Arkansas Manufactured Homes Moving

MANUFACTURED HOMES

1. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-301, 

a. Manufactured home unit means a structure constructed for use as a dwelling, office, or classroom which is more than eight feet (8') in width or sixty feet (60') in length and is capable of being moved upon the highways when combined with a pulling vehicle. 

b. Overwidth means any manufactured home unit in excess of eight feet (8') in width. 

c. Width means the largest overall width of a manufactured home in the traveling mode, including bay windows, roof projections, overhangs, or eaves under which there is no interior space. 

2. Structure means a building, either portable or permanent, other than a manufactured home unit, which cannot be disassembled or reduced in size without substantial damage to the structure, and 

a. where any person lives or carries on a business or other calling 

b. where people assemble for purposes of business, government, education, religion, entertainment, or public transportation, or 

c. which is customarily used for overnight accommodation of persons, whether or not a person is actually present. Each unit of a structure divided into separately occupied units is itself a structure. 

d. Traveled way means the portion of the roadway for the movement of vehicles, exclusive of shoulders and auxiliary lanes. 

APPLICATION INFORMATION 

1. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-302, "Manufactured home units" eight feet (8') or less in width and sixty feet (60') or less in length may be moved on the highways of this state without the procurement of the special permit under this subchapter. 2. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-304: 

a. Manufactured home units may be lawfully moved interstate and intrastate on the highways, roads, and streets of this state by procuring a special permit issued by the department. The rules and regulations of the commission, with respect to the movement of manufactured homes upon the highways of this state shall be equally applicable to the movement of manufactured homes upon city streets and county roads in this state. No municipality or county shall require local permits, bonds, fees, or licenses for the interstate or intrastate movement of manufactured homes permitted by the department. 

b. A permit shall be required for each single continuous movement of each manufactured home unit. 

c. Manufactured home units in excess of sixteen feet six inches (16'6") in width may be moved upon the public highways of this state by obtaining an emergency permit approved by the department. Factors to be considered in approval of such emergency permit shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) Maximum overall width; 

(2) Distance to travel; 

(3) Condition of the highway; and 

(4) The volume and type of traffic. 

d. No special permit shall be issued for any manufactured home unit exceeding eighteen feet (18') in width. 

e. A permit required for the movement of a manufactured home unit may be obtained from the Permit Section. 

3. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 27-35-305: 

a. A special permit shall be issued to any licensed carrier, dealer or manufacturer who files with the Department evidence of acceptable insurance coverage. 

b. Persons moving their personal manufactured home units not over twelve feet (12') wide, exclusive of clearance lights, registered to such persons, and not for the purpose of sale, with a truck of not less than one-ton factory rated capacity, equipped with such devices and safety equipment and in compliance with safety regulations as required by the Interstate Commerce Commission* as the pulling vehicle, when the driver of a pulling vehicle is experienced in such driving, shall be entitled to a special permit upon a showing of evidence that they have insurance acceptable to the Department for, and title to, the manufactured home unit. 

*NOTE: The Interstate Commerce Commission was abolished in 1995 and replaced by the Surface Transportation Board that is housed within the U. S. Department of Transportation. 

BOND/FEE INFORMATION 

1. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-307 payment of fees may be made on a monthly basis. 

2. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-308, persons posting a surety bond with the Department in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) payable on default to the State of Arkansas, shall be allowed to pay fees accruing for permits on a monthly basis. Should the person fail to pay any sum owing to the Department within 30 days after due, the Department may execute on the bond. 

3. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-304, fees for the movement of a manufactured home are: 

a) For a manufactured home exceeding eight feet (8’) in width, but not exceeding sixteen feet six inches (16’6”) in width, including projections and overhangs, the fee is seventeen dollars ($17.00). 

b) For a manufactured home exceeding sixteen feet six inches (16’6”) in width, including projections and overhangs, the fee is one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). 

MOVEMENT REQUIREMENTS 

1. Insurance: 

a. The minimum liability insurance requirements for manufactured home manufacturers, dealers and carriers are one hundred thousand ($100,000) dollars for the first bodily injury or death; three hundred thousand ($300,000) dollars for bodily injury or death for each accident; and one hundred thousand ($100,000) dollars for property damage resulting from the accident. 

b. Persons transporting their own manufactured home shall have liability coverage in the amounts of twenty-five thousand ($25,000) for the first bodily injury or death; one hundred thousand ($100,000) for bodily injury or death for each accident; and fifteen thousand ($15,000) for property damage resulting from the accident; or one hundred fifteen thousand ($115,000) combined single limit coverage. Proof of required insurance must be available for verification at all times during movement in Arkansas. 

2. Signs/Flags: 

a. The vehicle pulling the manufactured home unit shall display clearly an "OVERSIZE LOAD" sign on the front of the towing unit and rear of the manufactured home unit and shall be constructed of a durable material with a yellow background and black letters of a two inch (2") stroke and a minimum height of ten inches (10"). 

b. Eighteen inch (18”) red or fluorescent orange flags shall be displayed on all four corners of the unit. 

3. Brakes: All manufactured home units shall be equipped with axles and brakes that conform to applicable state and federal standards. 

4. Lighting: All manufactured home units shall be equipped with tail lamps and signal lamps that conform to applicable state and federal standards. 

MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS 

1. No movement of manufactured homes in excess of twelve feet (12') wide on two-lane highways will be allowed from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. This restriction does not apply to Saturday movement or between the dates of June 15th through August 15th.

2. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated §27-35-306, manufactured home units may not be transported on Sunday, holidays listed in Rule 2.E.6., or at night. 

3. Manufactured home units greater than sixteen feet six inches (16'6") in width may only be transported between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. 

4. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-306 manufactured home units may be moved on Saturdays. Saturday movement may be restricted when traffic volumes are anticipated to be greater than normal due to a special event including, but not limited to college or university athletic events, or Regional or State Fairs scheduled for the particular Saturday, or such legal holidays as shall be specified by the Department. 

ESCORT REQUIREMENTS 

1. General escort requirements are described in Rule 6. 

2. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-306: 

a. On any controlled access, divided highway with four or more lanes, any manufactured home in excess of fourteen feet six inches (14'6") in width shall be accompanied by one escort vehicle. The escort vehicle shall travel behind the manufactured home. 

b. On all other highways, the movement of manufactured homes in excess of twelve feet (12') in width through fourteen feet six inches (14'6") in width shall be accompanied by one escort vehicle. The escort vehicle shall travel in front of the manufactured home. 

c. The movement of any manufactured home which exceeds fourteen feet six inches (14'6") in width shall be accompanied by two escort vehicles. One escort vehicle shall precede the manufactured home; one escort vehicle shall follow it. (See Rule 6.D.10 for distance requirements.) 

3. The Permit Section may assign additional escorts as noted in Rule 6.E. 

TRAFFIC CONTROL 

1. The pulling unit and escort for manufactured home movements shall take reasonable measures to prevent excessive buildup of accumulated traffic behind them, including pulling over and stopping at safe locations and reduction of speed in safe places to allow vehicles behind them to pass. 

2. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 27-35-310: 

a. In addition to the requirements on persons and payloads issued permits to move manufactured home and houses on Arkansas highways under Arkansas Code Annotated §§ 27-35-304 and 27-35-309, a person issued a permit to move manufactured homes or houses under this subchapter shall be authorized to temporarily stop or halt traffic and safely direct, control, and regulate traffic around the manufactured home or house while maneuvering his payloads on or off the public streets, highways or bridges. 

b. No person moving a permitted manufactured home shall ever halt or stop traffic on a public street or highway while maneuvering a manufactured home on or off the street or highway for more than three minutes or stop or halt traffic within five hundred feet (500') from the crest of a hill.

Source of information: https://www.arkansashighways.com/highway_police/2014_Permit_Rules.pdf