How to read a Mississippi oversize permit

A Mississippi single trip permit from MDOT shows the truck, load, axle weights and a one-line route on page 1, and the turn-by-turn table on the last page under 'ROUTING AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS'. The travel rules sit in the 'Special Restrictions' box right above that table, so read the last page top to bottom before you move.

Issued by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, Office of Enforcement through Express Pass. Written from a real permit we read.

The route section of a real Mississippi oversize permit, with road names highlighted in yellow.
The route on a real Mississippi permit, page 3. Names and numbers are blacked out. Highlighted: the road names Honk reads. Tap to enlarge.

How to read the route

Read the table top to bottom. 'Route' is the road you are on, 'Miles' is how far you stay on it, and 'To' is the next move, like 'Take Exit 86B toward US-45 NORTH/CORINTH'. 'Distance' is the running total from the start, and 'Est. Time' is the time for that row. The 0.00 rows mark the start at the Alabama line, where state-maintained travel begins, and the end at the Tennessee line.

Columns, left to right: Miles · Route · To · Distance · Est. Time.

What's on each page

  1. Page 1: Company, truck (year, make, tag, VIN, unit number), load, maximum permitted dimensions, axle weights and spacing, a QR code for a route guidance app, Origin, Destination, a one-line Route, and the fee math.
  2. Page 2: Only the last fee line. No route and no rules.
  3. Page 3: Special Restrictions (when and how you may travel), then the Routing and Special Instructions table, then another QR code.

Road names on Mississippi permits

On the permitMeans
I-22/US-78Interstate 22 and U.S. Highway 78, which share the same road at the Alabama line
I-22Interstate 22
US-45 RampThe ramp from I-22 onto U.S. Highway 45
US-45U.S. Highway 45

Where the route starts and ends

Both ends are a road at a neighboring state line: 'I-22/US-78 AL Line' and 'US-45 TN Line'. Page 1 shows them as Origin and Destination. In the page 3 table they are the 0.00 rows at the top and bottom, and the line under the table repeats the end as 'Final Destination:'.

Conditions to watch for

Travel time

Daylight only, from sunrise to sunset.

“Daylight movement only (from sunrise until sunset).”

No Sundays

You may not move on Sundays.

“No movement allowed on Sundays.”

Weather

Do not travel in bad weather.

“Over-dimensional loads are restricted from traveling during inclement weather.”

Let traffic by

If cars stack up behind you, pull off from time to time and let them pass.

“Any load obstructing the flow of traffic must pull off the road periodically to allow traffic to clear.”

Registration

The truck must be apportioned or registered to run in Mississippi.

“Carrier attests that vehicle being permitted is apportioned to operate or is registered in MS.”

Don't change it

The permit is void if anyone alters it or if the information used to get it was wrong.

“this permit is void if altered or if information provided to obtain this permit is incorrect.”

Easy to miss

  • The travel rules are not on page 1. 'Special Restrictions' sits on the last page, right above the route table.
  • Page 2 is almost empty. It holds only the last fee line, so the route is on page 3, not page 2.
  • The first two rows both show 0.00. 'Beginning State-Maintained Travel' marks where state roads begin; it is not a turn.
  • The one-line 'Route:' on page 1 (I-22, US-45 Ramp, US-45) has no exit numbers. Use the page 3 table for 'Take Exit 86B'.

Questions

Where is the route on a Mississippi oversize permit?

Page 1 has a one-line Route next to Origin and Destination. The full turn-by-turn table is on the last page under 'ROUTING AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS', with Miles, Route, To, Distance and Est. Time.

Can I move an oversize load on Sunday or at night in Mississippi?

Not on this permit. Its Special Restrictions say 'No movement allowed on Sundays.' and allow daylight movement only, from sunrise until sunset.

What does 'Beginning State-Maintained Travel' mean on my Mississippi permit?

It is a marker row in the route table showing where travel on state-maintained roads starts. On our permit it sits at 0.00 right after the origin, because the trip starts on I-22 at the Alabama line.

Your permit is the legal document; follow everything it says. Permits change, and yours may differ from the ones we read.Last checked October 2026.