License plate for a tractor to drive on the road?

[skyhook]

Up here if your drivers' license is 'under suspension', you had better not get caught driving even your riding lawn mower on your own property. Dam Commies!
If your grass goes right out to the road allowance AND you get caught sucking on a beer, or the beer is open, while you are on that road allowance then you will be ticketed for open container and if you blow over .08 you will be charged with 'impaired operation of a motor vehicle' and your riding mower will be impounded for 7 days. Dam Commies!

Yep.

 

[plaindriver]

Ducati- -I vacated Los Angeles, Kalif. and retired to rural Tn., which is in the USA. I have a couple of tractors and a small 10 ac spread. Gentleman farmer only. I often drive about 1/4 mi on a state highway for diesel fuel at the corner market. I would never be even concerned if a police car was near. I see tractors and farm machinery on the roads often. People just slow and go around if safe.
Why would you ever even consider putting a plate on a tractor? Im sure the DMV would gladly take your $$ and send you the renewal every yr. And if your tractor is more than 4-5 yrs and diesel, look out! I have an 1988 Izusu NPR diesel flatbed truck, bought it new. I had been paying the renewal faithfully, tho the truck had been 'retired' for 5 yrs. Every yr, I had been paying just shy of $300 for the sticker.I get the renewal in Nov '11 for fiscal 2012 and the cost increased to $2184.!!! Kalif is no contendo with diesel. My mom lived in Ga. so when I visited her there, I took the pink and just registered it there. Cost total of $38, of which $20 was a one time title fee. In Tn., regis is $24/yr per veh, regardless if its a new MBZ or an old Hugo. Utility trailers dont require plates. What a difference!

 

[Looking4new]

With regards to running on the roads, up here it is your choice, shoulder or pavement. BUT not half and half. Either all on the shoulder or all on the pavement. That came from the MTO Officer that saftied my big truck last year.
I got zapped in radar the other day coming back from the town just south of me. Wide open throttle, burning up the pavement, smoking it right along. 8 mph. I'll bet the cop got a laugh out of it.

 

[skyhook]

Ducati- -I vacated Los Angeles, Kalif. and retired to rural Tn., which is in the USA. I have a couple of tractors and a small 10 ac spread. Gentleman farmer only. I often drive about 1/4 mi on a state highway for diesel fuel at the corner market. I would never be even concerned if a police car was near. I see tractors and farm machinery on the roads often. People just slow and go around if safe.
Why would you ever even consider putting a plate on a tractor? Im sure the DMV would gladly take your $$ and send you the renewal every yr. And if your tractor is more than 4-5 yrs and diesel, look out! I have an 1988 Izusu NPR diesel flatbed truck, bought it new. I had been paying the renewal faithfully, tho the truck had been 'retired' for 5 yrs. Every yr, I had been paying just shy of $300 for the sticker.I get the renewal in Nov '11 for fiscal 2012 and the cost increased to $2184.!!! Kalif is no contendo with diesel. My mom lived in Ga. so when I visited her there, I took the pink and just registered it there. Cost total of $38, of which $20 was a one time title fee. In Tn., regis is $24/yr per veh, regardless if its a new MBZ or an old Hugo. Utility trailers dont require plates. What a difference!

 

[skyhook]

With regards to running on the roads, up here it is your choice, shoulder or pavement. BUT not half and half. Either all on the shoulder or all on the pavement. That came from the MTO Officer that saftied my big truck last year.
I got zapped in radar the other day coming back from the town just south of me. Wide open throttle, burning up the pavement, smoking it right along. 8 mph. I'll bet the cop got a laugh out of it.

I agree with that also.

 

[MESSMAKER]

In Ontario, Canada you don't need anything. Just stay off the 4 lane highways and the multilane controlled access roads.

That is how it is here in Kentucky. I see farm tractors moving hay or backhoes moving around most every day. I don't know why it is, but farmers get a pass on most anything around here. It probably has something to do with the fact that there used to be thousands of small tobacco farmers around here and it was so much a part of our culture.

 

[terryknight]

the county where i live is a right to farm county, whenever you put a contract in on a home you must sign the right to farm addendum, saying there might be tractors/combines on the roads and it smells like fertilizer in the spring. it is great fun watching the out of towners get upset being stuck behind the famr equipment. as long as you are agriculture nothing is needed, but there is something called special mobile equipment plates from backhoes and wheel loaders. though most don't have them. i can't remember if the town has those plates on their equipment.

 

[Chilly807]

Not that it's any help to you in California, but in Canada, the rule is if it's on the road and motorized, it has to have a plate, be registered and have insurance.

Sean

 

[NHmitch]

I live in New Hampshire, and we have a farm that we make half of our living from, and we have to complete the USDA requirements, and have to occasionally deal with people who are not farm friendly, but we are lucky for the most part that we do live in an AG friendly state where the right to farm is protected by law. Having that said, I was a police officer for years, and I try to stay within the boundaries of the laws where ever we have lived. The local, and state police are always bound to the letter of what they laws on the books say. That means that they can exercise judgement, and not enforce every law, but if they do decide to, they cannot enforce laws outside of what are on the books, and current in the state. Navigating these laws can be tricky, because most states repeal laws, or amend them each year, however almost every state publishes their motor vehicle laws online, and the only place I would really trust in regards to the laws, is a website maintained by a .gov site.

I have gotten misleading information from the registry in a few states, and there is not a police officer on the planet that knows every law in the book. Even when I thought I knew laws, they would change and be amended. Laws are always tough, and ignorance to the laws, or taking someone's word never holds up in court.

So, where I am going with all of this, is not to go against anyone on here, because there are very good people on here with great advice, but to protect yourself, not only from a citation, but the liability of an accident, research your local laws, and after you check you state laws, make sure that there are not additional local town or city ordinances that are stricter.

The general rule of thumb, is a county, province, city, or town cannot lessen state laws, by making things legal that are not at the state level, but the generally can strengthen those laws and make additional rules that make the existing laws stricter. An example would be if a State says that it is illegal to own a gun without a permit, and a city who says regardless of whether you have a permit you cannot own a gun in city limits, (that was just a reference, and not a point for a new discussion ),

So, even though I do not like sounding like a lawyer or police officer, we make sure on our farm that we have followed the written laws so there are no issues if we ever encounter an issue. The are some very scary drivers on the road, and it is scary enough for us having a small farm next to the road with our animals, and that whole liability issue, and our children, and occasionally driving my tractor, or working on fence line, mowing.

This is a very comprehensive article, and study done by the USDA relating to the use of agricultural equipment on public roads nationwide. The study really focuses on safety, talks about accident statistics. http://www.csrees.usda.gov/about/white_papers/pdfs/ag_equipment.pdf

This article is for our neighbors to the north in Canada: How the Farm Implements Act Protects You - Your Rights and Responsibilities Relating to Farm Machinery

While I legally have to have a plate to operate on the road,

This is an example of the law where I live in New Hampshire:

NH RSA 261:83 Farm Tractor Plates

I. A tractor shall qualify for farm tractor registration rates and shall be driven with such registration only when the tractor is used exclusively for agricultural purposes or to draw another vehicle in such a way that part of the load is carried on such towing vehicle.

II. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a farm tractor that is fitted with attachments such as cultivators, loaders, or other equipment, specific to the activities of the farm, shall qualify for farm tractor registration rates and number plates, provided that it is being used exclusively for agriculture and farming purposes, and not being used for hire.

The laws even outline the inspection exemption for farm tractors, meaning someone probably enforced it at some point.

Saf-C 3224.04 Tread Depth of Farm Vehicles. Farm vehicles registered under RSA 261, self-propelled combines, self-propelled corn and hay-harvesting machines or tractors used exclusively for agriculture purposes shall be exempt from the tread depth requirements of these rules.

This is what my tractor plate looks like here:

 

[the whispering oaks farm]

that plate is almost bigger than the tractor! I guess they want you to be seen.

I live in New Hampshire, and we have a farm that we make half of our living from, and we have to complete the USDA requirements, and have to occasionally deal with people who are not farm friendly, but we are lucky for the most part that we do live in an AG friendly state where the right to farm is protected by law. Having that said, I was a police officer for years, and I try to stay within the boundaries of the laws where ever we have lived. The local, and state police are always bound to the letter of what they laws on the books say. That means that they can exercise judgement, and not enforce every law, but if they do decide to, they cannot enforce laws outside of what are on the books, and current in the state. Navigating these laws can be tricky, because most states repeal laws, or amend them each year, however almost every state publishes their motor vehicle laws online, and the only place I would really trust in regards to the laws, is a website maintained by a .gov site.

I have gotten misleading information from the registry in a few states, and there is not a police officer on the planet that knows every law in the book. Even when I thought I knew laws, they would change and be amended. Laws are always tough, and ignorance to the laws, or taking someone's word never holds up in court.

So, where I am going with all of this, is not to go against anyone on here, because there are very good people on here with great advice, but to protect yourself, not only from a citation, but the liability of an accident, research your local laws, and after you check you state laws, make sure that there are not additional local town or city ordinances that are stricter.

The general rule of thumb, is a county, province, city, or town cannot lessen state laws, by making things legal that are not at the state level, but the generally can strengthen those laws and make additional rules that make the existing laws stricter. An example would be if a State says that it is illegal to own a gun without a permit, and a city who says regardless of whether you have a permit you cannot own a gun in city limits, (that was just a reference, and not a point for a new discussion ),

So, even though I do not like sounding like a lawyer or police officer, we make sure on our farm that we have followed the written laws so there are no issues if we ever encounter an issue. The are some very scary drivers on the road, and it is scary enough for us having a small farm next to the road with our animals, and that whole liability issue, and our children, and occasionally driving my tractor, or working on fence line, mowing.

This is a very comprehensive article, and study done by the USDA relating to the use of agricultural equipment on public roads nationwide. The study really focuses on safety, talks about accident statistics. http://www.csrees.usda.gov/about/white_papers/pdfs/ag_equipment.pdf

This article is for our neighbors to the north in Canada: How the Farm Implements Act Protects You - Your Rights and Responsibilities Relating to Farm Machinery

While I legally have to have a plate to operate on the road,

This is an example of the law where I live in New Hampshire:

NH RSA 261:83 Farm Tractor Plates

I. A tractor shall qualify for farm tractor registration rates and shall be driven with such registration only when the tractor is used exclusively for agricultural purposes or to draw another vehicle in such a way that part of the load is carried on such towing vehicle.

II. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a farm tractor that is fitted with attachments such as cultivators, loaders, or other equipment, specific to the activities of the farm, shall qualify for farm tractor registration rates and number plates, provided that it is being used exclusively for agriculture and farming purposes, and not being used for hire.

The laws even outline the inspection exemption for farm tractors, meaning someone probably enforced it at some point.

Saf-C 3224.04 Tread Depth of Farm Vehicles. Farm vehicles registered under RSA 261, self-propelled combines, self-propelled corn and hay-harvesting machines or tractors used exclusively for agriculture purposes shall be exempt from the tread depth requirements of these rules.

This is what my tractor plate looks like here: