Georgia Pilot Car Requirements

When does an oversize or overweight load need a pilot car or escort in Georgia? Here are the width, height, length and weight thresholds that trigger an escort, a height pole, or a police escort.

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Escort & pilot car requirements

  • Lead (front) pilot carover 125 ft length

    Length over 125 ft: 1 front + 1 rear escort required.

  • Chase (rear) pilot carover 125 ft length

    Length over 125 ft: 1 front + 1 rear escort required.

  • Chase (rear) pilot carover 100 ft length

    Over 100 ft up to 125 ft: 1 rear escort required.

  • Chase (rear) pilot carover 75 ft length

    Over 75 ft up to 100 ft: 1 rear escort with amber light required.

  • Lead (front) pilot carover 14'8" width

    Over 14'8" up to AND INCLUDING 16 ft: 1 front + 1 rear on a 2-lane highway; 1 rear only on a 4-OR-MORE-lane road OR a limited access highway. Over 16 ft: "the Department shall determine escort requirements on a case by case basis and may require a vehicle Police Escort with operating blue lights displaying their jurisdiction" — MAY, not shall. (The former claim that houses require a police front+rear escort is UNVERIFIED: it appears nowhere in r. 672-2-.06; house-specific conditions would live in r. 672-2-.04, not read.) Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06(3)(c)3.(ii)-(iii).

  • Chase (rear) pilot carover 14'8" width

    Over 14'8" up to AND INCLUDING 16 ft: 1 front + 1 rear on a 2-lane highway; 1 rear only on a 4-OR-MORE-lane road OR a limited access highway. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06(3)(c)3.(ii).

  • Lead (front) pilot carover 12 ft width

    OVER 12 ft up to and including 14'8": 1 front + 1 rear/amber on 2-lane; 1 rear only on 4-lane; 1 rear/amber only on limited access. EXCLUSIVE — exactly 12'0" needs no escort. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06(3)(c)3.(i).

  • Chase (rear) pilot carover 12 ft width

    OVER 12 ft up to and including 14'8": 1 front + 1 rear/amber on 2-lane; 1 rear only on 4-lane; 1 rear/amber only on limited access. EXCLUSIVE — exactly 12'0" needs no escort. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06(3)(c)3.(i).

  • Height-pole escortover 15'6" height

    15'6" or greater: 1 front escort with a height sensor (vertical height indicator) required, UNLESS the hauler holds a valid trip approval ticket from NJUNS (National Joint Utilities Notification Service). Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06(3)(c)2.(i).

Driver & inspection requirements

  • Certified escort driver requiredover 12 ft width

    Georgia escort certification required: "Any driver operating a vehicle escorting an oversize/overweight load shall meet the training requirements and the certification program by the Department." NOTE the duty attaches to ANY escort of a permitted load — there is no width floor in the rule, so it also applies to the length-over-75ft and height-15'6" triggers even though this entry is keyed to width. RECIPROCITY LIST UNVERIFIED: the rule says only "This certification may provide for reciprocity with other states having a similar pre-approved vehicle escort certification program" — MAY, and it names no states. Confirm the accepted/reciprocal list with GDOT or GA DPS (gamccd.net) before relying on an out-of-state card. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 672-2-.06.

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Informational only. These thresholds are compiled from published Georgia DOT references and are not legal or operational advice. Permit conditions can differ from the general tables, and rules change — always verify with the Georgia permit office before you move a load.

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