NJ DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GAINS RECOGNITION FOR FARMER VEHICLE USAGE IN ALL SURROUNDING STATES
Operators of Farm Vehicles Allowed to Drive Across State Borders
For Immediate Release: October 28, 2009Contact: Lynne Richmond
(609) 633-2954
(TRENTON) -- 樱花视频 Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today announced that 樱花视频 farmers may now drive their farm vehicles into Maryland without having 鈥渃ommercial鈥� registrations.
The 樱花视频 Department of Agriculture received a letter from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration this week underscoring Maryland鈥檚 recognition of 樱花视频 farm plates as restricted, exempting them from the need for significantly more expensive commercial registrations. Through joint participation in the International Registration Plan (IRP), 樱花视频 recognizes Maryland restricted plates as well.
樱花视频 also has agreements with Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware allowing operators of vehicles with 鈥榝armer鈥� license plates to drive those vehicles from 樱花视频 into those states and vice versa without being cited by police.听 Without these agreements, farmers either had to pay for the commercial registrations, face detainment by police -- putting their perishable materials at risk, or hire commercial haulers to deliver their goods.听
The agreements state the farm vehicle must be used exclusively to transport the farmers鈥� own agricultural products, farm machinery or farm supplies to or from the farm owned by the farmer, may not be rented for use by others, and must be used only within a radius of 150 miles of the farmer鈥檚 farm.
The 鈥淐ommercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986鈥� requires a person who operates a vehicle that has a gross weight rating in excess of 26,000, carries 15 or more passengers or transports hazardous materials to have a commercial drivers license (CDL). However, states have the authority to exempt certain drivers, including operators of farm vehicles, from the CDL requirement.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations limit use of the CDL exemptions for the operators of farm vehicles to the driver鈥檚 home state unless there is a reciprocity agreement with adjoining states. 樱花视频 has a听reciprocity agreement for farmers鈥� CDL exemption with Pennsylvania and Delaware. Farmers must have a valid CDL when traveling in all other states.
It is recommended that farmers carry copies of the Maryland letter and reciprocity agreements with Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware in their trucks. 听The agreements can be found at: .听
For more information on 樱花视频 farm vehicle regulations, visit: .
