Tennessee oversize load permits
Tennessee 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.
Tennessee 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 Tennessee and the load needs a permit. No overall combination cap — the towed vehicle binds at 50' from the kingpin to the rear of the trailer or load, with KPRA 41'. A trailer longer than 53' re-activates the state's 75' overall cap. Permigo files it for a flat $20, with the state's own fee billed at cost.
Rear overhang is capped at 3'. Exceed it and Tennessee requires a permit. Tennessee measures 50' from the kingpin to the rear of the trailer or load, so 3' is what a typical trailer leaves — a trailer whose rear sits further back leaves less, and a shorter one leaves more.
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 at the state’s discretion.
Superload above
No separate superload class published — the permit thresholds above govern.
Movement windows
| Situation | Window |
|---|---|
| Default (any permitted load) | Continuous — 24 hours/day, 7 days/week; night marking for over-width/length ½hr after sunset → ½hr before sunrise |
| Urban peak curfew — loads >12'6" W or >15' H or >90' L | No interstate travel 7–9 AM + 4–6 PM Mon–Fri in the five >250k counties: Shelby, Davidson, Knox, Hamilton, Rutherford |
| Holidays | No escorted travel: Easter 6pm Thu 4/2→Sun 4/5 · Memorial noon 5/22→5/25 · July 4 noon 7/2→7/4 · Labor noon 9/4→9/7 · Thanksgiving noon 11/25→11/30 · Christmas 12/24–25 · New Year 12/31–1/1; unescorted loads run continuously; MLK/Presidents/Juneteenth/Columbus/Veterans normal |
| Superloads, houseboats, mobile homes | Daylight only (FAQ practice; superload timing at the state's discretion); houseboats >16': Tue/Wed/Thu 9 AM–4 PM only |
| Mobile homes (commodity) | Sunrise–sunset Mon–Sat; banned all 11 TCA legal holidays; own curfew ≥85'L/≥14'W/≥14'2"H in heavy urban areas 7–9/4–6 |
| Weather | Discretionary restrictions during inclement weather |
Travel restrictions
Other published tables
No additional tables published for this state.
Primary source: TDOT — overweight and overdimensional movements rules (1680-07-01, PDF) ↗
Every figure on this page was checked against it on August 4, 2026.
Get Tennessee priced and filed
Send the route and a permit agent calls you back with Tennessee’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 Tennessee
Limits change at the line. One order covers every state on your route.
Tennessee oversize permits, answered
Do I need an oversize permit in Tennessee?
You need a permit in Tennessee once the load exceeds any one of these: 8'6" wide, 13'6" high, 3' of rear overhang, 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 34,000 lb on a tandem.
When does Tennessee require an escort?
Tennessee requires no escort below 12'6" 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 Tennessee?
Night travel allowed. There is no general weekend blackout. Holiday movement is restricted.
What counts as a superload in Tennessee?
A load over 16' wide, over 15'6" high is handled as a superload in Tennessee.
How much does a Tennessee oversize permit cost?
Permigo charges a flat $20 service fee per state permit. Tennessee'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 Tennessee permit?
Moving above Tennessee'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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee itself charges is on the cost guide.
Is a Tennessee oversize permit the same as a Tennessee truck permit?
No. A "truck permit" usually means the paperwork a truck needs to cross Tennessee 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 Tennessee'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 Tennessee?
$20 flat per state permit, the state's fee at cost. A permit agent answers, 7am–7pm CT.