Oversize permit country guide
Oversize load permit in France (2026): authority, thresholds, fees
This page summarises what the official sources listed below say about oversize (abnormal) load permits in France. Numbers link to their source. Values the sources do not confirm are marked “Not confirmed”.
Key facts
| Issuing authority | Prefect of the département — the application is examined by the competent service instructeur (examining service) on behalf of the prefect Préfet de département / service instructeur (référent) [Z2] |
|---|---|
| Level | Regional |
| Application channel | mon-transport-exceptionnel.interieur.gouv.fr [Z1] |
| Online application | Yes |
| Applicant from abroad may apply | Yes |
| Application language(s) | fr |
| Data status | Partly confirmed (gaps marked on the page) |
Issuing authority
The individual authorisation is issued by the prefect on the basis of an application examined by the competent service instructeur (Z2). The list of examining services — Annex 4 to the note of 22.07.2016 on the Sécurité routière website (not read). Local-scope authorisations (APL) are issued by département prefects (Z5). The Mon-Transport-Exceptionnel service is run by the Ministry of the Interior (domain interieur.gouv.fr). [Z2]
Application channel
Mon-Transport-Exceptionnel (MTE) — the official service since 26.09.2023 for submitting applications for authorisation and déclarations préalables; the application is automatically routed to the service instructeur référent; the arrêté and opinions can be downloaded in the applicant's area; the route is entered on a Géoportail map [Z1]
Login / access: MTE account created online (the account creation procedure and the applicant's manual are on the Sécurité routière website); details of the authentication method were not read. Support: [email protected] (account creation), [email protected] (use), [email protected] (errors).
Thresholds above which a permit is needed
Values for a typical combination: tractor unit with semi-trailer or rigid vehicle with trailer, 5 axles, standard width.
| Width | Not confirmed |
|---|---|
| Height | Not confirmed |
| Length, tractor unit + semi-trailer | Not confirmed |
| Length, rigid vehicle + trailer | Not confirmed |
| Gross combination weight (5 axles) | Not confirmed |
| Single axle load | Not confirmed |
| Drive axle load | Not confirmed |
Transport exceptionnel = a transport or movement whose dimensions or weight exceed the limits of the Code de la route (Art. R.312-4, R.312-5, R.312-6, R.312-10, R.312-11, R.312-20 to R.312-22) — indivisible load (Z6). The specific values of these articles were not read from the official source — the values are not confirmed. Permit categories (Art. 3 arrêté 4.05.2006): category 1 — length ≤ 20 m, width ≤ 3 m, weight ≤ 48 000 kg; category 2 — 20 < length ≤ 25 m, 3 < width ≤ 4 m, 48 000 < weight ≤ 72 000 kg; category 3 — length > 25 m, width > 4 m or weight > 72 000 kg; the highest characteristic decides (Z2, Z3). [Z6]
Permit types
| Permit | Scope | Validity | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent individual authorisation on a (pre-defined) network Autorisation individuelle permanente sur réseau préétabli |
Periodic (time-limited) | For a fixed period, max. 3 years (Art. 3 arrêté 4.05.2006) | Category according to dimensions/weight (1–3); convoy and routes according to the TE network [Z3] |
| Permanent individual authorisation on a specified route Autorisation individuelle permanente sur un itinéraire précis |
Periodic (time-limited) | For a fixed period, max. 3 years | For the specified route [Z3] |
| Individual authorisation for a journey (journeys) on a specified route Autorisation individuelle « au voyage » sur un itinéraire précis |
Single trip | For one or several journeys | For the specified route [Z3] |
| Local-scope authorisation Autorisation de portée locale (APL) |
Permanent | Not confirmed | Issued by the département prefect for local needs (long indivisible items, round timber, public works machinery, containers); valid in the département, possibly in a neighbouring one with similar rules; APLs may not be combined on a route through non-adjacent départements; the driver must carry a copy of the APL [Z5] |
| Prior declaration Déclaration préalable |
Single trip | Not confirmed | Submitted via MTE; scope of application not read [Z1] |
Processing time
Art. 8 arrêté 4.05.2006 (calendar time limits): permanent authorisations on a network, on a route or connection only within the issuing département — 15 days; on a route through other départements — 1 month, with numerous consultations — 2 months; applications by post — time limits extended by 10 working days. No conversion into working days is given. [Z3]
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| The Mon-Transport-Exceptionnel service is described as 'gratuit' (free of charge) for submitting applications; whether the authorisation itself is free of charge is not confirmed explicitly in the source | Not confirmed [Z1] |
Fees are not confirmed in the official sources read.
Escort
Private escort vehicle
Art. 13 arrêté 4.05.2006: depending on the traffic disruption and the characteristics of the convoy, accompanying measures may be imposed; protection vehicles (véhicules de protection) in yellow RAL 1004, RAL 1032 or equivalent, of type VP or CTTE. Dimensional thresholds for a mandatory escort were not read. [Z3]
Some details are not confirmed in the official sources read.
Police escort
Not confirmed in the official sources read
Required documents
- Application (in MTE or on the CERFA form): identity of the applicant (pétitionnaire) and, where applicable, their representative (mandataire), convoy characteristics, route, validity period and type of authorisation; for goods, up to 3 convoy types of one family (reference + 2 variants ±1 axle), up to 4 configurations per type, the most unfavourable as no. 1 [Z4]
- Fiche d'ensemble routier — for each combination configuration with an indivisible load [Z4]
- Fiches véhicules — for category 2 with weight > 48 000 kg, for category 3 and for convoys not meeting the loading rules (Art. 15 arrêté) [Z4]
- Route survey by the carrier (at its own responsibility) before submitting the application [Z4]
Traffic restrictions
Before each journey the passability of the route must be checked (roadworks, bans — e.g. Bison Futé). General hours/days of bans for abnormal transports were not read. Since the decree of 18.04.2012, abnormal convoys may use motorways. [Z2]
Some details are not confirmed in the official sources read.
Official sources
- [Z1] Sécurité routière (DSR, Ministry of the Interior) — 'Mon transport exceptionnel : le Web service': since 26.09.2023 the official, free service for submitting applications for transport exceptionnel and déclaration préalable, for private individuals and French or foreign companies; service address, support contacts, Géoportail map (Official website, read 2026-10-04)
https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/reglementation-liee-aux-modes-de-deplacements/transports-exceptionnels/mon-transport-exceptionnel - [Z2] Sécurité routière — 'Autorisation individuelle': named authorisation, 3 categories by length/width/weight, types (permanent on a network, permanent on a route, per journey), application to the service instructeur acting on behalf of the prefect (Official website, read 2026-10-04)
https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/reglementation-liee-aux-modes-de-deplacements/transports-exceptionnels/autorisations-de-1 - [Z3] Arrêté du 4 mai 2006 relatif aux transports exceptionnels de marchandises, d'engins ou de véhicules et ensembles de véhicules comportant plus d'une remorque (version displayed 08.09.2025) — Art. 3 (categories, validity 'au voyage' / 'permanente' max. 3 years), Art. 8 (time limits), Art. 13 (accompagnement) (Legal act, read 2026-10-04)
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000607803 - [Z4] Sécurité routière — 'Demande d'autorisation individuelle' (content from 2018): CERFA form, pétitionnaire and mandataire, convoy families (reference + 2 variants, up to 4 configurations), fiche d'ensemble routier, fiches véhicules (category 2 > 48 000 kg, category 3), obligation to survey the route (Official website, read 2026-10-04)
https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/reglementation-liee-aux-modes-de-deplacements/transports-exceptionnels/demande-dautorisation - [Z5] Sécurité routière — 'Autorisation de portée locale' (APL): authorisations of département prefects for local needs (long items, timber, TP machinery, containers), ban on combining APLs for a route through non-adjacent départements (Official website, read 2026-10-04)
https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/reglementation-liee-aux-modes-de-deplacements/transports-exceptionnels/autorisations-de-0 - [Z6] Sécurité routière — 'Réglementation des transports exceptionnels': definition (indivisible load), legal bases — Code de la route R.433-1 to R.433-6, three arrêtés of 4.05.2006 (in force since 12.07.2006), Articles R.312-x on weights and dimensions (Official website, read 2026-10-04)
https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/reglementation-liee-aux-modes-de-deplacements/transports-exceptionnels/reglementation-des - [Z7] Sécurité routière — local TE networks and national mapping of the abnormal transport network (IGN, cartes.gouv.fr BD-TRANSPORTS-EXCEPTIONNELS) (Official website, read 2026-10-04)
https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/reglementation-liee-aux-modes-de-deplacements/transports-exceptionnels/reseaux-locaux-et-cartes-des
Rules and fees change. Check the official source before you file an application.