Arkansas permits
Arkansas Oversize Permit Rules
Route surveys, super loads, height rules, legal limits, escorts, Little Rock curfews, travel hours and holidays for oversize and overweight loads in Arkansas, each checked against the ARDOT permit rules.
Last checked: Oct 2, 2026
This page is general information only, not legal advice and not a permit. Rules change often and each state's permit and official rules are the final word. Always confirm limits, escorts, routes and travel times with the state permit office before moving a load. Reliable Transport LLC is not responsible for decisions made using this information.
- Height escort
- Over 15'H, clearance bar
- Escorts start
- Over 12'W or 100'L
- Legal size
- 8'6"W, 14'H, 80,000 lbs
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerARDOT permits
How Arkansas sizes up a heavy load
The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) issues oversize and overweight permits through its Arkansas Highway Police permit section, under the ARDOT Permit Rules and 27 CAR Part 111. These are the numbers we plan every Arkansas load with. Run your exact load and route through our permit tool to see every state on the trip.
Check your load
Enter your width, height, length and weight in our permit tool to see the Arkansas rules and every other state on your route, each with its official source.
Arkansas limits
Arkansas legal limits and permit thresholds
Over any legal limit, the load needs an ARDOT permit before it moves.
Arkansas legal size, weight and permits
Official sources linked| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Route survey | ARDOT publishes no size trigger for a route survey. A super load (180,000 lbs or more, over 16'6"W, 100'L or more, or 15'6"H or more) may need engineering reviews, so we apply early (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| Height escort | Over 15'H, one escort runs ahead with a clearance bar set 6" above the permitted height (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| Over 17'H | Written agreements from the owners of overhead lines and signals on the route; their crews ride along, or they send letters declining (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| Legal width | 8'6"W (ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police), 27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026)) |
| Legal height | 14'H (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| Legal length | No overall limit with a trailer up to 53'6" (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| Legal weight | 80,000 lbs gross (ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police), 27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026)) |
| Permit width | Up to 20'W on most highways and 18'W on the Interstate (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
Escorts
Arkansas escort requirements
Arkansas sets escorts by width, length, height and road type.
Arkansas escorts by load size
Official sources linked| Load | Escorts |
|---|---|
| Over 12'W to 14'W | One front escort on highways that are not divided highways with 4 or more lanes (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| Over 14'W | One front and one rear escort on those highways; on a divided highway with 4 or more lanes, one rear escort 200' behind (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| Over 15'H | One front escort with a clearance bar 6" above the permitted height (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| 100'L or more | One escort follows on the Interstate and divided highways with 4 or more lanes, and leads on other highways (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
| Over 115'L | One escort leads and one follows on highways with fewer than 4 lanes (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police)) |
Escort rules come from 27 CAR Part 111 and the ARDOT Permit Rules. The permit lists the escorts for each load. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Height and routes
Route surveys, tall loads and super loads
What Arkansas asks of the tallest and biggest loads.
Route survey
ARDOT publishes no size trigger for a route survey. Super loads may need engineering reviews before the permit is issued. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Clearance bar
Over 15'H, one escort runs ahead of the load with a clearance bar 6" above the permitted height. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Over 17'H
Written agreements from the owners of overhead lines and signals, whose crews go with the move, or their letters declining. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Super loads
180,000 lbs or more, over 16'6"W, 100'L or more, or 15'6"H or more. ARDOT may require engineering reviews. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Front overhang
No permit for a front overhang over 20'. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Travel times
Travel hours, nights, weekends and holidays
When a permitted load may move in Arkansas.
Hours
Sunrise to sunset. Weekend travel is allowed unless it is a restricted holiday. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Length only
Up to 90'L overall with legal width and height, travel any time, 24 hours a day. Over 90'L, daylight only. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Little Rock
No oversize travel 7 to 9 a.m. or 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, on I 30 (mile markers 138 to 143), I 40 (mile markers 151 to 155) and all of I 630. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Holidays
No movement on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. When one falls on a Monday or Friday, the weekend next to it is closed too. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Weather
No movement with visibility under 500' or in hard rain, freezing rain, sleet or snow. Moves may be stopped in gusts over 23 mph. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Spacing
Keep at least 1,000' behind any other oversize load. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
Superloads
Arkansas super loads
An Arkansas super load is 180,000 lbs or more, over 16'6"W, 100'L or more, or 15'6"H or more. ARDOT may require engineering reviews, so the application goes in early. (27 CAR Part 111 (eff. Sep 21, 2026), ARDOT Permit Rules (Arkansas Highway Police))
See how we plan the biggest loads on our Superload Transport page.
Our moves
Heavy loads we have moved
207,000 lb dryer drum
A 207,000 lb dryer drum from Louisville, KY to Richmond, VA.
Read the move →150,000 lb transformer
A 150,000 lb transformer from Pocatello, ID to Akron, OH.
Read the move →Moving a load in Arkansas?
Send the dimensions and weight. We file the Arkansas permit and book the escorts.
Request a quote →See every move on our Moves page.
Sources
Official Arkansas sources
Every rule on this page is taken from the ARDOT pages and rule text below and confirmed by a second source. Rules we could not confirm twice are left off this page. Rules change, and the permit itself always decides. Last checked: Oct 2, 2026.
Questions
Arkansas permit questions
Does Arkansas require a route survey?
ARDOT publishes no size trigger for a route survey. A super load may need engineering reviews before the permit is issued.
When does a tall Arkansas load need an escort?
Over 15'H, one escort runs ahead with a clearance bar 6" above the permitted height. Over 17'H, the owners of overhead lines and signals must sign agreements.
What are the legal size and weight limits in Arkansas?
8'6"W, 14'H and 80,000 lbs gross, with no overall length limit on a trailer up to 53'6".
When does Arkansas require escorts?
Over 12'W, one front escort on highways that are not divided 4 lane highways. Over 14'W, front and rear there, or one rear escort on divided 4 lane highways. At 100'L or more, one escort.
What is a super load in Arkansas?
180,000 lbs or more, over 16'6"W, 100'L or more, or 15'6"H or more.
When can oversize loads move through Little Rock?
Not 7 to 9 a.m. or 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays on I 30, I 40 and I 630 in the listed sections.
Which holidays stop oversize loads in Arkansas?
New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the next weekend when one falls on a Monday or Friday.
Keep planning
More for your Arkansas move
Permit rules in other states
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerReliable Transport LLC | Reliable Heavy Haul
Ready to move it?
We haul oversize and overweight loads across the USA and Canada from our home base at 7660 W Third St, Dayton, OH 45417. Send your load details and we will plan the Arkansas permit, route and escorts.
This page is general information only, not legal advice and not a permit. Rules change often and each state's permit and official rules are the final word. Always confirm limits, escorts, routes and travel times with the state permit office before moving a load. Reliable Transport LLC is not responsible for decisions made using this information.