Arkansas oversize permit requirements
Arkansas issues its oversize permits through the Arkansas Highway Police rather than through a civilian permit office, and the difference shows in how the rules are written. They are specific to the mile. Where most states name a city and leave the rest to judgement, Arkansas names the mileposts: no oversize movement on I-30 between mile 138 and 143, on I-40 between mile 151 and 155, or anywhere on I-630. Those three segments are the Little Rock crossing, and a load coming up from Texas bound for Missouri meets all of them.
The travel window is narrower than the neighbouring states in a way that is easy to skim past. Arkansas runs sunrise to sunset — not the half hour either side that Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri allow. On a short winter day that is close to an hour less driving than the same trip a state away, and it compounds across a three-day permit.
Against that, the state is generous where it counts for heavy freight. A load that is overweight but not oversize can run continuously up to a hundred and eight thousand pounds, as can anything within ninety feet of length. The legal tridem allowance is fifty-four thousand pounds, well above the forty-two thousand that most of the region works to, so a combination that needs an overweight permit in Oklahoma may not need one here. And poles, pipes and beams travel to ninety feet total with no permit at all, in daylight.
The holiday rule has a sting in the tail worth reading twice. The six main holidays are closed, and when one of them falls on a Monday or a Friday the closure swallows the whole weekend with it. A Christmas or Independence Day move planned around a long weekend is not delayed by a day in Arkansas; it is delayed by three. Above legal, routine permits run to sixteen feet wide — twenty on selected non-Interstate routes — and seventeen feet high, though the Interstate itself caps height at sixteen.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in Arkansas.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Overhang
- Poles, pipes and beams may run to 90′ total in daylight without a permit
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 34,000 lb
- Tridem
- 54,000 lb
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, Arkansas issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- No published maximum
- Width
- 16′ — 20′ on selected non-Interstate routes
- Height
- 17′ — the Interstate itself is capped at 16′
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 46,000 lb
- Tridem
- 60,000 lb
- Quad
- 68,000 lb
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in Arkansas — the figure is the first size that requires one, so a load measuring exactly this much already needs it.
- Width
- 14′1″
- Height
- 15′0″
- Length
- 100′0″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Single-trip permits are valid for three days.
Operating time. Daylight — sunrise to sunset, not the half hour either side that neighbouring states allow — seven days a week. Overweight-only loads within 108,000 lb, and loads within 90′ of length, may travel continuously.
Restricted travel. No movement in the Little Rock metro 7–9 AM and 4–6 PM, and none at any time on I-30 between mileposts 138 and 143, on I-40 between mileposts 151 and 155, or anywhere on I-630. Closed on New Year, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas — and when one of those falls on a Monday or Friday, the adjoining weekend closes with it.
Worth knowing
- Permits are issued by the Arkansas Highway Police, not by a civilian permit office.
- The legal tridem allowance of 54,000 lb is well above the regional norm — a combination needing an overweight permit next door may not need one here.
- Legal length is 53′6″.
- Oversize Load signs are required above legal dimensions, with 18″ square red flags on the rear corners. Overweight-only loads need neither.
- A utilities escort is required above 17′ of height.
Arkansas permits, answered
Which Arkansas roads are closed to oversize loads?
I-30 between mileposts 138 and 143, I-40 between mileposts 151 and 155, and all of I-630. Together they are the Little Rock crossing, so a load running Texas to Missouri meets every one of them.
What are Arkansas travel hours for an oversize load?
Sunrise to sunset — not the half hour either side that Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri allow. On a winter day that is close to an hour less driving than the same trip one state over.
What happens if a holiday falls on a Monday in Arkansas?
The whole weekend closes with it. A holiday landing on a Monday or Friday extends the ban across the adjoining weekend, so the delay is three days rather than one.
Can an overweight load run continuously in Arkansas?
Yes, up to 108,000 lb if it is overweight only, and for any load within 90′ of length. Above that the daylight window applies.
Is the Arkansas tridem allowance really 54,000 lb?
Yes, and it is worth checking against the load before buying an overweight permit. Most of the region stops at 42,000 lb, so the same axles can be legal here and overweight in Oklahoma.
Crossing more than Arkansas?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves Arkansas, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for Arkansas
Enter the load once and the estimator prices every state on the route, flags where an escort is required, and turns the quote into an order.
Price a permit for Arkansas →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.