South Carolina Oversize & Overweight Permits for Heavy Haul
South Carolina permit rules, legal limits and escort triggers, and how we book heavy haul carriers for moves in and through the state.
Quick answer
Do I need a permit to move an oversize load in South Carolina?
Yes, once the load is wider than 8 ft 6 in, taller than 13 ft 6 in or heavier than the legal limits, which reach 80,000 lbs on the Interstate where the bridge formula allows. SCDOT issues permits through Safehaul: a single trip permit is $30 and valid for 7 days, and loads over 130,000 lbs pay superload fees and get extra route analysis.
Updated November 2026 by the Quickway Transports broker team (FMCSA MC# 1245224).
Heavy haul and oversize freight in South Carolina
South Carolina's heavy freight runs through the Port of Charleston and the manufacturing corridor along I-85 between Greenville, Spartanburg and the Charlotte area. I-26 links Charleston, Columbia and the Upstate, I-95 crosses the coastal plain, and I-20 and I-77 carry traffic toward Georgia and North Carolina. Plant equipment, port cargo, construction machines and energy components make up much of it, and we book carriers for moves inside the state or through it.
Width shapes every South Carolina move. Loads over 14 ft wide must use four-lane highways, loads over 16 ft need police escorts as well as civilian ones, and the widest loads travel only in a midday window. On summer weekends permitted loads stay off the Myrtle Beach routes east of I-95, so we fit the route and the day to the load's width before quoting.
What are the legal size and weight limits in South Carolina?
Under the oversize load regulations in South Carolina, a load above any of these limits needs a state oversize or overweight permit.
| Width | 8 ft 6 in |
|---|---|
| Height | 13 ft 6 in |
| Semitrailer length | 53 ft |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
| Single axle | 20,000 lbs |
| Tandem axle | 35,200 lbs |
Limits are set by S.C. Code 56-5-4030 to 56-5-4140. The tandem figure in the table is the Interstate cap including tolerance. Away from the Interstate, enforcement allows 10% more and tandems may carry 36,000 lbs.
Who issues South Carolina oversize permits?
SCDOT's Oversize/Overweight Permit Office in Columbia issues permits through Safehaul. A single trip permit is valid for 7 days, and any non-divisible load over 130,000 lbs, or with a single axle over 20,000 lbs, goes through additional routing analysis that usually takes 3 to 5 business days.
SCDOT does not arrange police escorts: the carrier books them with the State Transport Police, 48 hours ahead, or with local police. A permit also does not override city ordinances, so the carrier's permit service checks local rules along the route.
Permit system: Safehaul (SCDOT online OSOW permitting system)
What do South Carolina oversize and overweight permits cost?
- request_quote Single trip permit: $30, valid for 7 days. SCDOT's schedule also lists excess-width fees from $35 over 16 ft to $50 over 22 ft.
- request_quote Annual multiple trip permit: $100.
- request_quote Superloads over 130,000 lbs: a $100 application fee, an engineering analysis of $100 to $350 by weight, and an impact fee of $3 per 1,000 lbs.
- request_quote Megaloads over 500,000 lbs add $0.05 per 1,000 lbs per mile on the full gross weight.
- request_quote Card payments carry a $5 processing fee.
Worked example: police escorts for a 17 ft wide load
Over 16 ft wide the load needs front and rear police escorts as well as two civilian escorts. Two State Transport Police officers for a 5-hour move cost 2 x 5 x $50 = $500, plus $0.76 a mile from each officer's home, on top of the $30 permit and the excess-width fee.
South Carolina pilot car and escort requirements
- local_police Over 12 ft to 14 ft wide: one front escort on two-lane highways, and SCDOT can add a rear escort.
- local_police Over 14 ft to 16 ft wide: front and rear escorts on every road, and the load must use four-lane highways.
- local_police Wider than 16 ft: two civilian escorts and two police escorts, one of each ahead and behind, unless the Permit Director approves otherwise in writing.
- local_police 16 ft high or more: a front escort with a height measuring device, and a route survey certified by the applicant.
- local_police 125 to 150 ft long: one rear escort, and front and rear past 150 ft.
- local_police Rear overhang over 15 ft: a red flag at the end of the load and a rear escort for the whole move.
What hours can oversize loads move in South Carolina?
- calendar_today Permitted loads move from sunrise to sunset, Monday through Sunday, and loads up to 130,000 lbs that are legal in size can ask for round-the-clock travel.
- calendar_today Loads over 12 to 15 ft wide stay clear of large urban areas from 7 to 9 AM on weekdays and in the afternoon rush, which starts at 3 PM on school days.
- calendar_today Loads over 15 ft wide travel only from 9 AM to 3 PM on school days and 9 AM to 4 PM on other days.
- calendar_today Memorial Day to Labor Day: permitted loads stay off the Myrtle Beach area routes east of I-95 on weekends, US-17 from the North Carolina line toward Georgetown among them.
- calendar_today Holidays: no travel on the holiday itself, and the Permit Director can widen that to a window running from midday before the holiday until midday after it. Permitted loads also keep 2 miles apart.
Seasonal weight limits in South Carolina
South Carolina has no frost law. SCDOT and local authorities can post lower weight or speed limits on a road, bridge or culvert at risk from its design, deterioration or rain, and local limits on state highways need SCDOT's approval. The seasonal rule that matters most here is the summer weekend ban on the Myrtle Beach routes.
South Carolina Oversize Load Questions
Permits, escorts and travel rules for oversize moves in South Carolina.
How much is a South Carolina oversize permit?
When does a South Carolina load need a police escort?
Can oversize loads travel at night in South Carolina?
Can oversize loads move on summer weekends near Myrtle Beach?
What is a superload in South Carolina?
Sources
We last checked the figures above against these official sources in October 2026. Before each move, the carrier's permit service confirms the rules in force that day.
- SCDOT Oversize/Overweight Permits page (Safehaul, contacts, fee schedule, documents)
- SCDOT Guidelines for Movement of OSOW Vehicles and Loads (Rev. 3/2026)
- SCDOT 2026 Permit Office Closures and Travel Restrictions
- SCDOT OSOW Application Over 16 Feet Wide (rev. 8/22)
- Safehaul login (portal responds)
- S.C. Code Title 56 Chapter 5 (56-5-4030, -4060, -4070, -4130, -4140, -4160, -4210)
- S.C. Code Title 57 Chapter 3 (57-3-130 fees and permits; 57-3-150 multiple trip)
- SCDPS State Transport Police Contractor Request for Escort form (rates eff. July 1, 2026)
Get a Quote
Heavy Haul Solutions for Oversized and Specialized Loads
Near South Carolina: states and services
- Heavy Haul in North Carolina →Oversize moves in and through North Carolina: Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and the NC permit rules.
- Heavy Haul in Georgia →Oversize moves in and through Georgia: Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta and the GA permit rules.
- Heavy Haul in Tennessee →Oversize moves in and through Tennessee: Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and the TN permit rules.
- Heavy Haul in Virginia →Oversize moves in and through Virginia: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Richmond and the VA permit rules.
- Heavy Equipment Transport →Which trailer, permits and preparation each kind of construction, farm, mining and industrial machine needs.
- Heavy Haul Trucking →Oversize and overweight loads on RGN, step-deck and flatbed trailers, with permits, pilot cars and route surveys arranged.