Street legal?

[Mark_in_NH]

Here in New Hampshire, it is required by law to have the tractor registered. I learned this the hard way. My NH TC35D is now registered with a plate designating it as construction equipment".
I run my tractor across town a few times a year to perform road maintenance in a private lakeside development that I work for. For years I just did my thing. Turned on all my lights, headlights, 4 way flashers, strobe flashers on the front and back of the canopy, and just ran down the road, hugging the edge as much as possible and pulling over whenever necessary to let traffic go by.
On one of my trips last year I was actually pulled over by my local police, blue lights and all. The officer told me that he was sorry to have to do it but the police received a call that there was an unregistered tractor traveling on the road. He would have been happy to just let me go, he told me that he had followed me long enough to conclude that I was not creating any true road hazard. But ! because of the phone call complaint he had to follow the letter of the law. He wrote me a "conditional ticket" for operating an unregistered vehicle, the condition being that the ticket would get torn up as long as I got the tractor registered withing 48 hours. So ! I don't know about Ontario or anywhere else. But here in NH, it is "supposed" to be registered, license plate and all.

 

[Tig]

I see nothing in the Highway Traffic act to indicate that you need a drivers licence to operate a "farm tractor" on the road in Ontario.

From the highway traffic act;
PART IV
LICENCES

Driver's licence

32. (1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway unless the motor vehicle is within a class of motor vehicles in respect of which the person holds a driver's licence issued to him or her under this Act. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 32 (1).

From the definitions section;
"motor vehicle" includes an automobile, a motorcycle, a motor-assisted bicycle unless otherwise indicated in this Act, and any other vehicle propelled or driven otherwise than by muscular power, but does not include a street car or other motor vehicle running only upon rails, a power-assisted bicycle, a motorized snow vehicle, a traction engine, a farm tractor, a self-propelled implement of husbandry or a road-building machine; ("véhicule automobile")


Drivers under 16 prohibited

37. (1) No person under the age of sixteen years shall drive or operate a motor vehicle, street car, road-building machine, self-propelled implement of husbandry or farm tractor on a highway. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 37 (1).

my note: "farm tractor" is not to be confused with "self propelled vehicle of husbandry" which seems to require registration plates.
I do not see any reference or restrictions on the purpose of one driving the "farm tractor" on the road.
The Farm Act may have more information.

When dealing with the police be polte and respectful, but know your laws. Engaging an officer in a discussion of the laws that apply to a situation will either clarify it, or make them lose interest. It would be quite a task for an officer to know all the laws so it's in your best interest to understand the ones that apply to your situation. The Ontario E-Law site is great, but can be as time consuming as TBN.

 

[NSBound]

Seeing as I just bought my tractor, I inquired here in Nova Scotia what is needed. Apparently (so I've been told) any tractor must have a provincial license plate on it for any travel on, down, or even across any road or highway. And in order to get a license plate, you have to be insured. This includes driving 200' down the dirt road to plow out a neighbour's driveway in the winter, (although there'll likely not be many cops around when it's time to clear the snow drifts on a dirt road.) My car and house insurance company does not insure tractors. A local Co-op office will insure it ($1 million PL & PD plus fire & theft) for $450 a year through a facility policy, but if I switch my car and house over that drops to $150 a year.

 

[ccsial]

On one of my trips last year I was actually pulled over by my local police, blue lights and all. The officer told me that he was sorry to have to do it but the police received a call that there was an unregistered tractor traveling on the road.

Wow..You have some real busy bodies in your area. Calling about an unregistered tractor on the road, Get a life!

I live in an agricultural area on the IL-WIS border and there are tractors of all sizes on the road a lot. The police move over for them and wave. Just need to have the SMV on the back.

Some of them leave a lot of mud and manure on the road too. Sounds like some of your neighbors would have a cow if that happened near you.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Wow..You have some real busy bodies in your area. Calling about an unregistered tractor on the road, Get a life!

I suspect it was somebody who knows me and doesn't like me. I have ticked off a few people over the years. although I can't imagine how !

 

[kthompson]

A lot in insurance will vary from company to company and from state to state. As a license agent...you agent is not necessarily the best one to tell you it is covered, call the claims people seriously. Unless the agent is willing to and able to take the policy and show you the exact wording that shows it is covered. If this offends the agent...you need to change agents. I just had a lady leave my office who's current agent told her she could not drop her policy except on renewal date while there is is paragraph in the policy saying the insured could drop it at any time. This was not a homeowners policy but a great example why you need to ask the agent to show it to you in the policy. Also, don't miss the fact if covered in your homeowners policy they probably only have to include a simple policy change form to you that removes that coverage at renewal and if not careful you will not realize what it meant, so each year be sure it is still covered. A lot of work but not near as bad as no coverage when you thought there was.

 

[Timber]

I live in Massachusetts & we have tractors on the roads all the time especially during hay cutting season. I even see them pulling double wagons. I don't go any further than about 1 mile from the house but I do it several times a year

 

[Builder]

man what a great subject you have brought up.

I drive my backhoe and CUT to local jobsites. I pass cops all the time and most just wave to me!! I know it is not legal to drive construction equipment down the road without a special plate, but most don't bother to enforce it.

I've been doint this for 25 years on my local streets without one incident, but the insurance part is the real thing to worry about.

If you get into a serious accident, I think you may be in trouble.

My best advice is a SMV triangle, lights and flashers turned "on" and don't drive during morning & afternoon rush hour. Move your tractor down the road when traffic is light. Cops don't like to see a line of cars behind a slow moving unlicensed tractor.

 

[NSBound]

... don't drive during morning & afternoon rush hour. Move your tractor down the road when traffic is light. Cops don't like to see a line of cars behind a slow moving unlicensed tractor.

LOL - - where I live, morning rush hour might be 3 cars an hour down my dirt road instead of the 1 or 2 we get through the rest of the day!!

 

[Builder]

LOL - - where I live, morning rush hour might be 3 cars an hour down my dirt road instead of the 1 or 2 we get through the rest of the day!!

LOL

I think you're OK without plates.