Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 73 - WEIGHTS, MEASURES AND STANDARDS
Part I - Weights and Standards
Chapter 7 - Oversize and Overweight Permit Laws and Regulations
Section I-701 - General Regulations

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code I-701

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

A. An oversize or overweight permit must be obtained from the Department of Transportation and Development's Truck Permit Office to operate a vehicle which exceeds the legal size or weight on the highway.

B. In general, oversize and overweight permits are issued only for indivisible vehicles and loads. Indivisible vehicles or loads are those which cannot be easily divided, broken down, or dismantled to conform to the legal limitations.

1. Exceptions
a. When all parts which have been or can be easily divided or dismantled from a shipment weigh 500 pounds or less, these parts may be moved along with the indivisible part of the shipment as one load.

b. Vehicles transporting an oversize/ overweight dozer will be allowed to remove its blade or sideboom and haul it on the same vehicle.

c. Vehicles transporting pipe loaded across a vehicle, rather than lengthwise, will be eligible for overwidth permits as long as the width of the vehicle and load does not exceed 8 feet 8 inches.

d. Vehicles transporting up to three bundles of prepackaged oil field pipe may not exceed 10 feet in width.

e. Vehicles transporting farm products in their natural state will be eligible for harvest season permits.

f. Vehicles transporting forest products in their natural state will be eligible for a natural forest product permit.

g. Vehicles transporting pulpwood or plywood bolts loaded across a vehicle, rather than lengthwise, will be eligible for forest product permits as long as the width does not exceed 9 feet.

h. Waste disposal trucks transporting divisible loads will be eligible for waste disposal truck permits.

i. Vehicles transporting oversize loads will only be allowed to create either over height or over length as long as there is at least one permitted dimension, and all the dimensions for the load are shown on the permit. Overwidth dimensions may never be created.

j. Trucks transporting commodities from a port located on the Mississippi River via a bridge over the Mississippi River to a facility located in the same parish as the bridge.

C. The department reserves the right to impose conditions upon the issuance of special permits and may impose requirements, such as additional axles, routing, date, time of day, speed limit, escort(s), etc. All expense of any condition or requirement is to be paid for by the applicant. All costs incidental to permits, such as, telephone charges, wire service charges, insurance, or escort fees must be borne by the applicant.

D. Permits must be obtained before movement of an oversize or overweight vehicle or load begins or before the vehicle enters Louisiana. Permits are not issued by DOTD enforcement units; they can only be obtained from the truck permit office in Baton Rouge.

E. A permit must be carried in the vehicle for which it was issued, or in the escort vehicle, and must be available at all times for inspection by the proper authorities.

F. All other traffic and safety laws and regulations must be obeyed.

G. Vehicles must be licensed for the maximum allowable license weight in order to obtain an overweight permit.

H. Serial numbers must be provided for construction equipment, such as, draglines, cranes, dozers, backhoes, generators, and tractors which are being moved on oversize/overweight permits.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 32:2 et seq.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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