Section 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 Sections 32-6-22 and 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 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.

   (3)  Annual commercial wrecker emergency tow permit. Pursuant to this Code section, the commissioner may issue an annual permit for vehicles towing disabled, damaged, abandoned, or wrecked commercial vehicles, including combination vehicles, even though such wrecker or its load exceeds the maximum limits specified in this article. An annual commercial wrecker emergency tow permit shall not authorize the operation of a vehicle:

      (A) Whose single axle weight exceeds 25,000 pounds;

      (B) Whose load on one tandem axle exceeds 50,000 pounds and whose load on any secondary tandem axle exceeds 38,000 pounds; or

      (C) Whose total load length exceeds 125 feet.

   (4)  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.

   (5)  Single trip. Pursuant to this Code section, the commissioner may issue a single-trip permit to any vehicle or load allowed by federal law.

   (6)  Multitrip. Pursuant to this Code section, the commissioner may issue a multitrip permit to any vehicle or load allowed by federal law. A multitrip permit authorizes the permitted load to return to its original destination on the same permit, if done so within ten days, with the same vehicle configuration, and following the same route, unless otherwise specified by the department. A multitrip permit authorizes unlimited permitted loads on the same permit, if done so within the allowable ten days, with the same vehicle configuration, and following the same route.

(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)  Annual commercial wrecker emergency tow permit. Charges for the issuance of annual commercial wrecker emergency tow permits shall be $500.00 per permit.

   (4)  Six months. The charges for the issuance of six-month permits for loads of tobacco or unginned cotton shall be $25.00 per permit.

   (5)  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

   (6)  Multitrip. Charges for the issuance of multitrip permits shall be $100.00 for 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 paragraph.

(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.

Ga. L. 1968, p. 30, § 1; Ga. L. 1969, p. 637, § 1; Ga. L. 1971, p. 43, § 1; Ga. L. 1971, p. 462, §§ 2, 3; Ga. L. 1972, p. 356, §§ 1, 2; Code 1933, § 95A-961, enacted by Ga. L. 1973, p. 947, § 1; Ga. L. 1974, p. 1422, § 38; Ga. L. 1975, p. 400, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 439, § 4; Ga. L. 1980, p. 576, § 7; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 32; Ga. L. 1983, p. 1798, § 5; Ga. L. 1986, p. 471, §§ 1-3; Ga. L. 1986, p. 655, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 846, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 987, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2467, §§ 2-4; Ga. L. 1993, p. 348, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 10, § 32; Ga. L. 1995, p. 155, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 1010, § 3; Ga. L. 1996, p. 1512, § 3A; Ga. L. 1999, p. 567, § 3; Ga. L. 2000, p. 136, § 32; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1654, § 2; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1126, §§ 5, 6; Ga. L. 2010, p. 442, § 3/HB 1174; Ga. L. 2011, p. 548, §§ 3, 4/SB 54; Ga. L. 2012, p. 732, § 1/HB 835; Ga. L. 2012, p. 775, § 32/HB 942; Ga. L. 2013, p. 738, § 1/SB 218.