Florida residents, Question
 

Can anyone shead any info. on a law requiring a permit to tow anything over 26 feet into and out of Florida. This law is being shown on the NHRA site for racers going to Gainesville. Does it effect Motorhomes pulling trailers?? Any info. would be appreciated. Roger

I race sports cars and I doubt all the out of towners I see at the tracks got a permit for their towing.
However, here's a link and what I think is the pertinent section. As long as the overall is less than 65ft you shouldn't have a problem.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/...316/Sec515.HTM

(a) Straight trucks.--No straight truck may exceed a length of 40 feet in extreme overall dimension, exclusive of safety and energy conservation devices approved by the department for use on vehicles using public roads. A straight truck may tow no more than one trailer, and such trailer may not exceed a length of 28 feet. However, such trailer limitation does not apply if the overall length of the truck-trailer combination is 65 feet or less, including the load thereon. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, a truck-trailer combination engaged in the transportation of boats, or boat trailers whose design dictates a front-to-rear stacking method shall not exceed the length limitations of this paragraph exclusive of the load; however, the load may extend up to an additional 6 feet beyond the rear of the trailer.

I have never heard of this.. i think its BS... I DO have a commecrial lic.. and have never heard of this.. only thing they look at it weight on the trailers, 10K and above is CDL A class.. and thats only for commecial puposes. Personal, nothing needed.

Gainesville travelers: Florida over-length information
3/2/2007

NHRA has been informed by the Interstate Registration Service that Florida is requiring any vehicle with an overall length (truck and trailer) of more than 65 feet or a trailer length of more than 28 feet to have a Special Road Use Permit to enter and to leave Florida.

According to the Florida Department of Transportation Office of Maintenance Permit Office, the state is checking trailer length, kingpin settings, and overall length of all vehicle and trailer combinations (semi-trailer length, straight truck-trailer combination, bus combination, and non-commercial vehicle combinations).

Florida law provides for a penalty of $250 per foot over length, not to exceed $1,000, per vehicle for any vehicle that does not have an overdimensional road-use permit.

To contact the Florida Department of Transportation Office of Maintenance Permit Office, call (850) 410-5777 or Patti George, Interstate Registration Service, (800) 383-5829, ext. 1.

To obtain a PDF copy of the State of Florida Overdimensional Roaduse Permits, go to http://www.fdotmaint.com/permit/.

For a PDF copy of the State of Florida Commercial Motor Vehicle Manual, go to http://www.dot.state.fl.us/mcco/pdf/...ion%202006.pdf.

NOTE the date on my previous post. Roger

It also says NON-COMMERCIAL vehicles.

Since I travel to car shows in Fl., I just called this number 1-850-410-5777 and was told that if your overall rig, commercial or NOT, was over 65 feet in length you will need a permit. ALSO if the trailer you are pulling is OVER 28 feet in length you WILL need a permit. You can obtain one for a single trip or one for a year. You WILL need to go into the first weight station and show your permit and if they tell you that you do not need to stop, get the officers name and badge number for future use in case you get stopped later. Roger

Roger

Just send the Bald guy , He`ll do it.


Mike

wow, That sucks

I have pulled horse trailers and boat trailers, over 26 feet, in and out of Florida for 10 plus years and only have to stop for the horses health papers. No one has ever stopped me for length of trailer.

BBB725 This has NOTHING to do with what you did for the past 10 years, this is NOW. LOOK at the date. 3/02/07 I have been pulling 34 to 45 foot trailers to and from Florida for 22 years and never been stopped. But things are changing.

Heck, my 22' Donzi is > 26' from hitch to outdrive when on the trailer.......

Roger I understand that you are talking now, I had about a dozen trainers come down Jan 2007 for the Gold Coast tour and no one had a problem. That said I have been stopped in California in a motor home for having my awning and entry handles sticking out over 8' 6" made us turn around, it all depends on how hard they want to push it.

At least there's an exemption for trailer length for boats :D
I really have a hard time thinking every racer with a 28ft+ enclosed trailer is buying a permit.

I agree with all of the posts, but all I am saying is that they must be GOING to do something different if they went as far as notifing NHRA Drag racing organization about the change and Gainesville is coming up real soon. I think it is only a money thing. They are trying to tax us more and more. I hate to see any of us getting caught after the fact and having to pay a 1000 dollar fine. Go to NHRA .com and read it for yourself. Roger

Fla. law says if the trailer is over 25' and the tow truck has a full bed you need a permit. If you are under 25,000lbs. that still is in force. Most of the time if you are hualing a boat with a truck that says NOT FOR HIRE just bypass the scales.

I have been stopped and 65 feet overall is the legal limit. if you are over you need to buy a permit for oversize. So all of you towing a 38 top gun with a crew cab are really oversize but unless the cop had a bad night you should not get stopped