, overhangs, and gross weight. If the load is overweight, enter every axle weight, axle spacing, tire count, and tire size. Over 200,000 pounds gross, attach a Shipper's Certificate of Weight (Form 2280); you also need one when you move your own construction equipment.
Step 4: Build and check the route
Set the origin and destination by address, intersection, border crossing, or a point on the map, then click Validate and Run. TxPROS builds the route around the restrictions on file, such as load-restricted bridges and low clearances, and returns turn-by-turn directions. If the route looks wrong, tick "I have a problem with the route" to send it for review.
Very large loads need your own route check. Over 20 feet wide or 125 feet long, or 19 feet high or more, TxDMV sends a proposed route that you must inspect and confirm in writing before the permit issues.
Step 5: Pay, print, and carry it
Submit to pay, or park the permit in the shopping cart, where it stays only until midnight. Once paid, print the permit and its driving directions. If the Permits Office has to review the application, it puts the permit in your cart and emails you to pay. If you would rather not run TxPROS yourself, our oversize permits team files Texas permits for you.
Who helps with TxPROS problems?
TxDMV's Oversize/Overweight Permits Office answers TxPROS and permit questions by phone on weekdays, and its toll-free line closes 30 minutes before the office does. It also runs monthly TxPROS training webinars. The office closes on state holidays, including Veterans Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve, even though loads may move on those days.
When can a permitted load move in Texas?
In daytime, for most loads: from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Under TxDMV's rule, 43 TAC 219.11, a permitted load may move at night only if it is overweight only, or it stays on an interstate at no more than 10 feet wide and 100 feet long with legal overhangs. TxDOT can grant other night moves after a route and traffic study.
- Holidays: loads over 14 ft wide, 16 ft high, or 110 ft long can't move on six holidays without a TxDMV exception. Still ahead on the current list: Thanksgiving (November 26), Christmas Day, and New Year's Day 2027.
- Curfews: TxDMV publishes rush-hour curfews by area. In Austin, loads over 12 ft wide or 95 ft long can't move from 7 to 9 a.m. or 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and Tarrant County bars all oversize vehicles from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.
- Lanes: over 12 ft wide, use the outside lane on multi-lane highways unless the permit says otherwise. Over 16 ft wide, expect frontage roads rather than freeway main lanes.
- Overhead lines: clearing wires, signals, and other overhead obstructions is the permittee's job, with the utility's advance notice. Our guide to low clearance for trucks covers the bridge side.
When do you need escorts in Texas?
Texas escort counts depend on the dimension and the road. When a load needs an escort for two different dimensions, it needs one front and one rear.
| Dimension | Size | Escorts |
|---|---|---|
| Width | Over 14 ft to 16 ft | 1 front on two-lane roads; 1 rear on multi-lane |
| Width | Over 16 ft | 1 front and 1 rear, all roads |
| Height | Over 17 ft | 1 front, with a height pole |
| Height | Over 18 ft | 1 front with a height pole and 1 rear |
| Length | Over 110 ft to 125 ft | 1 front on two-lane roads; 1 rear on multi-lane |
| Length | Over 125 ft | 1 front and 1 rear, all roads |
| Overhang | Over 20 ft, front or rear | 1 rear, all roads |
An escort vehicle must be a single unit of 1,000 to 10,000 pounds with amber lights, an OVERSIZE LOAD or WIDE LOAD sign, and two-way radio contact. Anyone who directs traffic needs traffic-direction training that meets the TCOLE peace-officer standard, and training accepted by another state counts. Texas may also require law enforcement escorts on top of private ones.
What happens if you move without a valid Texas permit?
Texas fines overweight moves by the pound under Transportation Code 621.506, and adds a fine for not holding a permit you could have bought. Gross weight over the limit costs $100 to $500 under 2,500 pounds, rising in steps to $7,000 to $10,000 over 40,000 pounds.
- No permit: if a permit would have covered the weight, add $500 to $1,000, or $2,500 to $5,000 for a second or later conviction.
- Broken conditions: Transportation Code 621.510 makes a permit void when its holder fails to follow a TxDMV rule or a condition placed on the permit.
- Wrong operator: the person moving the load must be the permit holder named on it or that holder's employee. Anyone else commits a Class C misdemeanor, which matters for leased owner-operators.
- Administrative action: TxDMV can impose penalties or revoke a permit for false application information or for skipping a required permit, and won't issue new permits until the penalty is paid.
Shippers carry risk too. Loading a vehicle past Texas size or weight limits is itself a violation, and a carrier that relied on the shipper's certificate of weight has a defense against TxDMV's administrative penalty.
How Simplex helps with Texas oversize permits
A Texas permit is quick to order and easy to get wrong. We check the load, the registration, and the route before you pay.
Texas and multistate oversize permits
Our oversize permits team checks your load against each state on the route, files the permits, including TxDMV single-trip and annual permits, and keeps your details on file for the next order.
Plates and registration
Texas wants the truck registered at full legal weight before it permits the load. Our tag services team handles IRP plates, renewals, and title transfers.
Texas carrier compliance
Running trucks based in Texas? Our Texas DOT compliance services cover TxDMV operating authority, insurance filings, and the state's other carrier rules.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a Texas oversize permit?+
How much is an overweight permit in Texas?+
Do I need a permit if only my height is over the limit?+
Can oversize loads travel at night in Texas?+
Who do I contact for TxPROS customer service?+
Does a TxDMV permit cover city streets?+
Where this information comes from
The requirements below come from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, the Texas Transportation Code, and the Texas Administrative Code, checked on October 19, 2026.
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1
TxDMV — General Single-Trip Permits
The 254,300-pound ceiling, USDOT and bond rules, Shipper's Certificate of Weight, fees, and refunds.
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2
TxDMV — Texas Size/Weight Limits
Legal and permitted dimensions and weights, and how Texas measures them.
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3
TxDMV — Quick Start Guide (TxPROS)
Creating an account, entering the load and route, review requests, and paying.
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4
TxDMV — Escort and Equipment Requirements
Escort counts by dimension, escort vehicle equipment, and flagger training.
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5
TxDMV — Time Permit Curfews (effective September 30, 2025)
Published rush-hour curfews by location for time and annual permits.
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6
TxDMV — Temporary Vehicle Registration
When an oversize vehicle needs temporary registration, and getting it before the TxPROS application.
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7
Texas Transportation Code — Chapter 621
Legal limits, local authority, loading violations, overweight fines, void permits, and the name-on-permit offense.
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8
43 TAC 219.11 (Cornell LII text)
TxDMV's general permit rule: application contents, amendments, route inspections, escorts, and daytime movement.
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 Texas permit right before the load rolls
Most Texas permit trouble starts before the permit issues: a truck registered too light, a measurement off by a few inches, a route nobody drove, or a move timed into a curfew. Each can cost you the permit or stop the load.
If you want a second check on the registration, dimensions, and route before you order your next Texas permit, talk to our team.