Michigan pilot car regulations
Certification: not published. We found no Michigan escort driver certification. MDOT's permit conditions describe the escort vehicle, sign and light, but say nothing about a driver card or course.
From Michigan's own rules and pages, checked 2026-10-24. Rules change: the state's page is the last word.
- Escort vehicle
- MDOT's general permit conditions say a passenger vehicle; its mobile home rules say a passenger vehicle or pickup truck. Either way it needs a flashing or rotating light on top of the cab.Source 1Source 2
- Sign
- An OVERSIZE LOAD sign on the roof, 5 feet long by 12 inches high, with 8-inch-high black letters on a yellow background. For mobile home moves, if the escort is a pickup the sign may sit in the truck bed as long as its bottom is higher than the roof.
- Lights
- At least one flashing or rotating amber light on top of the cab, visible for 500 feet.
- Height pole
- For mobile home moves over 12 feet wide and over 14 feet 6 inches high, the front escort must carry a fixed measuring device set high enough to make sure the load clears. No general height pole rule found for other loads.
- Other equipment
- For mobile home moves over 14 feet wide: two-way radio contact between the escort vehicles and the towing vehicle. No other escort equipment list found.
- Insurance
- MDOT only says insurance required by Michigan law must be in effect for oversize or overweight permit moves. No separate escort insurance amount found.Source