South Carolina oversize load permits
South Carolina caps at 13'6", the federal baseline and the limit in 26 states. 20 states allow 14'0" and two allow 14'6", so a load that ran legally elsewhere can be over-height here.
South Carolina permit requirements
The same seven sections for every state, so two states can be compared without re-learning the layout.
Permit required above
Exceed any one of these in South Carolina and the load needs a permit. No overall combination cap — the 53' trailer is the trigger, and a rear projection sits outside that figure rather than inside it: 6' is legal, and a permit allows up to 15' on a trailer under 48' or 10' on a 48' or 53' trailer. A trailer longer than 53' re-activates the state's 65' overall cap. Permigo files it for a flat $20, with the state's own fee billed at cost.
Front and rear overhang are capped separately, not combined. Exceed either and South Carolina requires a permit.
Filed from Houston, TX. A permit agent answers +1 (786) 494-6912, 7am–7pm CT, 7 days; no card needed for a quote.
Axle limits
Escorts by road type
Police escort required at the thresholds marked above.
Superload above
No separate superload class published — the permit thresholds above govern.
Movement windows
| Load | Window |
|---|---|
| ≤12' wide | Sunrise–sunset, Monday–sunday |
| Over 12' to 15' wide | Sunrise–sunset, 7 days — near large urban areas: no 7–9 AM (weekdays), no 3–6 PM school days / 4:30–6 PM non-school days |
| Over 15' wide (MH >14' box) | 9 AM–3 PM school days / 9 AM–4 PM other days, 7 days |
| Over 16' wide (frame buildings, Sec. R) | 9 AM–3 PM, Mon–Fri, ≤30 miles; night/weekend only at RME discretion |
| Overweight-only ≤130,000 lbs, legal dims | 'Continuous travel upon request' — 24/7 |
| Holidays | No travel: New Year's, Memorial, July 4, Labor, Thanksgiving, Christmas — Director may extend noon-before → noon-after by route/dims |
| Myrtle Beach summer weekends | No Sat/Sun travel east of I-95, Memorial Day–Labor Day (US-501/SC-22/SC-31/SC-9/US-17 NC-line–Georgetown/US-378/SC-327/US-76/SC-576) |
| Weather | No movement: visibility <500', high winds, ice/snow/sleet |
| Convoy / queue | Loads ≥2 miles apart; pull over when 5 vehicles queue behind |
Travel restrictions
Other published tables
Permit-grantable maxima
| Dimension | Routine permit ceiling |
|---|---|
| Length | 125' (mobile homes 110'); beyond = exception process, drawings + route ≥5 days ahead |
| Width | 16' (beyond = exception process with county approvals + 4-vehicle escort) |
| Height | 15' with route review; 16' and over needs a department-approved route survey |
| Axles | single 20,000 / tandem 40,000 / tridem + quad 60,000 (quad above = engineering approval) |
| Gross (combos, 3–7 axles) | 55,000 / 70,000 / 90,000 / 110,000 / 130,000 — beyond 130,000 = superload |
| Rear overhang | 15' on <48' trailers / 10' on 48'–53' trailers; straight trucks 10' only at 40' bumper-to-bumper |
Primary source: SCDOT — OS/OW permits ↗
Every figure on this page was checked against it on August 4, 2026.
Get South Carolina priced and filed
Send the route and a permit agent calls you back with South Carolina’s fee, any other state on the way, and one total. Filed from Houston, TX; we answer +1 (786) 494-6912, 7am–7pm CT, 7 days.
Already know the load? Start an order in FleetLynk, the filing app behind Permigo — or send the form and we set it up for you.
States that border South Carolina
Limits change at the line. One order covers every state on your route.
South Carolina oversize permits, answered
Do I need an oversize permit in South Carolina?
You need a permit in South Carolina once the load exceeds any one of these: 8'6" wide, 13'6" high, or 80,000 lb gross. There is no overall length cap on a normal tractor-semitrailer — the trailer itself is capped at 53' instead. Axle limits apply too — 20,000 lb on a single axle and 35,200 lb on a tandem.
When does South Carolina require an escort?
South Carolina requires no escort below 14' wide. Above that the requirement depends on the road type as well as the dimension, which is why the same load can need a front escort on a two-lane and a rear escort on a multilane.
Can I move an oversize load at night in South Carolina?
Daylight hours only. There is no general weekend blackout. Holiday movement is restricted.
What counts as a superload in South Carolina?
A load over 130,000 lb is handled as a superload in South Carolina.
How much does a South Carolina oversize permit cost?
Permigo charges a flat $20 service fee per state permit. South Carolina's own permit fee is billed at cost on the same invoice, itemised, with nothing added. Call +1 (786) 494-6912 and we will price your exact route.
What happens if I move without a South Carolina permit?
Moving above South Carolina's limits without a permit is a violation, not a paperwork gap. The load can be stopped at a scale or by a trooper and held until a permit is issued, the fine is set by South Carolina and the citing officer, and a pattern of violations follows the carrier's safety record. If you are not sure the load needs one, when you need an oversize permit walks through the triggers.
Which kind of South Carolina permit do I need?
Most moves take a single-trip permit: one load, one route, a set number of days. Many states also sell annual or blanket permits for loads that stay within routine dimensions; whether South Carolina does, and for which loads, is on the state's own permit page. A superload is permitted separately and reviewed by the state — the thresholds are in the answer above. Permigo files whichever kind the load needs at the same $20 flat fee; what South Carolina itself charges is on the cost guide.
Is a South Carolina oversize permit the same as a South Carolina truck permit?
No. A "truck permit" usually means the paperwork a truck needs to cross South Carolina at all — a trip permit, a fuel permit (IFTA) or IRP plates — which the state's motor-carrier office issues. An oversize or overweight permit covers one load that exceeds South Carolina's legal size or weight, and that is what Permigo files.
Also useful: when you need a permit, pilot car requirements by state, and the interactive map of all 48 states.
Moving through South Carolina?
$20 flat per state permit, the state's fee at cost. A permit agent answers, 7am–7pm CT.