GEORGIA STATUTES AND CODES
               		§ 32-6-28 - Permits for excess weight and dimensions
               		
               		
               	 	
               	 	               	 	
               	 	
               	 	
               	 		
O.C.G.A.    32-6-28   (2010)
   32-6-28.    Permits for excess weight and dimensions 
      (a)   Generally.
      (1)  (A)  The commissioner or an official of the department designated by the  commissioner may, in his or her discretion, upon application in writing  and good cause being shown therefor, issue a permit in writing  authorizing the applicant to operate or move upon the state's public  roads a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles and loads whose weight,  width, length, or height, or combination thereof, exceeds the maximum  limit specified by law, provided that the load transported by such  vehicle or vehicles is of such nature that it is a unit which cannot be  readily dismantled or separated; and provided, further, that no permit  shall be issued to any vehicle whose operation upon the public roads of  this state threatens to unduly damage a road or any appurtenance  thereto, except that the dismantling limitation specified in this Code  section shall not apply to loads which consist of cotton, tobacco,  concrete pipe, and plywood that do not exceed a width of nine feet or of  round bales of hay that do not exceed a width of 11 feet and which are  not moved on part of The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and  Defense Highways. However, vehicles transporting portable buildings and  vehicles not exceeding 65 feet in length transporting boats on roads not  a part of The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense  Highways, regardless of whether the nature of such buildings or boats is  such that they can be readily dismantled or separated, may exceed the  lengths and widths established in this article, provided that a special  permit for such purposes has been issued as provided in this Code  section, but no such special permit shall be issued for a load exceeding  12 feet in width when such load may be readily dismantled or separated.  A truck tractor and low boy type trailer may, after depositing its  permitted load, return to its point of origin on the authorization of  its original permit.
            (B)  Notwithstanding  the provisions of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the commissioner  or an official of the department designated by the commissioner may, in  his or her discretion, upon application in writing and good cause being  shown therefor, issue to a specific tow vehicle a permit in writing  authorizing the applicant to operate or move upon the state's public  roads a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles and loads for  transporting not more than two modular housing units or sectional  housing units if the total weight, width, length, and height of the  vehicle or combination of vehicles, including the load, does not exceed  the limits specified in Code Section 32-6-22 and Code Section 32-6-26.  Permission to transport two modular housing units is only authorized  when the modular unit transporter meets the minimum specifications  contained in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph. No permit shall be  issued to any vehicle or combination of vehicles whose operation upon  the public roads of this state threatens the safety of others or  threatens to damage unduly a road or any appurtenance thereto.
            (C)  A  modular unit transporter shall meet all requirements of the Federal  Motor Carrier Safety Administration and all state safety requirements,  rules, and regulations. The modular unit transporter shall be properly  registered and have a proper, current license plate. At a minimum, the  modular unit transporter shall:
                  (i)  Be constructed of 12 inch steel I beams doubled and welded together;
                  (ii)  Have all axles equipped with brakes;
                  (iii)  Have  every floor joist on each modular section securely attached to the  beams with lag bolts and washers, or lag bolts, washers, and cable  winches; and
                  (iv)  Have an overall length not to exceed 80 feet including the hitch.
      (2)  Permits  may be issued, on application to the department, to persons, firms, or  corporations without specifying license plate numbers in order that such  permits which are issued on an annual basis may be interchanged from  vehicle to vehicle. The department is authorized to promulgate  reasonable rules and regulations which are necessary or desirable to  govern the issuance of such permits, provided that such rules and  regulations are not in conflict with this title or other provisions of  law.
      (3)  Every such permit shall be  carried in the vehicle or combination of vehicles to which it refers and  shall be open to inspection by any police officer, state trooper, or  authorized agent of the department.
      (4)  The  application for any such permit shall specifically describe the type of  permit applied for, as said types of permits are described in  subsection (c) of this Code section. In addition, the application for a  single-trip permit shall describe the points of departure and  destination.
      (5)  The commissioner or an  official of the department designated by the commissioner is authorized  to withhold such permit or, if such permit is issued, to establish  seasonal or other time limitations within which the vehicles described  may be operated on the public road indicated, or otherwise to limit or  prescribe conditions of operation of such vehicles when necessary to  ensure against undue damage to the road foundation, surfaces, or bridge  structures, and to require such undertaking or other security as may be  deemed necessary to compensate the state for any injury to any roadway  or bridge structure.
      (6)  For just cause,  including, but not limited to, repeated and consistent past violations,  the commissioner or an official of the department designated by the  commissioner may refuse to issue or may cancel, suspend, or revoke the  permit and any permit privileges of an applicant or permittee. The  specific period of time of any suspension shall be determined by the  department. In addition, any time the restrictions or conditions within  which a permitted vehicle must be operated are violated, the permit may  be immediately declared null and void.
      (7)  The  department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary  to enforce the suspension of permits authorized in this Code section.
      (8)  The  department shall issue rules to establish a driver training and  certification program for drivers of vehicles escorting  oversize/overweight loads. Any driver operating a vehicle escorting an  oversize/overweight load shall meet the training requirements and obtain  certification under the rules issued by the department pursuant to this  Code section. The rules may provide for reciprocity with other states  having a similar program for escort certification. Certification  credentials of the driver of an escort vehicle shall be carried in the  escort vehicle and be readily available for inspection by law  enforcement personnel or an authorized employee of the department. The  department shall implement the vehicle escort driver training and  certification program on or before July 1, 2010, and the requirements  for training and certification shall be enforced beginning on January 1,  2011.
      (9)  Permit holders shall be required to meet the following minimum insurance standards:
            (A)  For loads where the gross vehicle weight is less than or equal to 10,000 pounds:
                  (i)  For bodily injury a limit of $50,000.00 per person for injury or death as a result of any one occurrence; and
                  (ii)  For property damage a limit of $50,000.00 for damage to property of others in any one occurrence; or
            (B)  For commercial motor carriers where the gross vehicle weight is greater than 10,000 pounds:
                  (i)  For  bodily injury a minimum of $300,000.00 for each person and $1 million  for multiple persons for injury or death as a result of any one  occurrence; and
                  (ii)  For property damage a minimum of $1 million for damage to property of others in any one occurrence.
(b)   Duration and limits of permits.
      (1)   Annual permit.  The commissioner or an official of the department designated by the  commissioner may, pursuant to this Code section, issue an annual permit  which shall permit a vehicle to be operated on the public roads of this  state for 12 months from the date the permit is issued even though the  vehicle or its load exceeds the maximum limits specified in this  article. However, except as specified in paragraph (2) of this  subsection, an annual permit shall not authorize the operation of a  vehicle:
            (A)  Whose total gross weight exceeds 100,000 pounds;
            (B)  Whose single axle weight exceeds 25,000 pounds;
            (C)  Whose total load length exceeds 100 feet;
            (D)  Whose total width exceeds 102 inches or whose load width exceeds 144 inches; or
            (E)  Whose height exceeds 14 feet and six inches.
      (2)   Annual permit plus.  Vehicles and loads that meet the requirements for an annual permit may  apply for a special annual permit to carry wider loads on the NHS. The  wider load limits shall be a maximum of 14 feet wide from the base of  the load to a point 10 feet above the pavement and 14 feet and eight  inches for the upper portion of the load.
      (2.1)   Six-month permit.  Six-month permits may be issued for loads of tobacco or unginned cotton  the widths of which do not exceed nine feet, provided that such loads  shall not be operated on The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate  and Defense Highways.
      (3)   Single trip. Pursuant to this Code section, the commissioner may issue a single-trip permit to any vehicle or load allowed by federal law.
(c)   Fees.  The department may promulgate rules and regulations concerning the  issuance of permits and charge a fee for the issuance thereof as  follows:
      (1)   Annual. Charges for the issuance of annual permits shall be $150.00 per permit.
      (2)   Annual permit plus. Charges for the issuance of annual permits plus shall be $500.00 per permit.
      (3)   Six months. The charges for the issuance of six-month permits for loads of tobacco or unginned cotton shall be $25.00 per permit.
      (4)   Single trip. Charges for the issuance of single-trip permits shall be as follows:
  
                  (A)  Any  load  not  greater  than  16  feet  wide,  not  greater  than  16  feet  
high,  and  not  weighing  more  than  150,000  pounds  or  any  load  greater  than  100  
feet  long  which  does  not  exceed  the  maximum  width,  height,  and  weight  limits  
specified  by  this  subparagraph........................................  $ 30.00 
  
                  (B)  Superload  permit.  Any  load  having  a  width,  height,  or  weight  
exceeding  the  maximum  limit  therefor  specified  in  subparagraph  (A)  of  this  
paragraph  and  not  weighing  more  than  180,000  pounds....................  125.00 
  
                  (C)  Superload  plus  permit.  Any  load  having  a  weight  exceeding  the  
maximum  limit  therefor  specified  in  subparagraph  (B)  of  this  paragraph..  500.00
(d)  Notwithstanding  any provision of Code Section 48-2-17 to the contrary, all fees  collected in accordance with this Code section shall be paid to the  treasurer of the department to help defray the expenses of enforcing the  limitations set forth in this article and may also be used for public  road maintenance purposes in addition to any sums appropriated therefor  to the department.