The short answer
In Florida a load can be 8 ft 6 in wide and 13 ft 6 in high without a permit, on a truck and trailer combination up to 68 ft long, at up to 20,000 lb on a single axle and 80,000 lb gross. Anything bigger or heavier needs an oversize or overweight permit before it goes on a public road. Equipment of 10,000 lb or more has to be held by at least four tie-downs.
This is a summary to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice. The statutes and FDOT's permit office have the final word.
Size and weight limits
| Limit | Florida maximum without a permit |
|---|---|
| Width | 102 inches (8 ft 6 in), not counting safety devices |
| Height | 13 ft 6 in, including the load |
| Length, truck and trailer | 68 ft; 65 ft and two units for a combination that is not a commercial vehicle |
| Front overhang | 3 ft past the front wheels |
| Weight | 20,000 lb on a single axle, 80,000 lb gross |
When you need a permit
Any oversize or overweight vehicle or load needs a special permit before it goes on a public road. FDOT issues permits for state roads and local authorities issue them for their own roads. FDOT offers annual blanket permits, vehicle-specific blanket permits, 10-day trip permits and 3-month route permits.
Getting a trip permit
Carriers apply through FDOT's online Permit Application System at pas.fdot.gov, which needs an account set up first. A trip permit is good for 10 days, can be printed straight from the system and can be shown on a phone. County and city roads are separate: a load that leaves the state highway needs that county's or city's permit too. Orange County, for example, wants its application at least three business days before the move.
What a trip permit costs
| Load, at legal weight | State trip permit |
|---|---|
| Up to 12 ft wide and 13 ft 6 in high | $5 |
| Up to 14 ft wide or 14 ft 6 in high | $15 |
| Over 14 ft wide | $25 |
What the permit asks of the move
| Width of the load | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Over 8 ft 6 in | A permit, daytime moves only, and flags at least 18 by 18 inches on the corners |
| Over 10 ft | An OVERSIZE LOAD sign and amber warning lights as well |
| Over 12 ft | At least one escort vehicle the whole way |
| Over 14 ft | Two escorts, one in front and one behind |
| Over 16 ft | Escorts and law enforcement, on trip permits only |
- Daytime in Florida law runs from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
- Weekends and holidays. The rule bans oversize moves on weekends and holidays unless the permit says otherwise, so read yours. FDOT's 2026 holiday list still to come: Thanksgiving and the day after, 26 and 27 November, and Christmas Day.
- Rush hour. FDOT's blanket permit conditions keep loads over 12 ft wide off the state roads in Hillsborough County, and off the state roads other than interstates in Lakeland, from 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6 PM on weekdays.
- Weather. No oversize travel when you can see less than 1,000 ft.
A 10 or 12 ft wide shed is the everyday example. It is over the 8 ft 6 in limit before the roof overhang is measured, and the overhang counts, so measure at the widest point. What it costs to move a shed in Florida covers how that shows up in a price.
CDL and USDOT numbers
- CDL Class A covers combinations of 26,001 lb or more where the towed unit is over 10,000 lb. Class B covers single trucks of 26,001 lb or more.
- Florida requires intrastate carriers to have a USDOT number, and Florida Statute 316.302 applies the federal safety rules to intrastate commercial vehicles, with an exemption for vehicles under 26,001 lb that are not carrying placarded hazardous material.
- Registering is free for intrastate-only carriers, and failing to register carries a $500 fine under Florida Statute 316.3025.
First Responder Transport runs under USDOT 3944345.
How a machine has to be chained
Federal cargo securement rules, which Florida applies to commercial vehicles, are specific about heavy equipment:
- 10,000 lb or more: at least four tie-downs, restraining the machine forward, back, sideways and upward, attached as close as practical to the front and rear.
- Buckets, blades and booms are lowered and secured, and articulated joints are locked.
- Lighter equipment: the combined working load limit of the tie-downs has to be at least half the weight of the machine.
Four points is the federal minimum for heavy equipment, and it is how every load on our deck goes down: checked before the truck leaves the gate and again before it gets on the highway.
Doing it yourself, or hiring it out
If you are towing your own skid steer behind a pickup, the questions are the ones on this page: is the combination under the CDL threshold, is the load inside the size limits, and have you got four good chains and binders on it. If any answer is no, or you are not sure, that is the job to hand over.
The heavy equipment transport page has what we need to quote a move.
Questions people ask
How wide can a load be in Florida without a permit?
102 inches, which is 8 ft 6 in, not counting safety devices.
How tall can a load be in Florida?
13 ft 6 in including the load, without a permit.
Do I need a CDL to haul a skid steer?
You need a Class A CDL for a combination of 26,001 lb or more where the trailer is over 10,000 lb. Many pickup and trailer setups are under that, but add up the real weights.
How many chains does heavy equipment need?
At least four tie-downs for equipment of 10,000 lb or more, with buckets and booms lowered and secured.
How much is an oversize permit in Florida?
An FDOT trip permit for a legal-weight load up to 12 ft wide and 13 ft 6 in high is $5, up to 14 ft wide $15, and over 14 ft $25, with a possible $5 transmission fee. County and city roads need their own permit.
When does a wide load need an escort in Florida?
Over 12 ft wide, one escort vehicle the whole way. Over 14 ft, two. Over 16 ft, law enforcement as well.
When does a load need an OVERSIZE LOAD banner?
Over 10 ft wide, 80 ft long or 14 ft 6 in high. Up to 10 ft wide, corner flags at least 18 by 18 inches are enough.
