Mississippi oversize permit requirements
Mississippi is the state where a long load may not need a permit at all. Legal overall length is ninety-nine feet — where most of the south-east stops between sixty-five and eighty-five — and legal rear overhang runs to fourteen feet eleven inches. A combination that is firmly oversize in Alabama or Georgia can cross Mississippi as an ordinary legal load, and that is worth checking before paying for anything.
The travel window is the strict kind. Half an hour *after* sunrise to half an hour *before* sunset, Monday to Saturday, with no Sunday movement — the same narrow shape Georgia uses, and an hour a day less than Alabama next door. But there is a substantial exception: a load within twelve feet of width, thirteen feet six of height, ninety-nine feet of length, a hundred and fifty thousand pounds gross and four feet of rear overhang may move around the clock. That covers a lot of heavy freight.
Above ten feet of width, a night movement requires an escort. The permit itself runs three days. Routine limits reach a hundred and twenty feet of length and sixteen feet of width, with height allowed to fifteen feet six and a survey required past fifteen feet seven. Interstate running earns higher tridem and quad allowances than the surface roads do.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in Mississippi.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Overhang
- 3′ front, 14′11″ rear
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 34,000 lb
- Tridem
- 42,000 lb
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, Mississippi issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- 120′
- Width
- 16′
- Height
- 15′6″ — a survey is required above 15′7″
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 48,000 lb
- Tridem
- 57,000 lb, rising to 63,000 lb on the Interstate
- Quad
- 64,000 lb, rising to 72,000 lb on the Interstate
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in Mississippi — the figure is the first size that requires one, so a load measuring exactly this much already needs it.
- Width
- 13′0″
- Height
- 15′0″
- Length
- 99′1″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Permits are valid for three days.
Operating time. Half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset, Monday to Saturday. No Sunday movement. A load within 12′ wide, 13′6″ high, 99′ long, 150,000 lb gross and 4′ of rear overhang may move around the clock. An escort is required for night movement above 10′ of width.
Restricted travel. No Sunday movement.
Worth knowing
- Legal overall length is 99′ — far longer than the neighbouring states, so a long load may need no permit here at all.
- Legal rear overhang is 14′11″.
- A trailer over 53′ requires an oversize permit even within the 99′ overall limit.
- Tridem and quad allowances are higher on the Interstate than on surface roads.
Mississippi permits, answered
How long can a load be in Mississippi without a permit?
99′ overall, with rear overhang to 14′11″. That is well beyond what Alabama or Georgia allow, so a combination that is oversize either side of the state can cross Mississippi legally.
Can an oversize load run at night in Mississippi?
Yes, if it stays within 12′ wide, 13′6″ high, 99′ long, 150,000 lb gross and 4′ of rear overhang. Above 10′ of width a night movement needs an escort.
What are Mississippi travel hours?
Half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset, Monday to Saturday — the narrow form, an hour a day less than Alabama — and no movement on Sundays.
Does a 55-foot trailer need a Mississippi permit?
Yes. A trailer over 53′ needs an oversize permit even though the combination sits inside the 99′ overall limit — the two limits are separate tests.
Are Mississippi axle allowances higher on the Interstate?
Yes, for tridem and quad groups — 63,000 lb and 72,000 lb on the Interstate against 57,000 lb and 64,000 lb elsewhere.
Crossing more than Mississippi?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves Mississippi, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for Mississippi
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 Mississippi →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.