Alabama pilot car regulations
Certification: required. Escort drivers must be at least 18, hold a valid driver's license, and have finished a pilot/escort flagging course that equals or beats Alabama's course. Alabama does not name its own course or card in the rule.
From Alabama's own rules and pages, checked 2026-10-24. Rules change: the state's page is the last word.
- Other states' cards
- The rule says a list of states with approved escort certification is on the ALDOT Permit Office website, but the link in the rule is dead and no list is posted on the current OS/OW permits page.
- Minimum age
- 18
- Escort vehicle
- Use a licensed single-unit vehicle such as a car, pickup or SUV with a clear view all around. A flatbed or service truck is OK if the view stays clear. Nothing towing a trailer.Source
- Sign
- Mounted front and rear above the roofline, reading "OVERSIZE LOAD" in black letters on a yellow background; letters 10 inches high with a 1.4"-1.5" brush stroke; sign sized so the whole message is clearly visible. No other signage allowed; banner shown only while escorting the permitted load.
- Lights
- Flashing or strobe amber lights visible 360 degrees at 500 feet. Headlights on low beam at all times.
- Height pole
- A front escort with a height indicator is required for loads over 15 feet 6 inches high.
- Other equipment
- All vehicles in the move (escorts, law enforcement escorts, permitted vehicle) must be able to contact each other. Non-emergency cell phone use is prohibited except devices designated for the move or to report hazards.