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State profile · Tennessee

Tennessee oversize and overweight permits

Legal limits, escort triggers, permit fees, the superload line and the police escort position for Tennessee — every figure carrying the state document behind it.

13 source documents on fileoldest revision 2018-05-15last retrieved 2026-09-0326 escort rules in effect4 source conflictsFree · no account needed

The short version: a Tennessee single-trip permit starts at $20 before bands, overweight and the transaction charge; an escort is first required at over 10' wide; and the load becomes a superload at over 165,000 lb. Everything below carries the Tennessee document it came from, that document's own revision date, and the date we read it.

Escort requirements

2. When Tennessee requires an escort

MeasurementFirst escort triggerFirst police escort trigger
Widthover 10'rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03 · varies by road classNone published
Heightover 15'rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03None published
Lengthover 90'rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03None published
Rear overhangNone publishedNone published
Gross weightNone publishedNone published
Every escort rule on file, in full26 rules

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Permit fees

3. Tennessee single-trip permit fees

ChargeAmount
Single-trip base$20rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03
Transaction / cardNot yet covered
Route analysis reviewNot yet covered
Route with no bridgesNot yet covered

Dimension bands

BandFee
up to 14 ft wide — no increment above the $20 base fee$0rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03
up to 14 ft wide — no increment above the $20 base fee$0undated document · read 2026-09-03
over 14 ft 1 in up to 16 ft wide — $10 above the base fee$10rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03
over 14 ft 1 in up to 16 ft wide — $10 above the base fee$10undated document · read 2026-09-03

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Overweight

4. How Tennessee prices overweight

Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-205(h)(3) prices the overweight permit at "Twenty dollars ($20.00) plus six cents (6¢) per ton-mile" — a charge that is the PRODUCT of the excess weight and the distance travelled inside the state, not a step by either. It is encoded as a per-mile rate whose increment is a ton, because six cents per ton-mile and six cents per mile for each ton over the lawful weight are the same arithmetic. The statute states no upper weight bound; above 165,000 lb the movement is super heavy and TDOT prices it after an engineering review.

Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-205 — Special permits and fees (via Justia — SECONDARY source) — rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03

Superload

5. Tennessee's superload threshold

Above one of these, the state stops issuing over the counter and prices the move after an engineering review.

TriggerThreshold
Gross weightover 165,000 lbundated document · read 2026-09-03
Widthover 16'undated document · read 2026-09-03
Heightover 15'6"undated document · read 2026-09-03
LengthNone published
Short axle spacingNot yet covered

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Route survey

6. Route survey and bridge review

The dimensions at which Tennessee triggers a physical route inspection or an engineering review, and what the agency charges to review it.

MeasurementInspection / review trigger
Widthover 16'undated document · read 2026-09-03
HeightSources disagreeover 15'6" per (h)(1)(A)-(D) the width ladder and the houseb… — versus — 15' or more per (1)(c) the route survey "If the height of the…
LengthNot yet covered
Police escorts

7. Police escorts

Tennessee Highway Patrol publishes a rate. One officer costs at least $260 before mileage.

TDOT — OS/OW Permits Frequently Asked Questions (undated) — undated document · read 2026-09-03

What the schedule does not price2 items
  • Tennessee codifies no per-application administrative fee, no officer per diem and no cancellation penalty for an OS/OW escort. Their absence from the floor must not be read as their being nil.
  • Rule 1680-07-01-.12(4) separately lets the Permit Office require law-enforcement escorts on a super-heavy movement with no threshold at all.

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Travel restrictions

8. When you can move it

Holiday, curfew and night-travel windows are not yet encoded for Tennessee.

Tennessee spring thaw restrictions →

Why those windows are absent rather than estimated

They are not guessed at here. What we do publish is the seasonal weight-restriction picture, with the date we last read each state's own bulletin — a curfew invented from a plausible pattern is worth less than an honest gap, because a reader cannot tell the two apart on the page.

Who issues it

9. Permit office

The agency behind each figure above is linked from that figure. We publish no per-state permit-office phone number.

Why there is no phone number here

We are not publishing per-state permit-office phone numbers yet, and the reason is worth stating: the two seed lists available for them are both demonstrably stale — the federal one gives two different states the same phone number — and a wrong number on a page like this costs somebody a morning. The agency behind each figure above is linked from that figure, which is the part we can stand behind today.

Source conflicts

10. Where the sources disagree

Two official documents, both in effect, giving different answers. Neither has been adopted.

route-inspection height trigger

over 15'6"Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-205 — Special permits and fees (via Justia — SECONDARY source) — (h)(1)(A)-(D) the width ladder and the houseboat bands; (h)(2) "Excessive height or length: Twenty dollars ($20.00)"; (h)(3) "Excessive weight: Twenty dollars ($20.00) plus six cents (6¢) per ton-mile;"; (h)(4)(A)-(C) the bridge evaluation charges; (l)(1) the ten-day validity; (n)(5)(E)(i) the heavy-duty towing 12¢ ton-mile tier; (p) the route-survey height trigger
rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03
15' or moreTenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-07-01-.10 — Height pole and route survey (via Cornell LII — SECONDARY source) — (1)(c) the route survey "If the height of the movement is fifteen feet (15') or more"; (1)(d) "When the permitted vehicle and load exceeds fifteen feet (15') in height, the permittee shall determine all vertical clearances by use of a front escort vehicle having protrusions equal to, at a minimum, the height of the permitted vehicle and load."
rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03

Both are in effect and neither has been adopted.

A width band that opens one inch apart in two documents

Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-205(h)(1)(B) opens its $30 band immediately above 14 ft 0 in while TDOT's published fee table opens it at 14 ft 1 in. The $20 band closes at exactly 14 ft 0 in on both readings. A width strictly between 14 ft 0 in and 14 ft 1 in is therefore priced by no band either document publishes, and the permit fee must be confirmed with the TDOT Permit Office.

TENNESSEE_WIDTH_BAND_GAP

3 escort boundaries that decide a requirement, not a price

Between 10' and 10'1": the rule reads "over ten feet (10') wide but not exceeding twelve feet six inches (12'6")" while the agency FAQ reads "10'1” – 12'6”". Between 12'6" and 12'7": the rule reads "over twelve feet six inches (12'6") wide but not exceeding thirteen feet six inches (13'6")" while the agency FAQ reads "12'7” – 13'6”". Between 13'6" and 13'7": the rule reads "over thirteen feet six inches (13'6") wide but not exceeding sixteen feet (16')" while the agency FAQ reads "13'7” and greater" (our own observation, following identically from the two texts).

TENNESSEE_ESCORT_BOUNDARY_GAPS

A houseboat priced eight times apart by two official schedules

The statute and agency website list three distinct stepped bands starting at 16' ($500, $750, $1,000), whereas the older administrative code imposes a base fee of $2,500 + $100/inch above 17'.

TENNESSEE_HOUSEBOAT_CONFLICT_ANALYSIS

Every conflict across all states →

Scope

11. What this does not include

Named rather than gestured at, because each of these can exceed the permit itself. Every item is listed; open one for why it is excluded.

Line haul, fuel and driver time

This is a permit fee, not a freight rate.

Civilian pilot car rates

We hold no rate data, and the two commercial sites that publish market rates disagree by nearly a factor of two on the same service.

Route-survey engineering

The agency's review fee is shown where the state publishes one; the engineer's own fee is a private cost with no schedule.

Bonds and escrow

Set per move by the agency, and in at least one state the escort is billed at actual cost against it.

Utility coordination and line lifts

Arranged with each utility, priced by each utility.

Second-issuer permits

A toll, bridge or city authority inside the same state issues its own permit, and a state total that omits it is missing a whole permit.

Price a lane through Tennessee →

Provenance

12. Every source behind this page (13)

Every document behind Tennessee13 sources
  • TDOT — OS/OW Permit Prices, Single Trip & Annual (undated) — Tennessee Department of Transportation, Traffic Operations Division — "8'6" up to 14' $20.00"; "14'1" up to 16' $30.00"; "Over 16' $30.00 + $5 for each additional foot or fraction"; "Excess Length $20.00"; "Excess Height $20.00"; "Excess Weight .06/ton mile" over "20.00+"; the bridge fee rows; the mobile home, houseboat, THP escort and annual permit rows
    undated document · read 2026-09-03
  • TDOT — OS/OW Permits Frequently Asked Questions (undated) — Tennessee Department of Transportation, Traffic Operations Division — "Width 8'6”" / "Height 13'6”"; the escort table "10'1” – 12'6”", "12'7” – 13'6”", "13'7” and greater", "15'1” and greater", "90'1” – 120'", "120'1” and greater"; "When the width of the load exceeds 18' or the height exceeds 18' THP escorts are required ... a minimum of two (2) officers for a minimum of four (4) hours at a rate of $65.00 per hour + $.13/mile"; "Gross Vehicle Weight in excess of 165,000 pounds Width in excess of 16' Height in excess of 15'6”"; the superload processing times; "If the height of the load exceeds 15'6” and/or the width exceeds 16' a route survey will be required"; and, in the same answer, Rule 1680-07-01-.12(1)'s "super heavy" and "extra-overdimensional" definitions
    undated document · read 2026-09-03
  • TDOT — OS/OW Permits News & Memos (undated) — Tennessee Department of Transportation, Traffic Operations Division — "01.15.26 Emergency Declaration" — the emergency and holiday restriction portal
    undated document · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-201 — Length limits (via Justia — SECONDARY source) — Justia, reproducing the Tennessee Code Annotated — (b) 45 ft single unit and 65 ft for a truck-and-trailer combination; (c) the 52 ft towed vehicle and the 41 ft kingpin condition; (d) 28 ft 6 in twins; (f) 75 ft for single-length logs, poles or timber
    rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-202 — Width and height limits (via Justia — SECONDARY source) — Justia, reproducing the Tennessee Code Annotated — (a)(1) "exceeds eight feet (8′)"; (c) "not exceeding eight feet six inches (8′ 6″) ... over the interstate system and other federal-aid highways"; (d) "does not exceed eight feet six inches (8′ 6″)" and "does not exceed thirteen feet six inches (13′ 6″)"
    rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-203 — Weight limits (via Justia — SECONDARY source) — Justia, reproducing the Tennessee Code Annotated — (b)(1)(A) 20,000 lb single axle; (b)(2) 34,000 lb tandem; (b)(3) 80,000 lb gross and the interstate bridge-formula proviso
    rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-205 — Special permits and fees (via Justia — SECONDARY source) — Justia, reproducing the Tennessee Code Annotated — (h)(1)(A)-(D) the width ladder and the houseboat bands; (h)(2) "Excessive height or length: Twenty dollars ($20.00)"; (h)(3) "Excessive weight: Twenty dollars ($20.00) plus six cents (6¢) per ton-mile;"; (h)(4)(A)-(C) the bridge evaluation charges; (l)(1) the ten-day validity; (n)(5)(E)(i) the heavy-duty towing 12¢ ton-mile tier; (p) the route-survey height trigger
    rev. 2025 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-07-01-.06 — Width escort requirements (via Cornell LII — SECONDARY source) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Tennessee Compilation Rules & Regulations — (2)(a)-(c), (3)(a)-(c), (4)(a) and (5)(a)-(b): the continuous width bands, the 24 ft pavement split, the 20 ft bridge flagperson and the route survey over 16 ft
    rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-07-01-.10 — Height pole and route survey (via Cornell LII — SECONDARY source) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Tennessee Compilation Rules & Regulations — (1)(c) the route survey "If the height of the movement is fifteen feet (15') or more"; (1)(d) "When the permitted vehicle and load exceeds fifteen feet (15') in height, the permittee shall determine all vertical clearances by use of a front escort vehicle having protrusions equal to, at a minimum, the height of the permitted vehicle and load."
    rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-07-01-.11 — Length escort requirements (via Cornell LII — SECONDARY source) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Tennessee Compilation Rules & Regulations — (1)(a) no escort to 90 ft; (2)(a) "One (1) escort vehicle shall immediately follow the movement" over 90 ft to 120 ft; (3)(a) a front and a rear escort in excess of 120 ft
    rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-07-01-.14 — Site-built house moves (via Cornell LII — SECONDARY source) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Tennessee Compilation Rules & Regulations — (8) "If it is anticipated that the movement of the building will be delayed by any utility"; (16) "Special Permits shall be valid for ten (10) days."
    rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-07-01-.21 — Escort vehicle requirements (via Cornell LII — SECONDARY source) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Tennessee Compilation Rules & Regulations — (1)(a) "The escort vehicle must be a vehicle weighing more than 2,000 pounds with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating less than 18,000 pounds and must be properly licensed." — vehicle, placard, lighting and equipment standards only; no operator certification anywhere in the section
    rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03
  • Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1680-07-01-.24 — Permit fees, payment and refunds (via Cornell LII — SECONDARY source) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Tennessee Compilation Rules & Regulations — (1)(d) the houseboat "$2,500 plus $100 for each additional inch or fraction thereof greater than seventeen feet (17')"; (3)(a) the $20 plus 6¢ per ton-mile; (3)(b)(2) the heavy-duty towing 12¢ tier; (5)(b)(11) the $100 seed cotton annual; (7)(a)-(c) the payment methods and the unquantified card surcharge; (7)(d) the refund rule
    rev. 2018-05-15 · read 2026-09-03
Common questions

Questions

How much is an oversize permit in Tennessee?

The single-trip base is $20, before the dimension bands, the overweight component and the transaction charge. The base alone is rarely what is paid.

When does Tennessee require a pilot car?

The first width trigger is over 10', and it varies by road class — the figure shown is the lowest across classes.

What is a superload in Tennessee?

Tennessee's published gross-weight superload line is over 165,000 lb. It is not 80,000 lb; that is the federal legal gross limit, not a superload threshold.

Do Tennessee's own documents contradict each other?

Yes, in 4 place(s) we hold both documents for. They are set out in full above, each with its pinpoint citation, and none of them has been adopted.