South Carolina oversize permit requirements
South Carolina is the only state on the seaboard whose oversize curfew runs off the school calendar. Loads between twelve and fifteen feet wide are barred from seven to nine in the morning and three to six in the evening on school days, and from half past four to six on other days. Loads between fifteen and sixteen feet get a window rather than a ban: nine to three on school days, nine to four otherwise. Planning a wide move here means knowing whether the local schools are sitting.
The second seasonal rule is the coast. The routes from I-95 to Myrtle Beach close to oversize movement on Fridays and Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day — the whole summer, on the roads carrying the whole summer's tourists.
The travel window itself is the narrow kind, half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset, Monday to Saturday, with no Sunday movement. Overweight loads within a hundred and thirty thousand pounds may travel continuously if they keep traffic flowing; above that they are confined to weekdays. The permit runs seven days. Two figures are worth noting: the legal tridem allowance is thirty-five thousand two hundred pounds, one of the lowest in the country, and a fifty-three-foot semitrailer gets no rear overhang at all, where a forty-eight-foot one gets five feet. Implements of husbandry — farm tractors, forestry equipment, road machinery — are exempt within twelve feet, thirteen feet six and ninety thousand pounds, and may travel seven days a week in daylight.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in South Carolina.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Overhang
- 5′ rear on a 48′ semitrailer; none on a 53′ semitrailer
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 34,000 lb
- Tridem
- 35,200 lb
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, South Carolina issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- 125′
- Overhang
- 3′ front, 10′ rear
- Width
- 16′
- Height
- Set by the route, with 6″ of clearance required
- 5 axles
- 90,000 lb
- 6 axles
- 110,000 lb
- 7 axles
- 130,000 lb
- Tandem
- 40,000 lb
- Tridem
- 60,000 lb
- Quad
- 80,000 lb
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in South Carolina — 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
- 125′0″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Permits are valid for seven days and must be obtained before entering the state.
Operating time. Half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset, Monday to Saturday. No Sunday travel. Overweight loads within 130,000 lb may travel continuously where they keep traffic moving; above 130,000 lb, Monday to Friday only.
Restricted travel. Loads 12′ to 15′ wide may not move 7–9 AM or 3–6 PM on school days, nor 4:30–6 PM on other days, near urban areas. Loads 15′ to 16′ wide may move only 9 AM–3 PM on school days and 9 AM–4 PM otherwise. The I-95 routes to Myrtle Beach are closed to oversize movement on Fridays and Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. No travel on major holidays or holiday weekends.
Worth knowing
- The width curfew runs off the school calendar — the restricted hours differ on school days and other days.
- The I-95 routes to Myrtle Beach close on Fridays and Saturdays for the whole summer season.
- The legal tridem allowance of 35,200 lb is one of the lowest in the country.
- A 53′ semitrailer gets no rear overhang at all; a 48′ one gets 5′.
- Implements of husbandry — farm tractors, forestry equipment and road machinery — are exempt within 12′ wide, 13′6″ high and 90,000 lb, in daylight, seven days a week.
- Legal length is 53′ for the semitrailer, with 41′ from kingpin to rear tandem.
South Carolina permits, answered
Do South Carolina curfews depend on the school calendar?
Yes. Loads 12′ to 15′ wide are barred 7–9 AM and 3–6 PM on school days but only 4:30–6 PM otherwise, and the 15′ to 16′ window shifts too. A wide move needs to know whether the local schools are sitting.
Can I move an oversize load to Myrtle Beach in summer?
Not on Fridays or Saturdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day — the I-95 routes to the coast are closed to oversize movement for the whole season.
Why is my tridem overweight in South Carolina?
The legal tridem allowance is 35,200 lb, one of the lowest anywhere. A group that is legal in North Carolina at 42,500 lb needs a permit here.
How much rear overhang is allowed on a 53-foot trailer in South Carolina?
None. A 48′ semitrailer is allowed 5′ of rear overhang; a 53′ one gets nothing.
Is farm and forestry equipment exempt in South Carolina?
Yes — implements of husbandry, including farm tractors, forestry equipment and road machinery, within 12′ wide, 13′6″ high and 90,000 lb, in daylight, seven days a week.
Crossing more than South Carolina?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves South Carolina, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for South Carolina
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Price a permit for South Carolina →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.