# Farm Tags



## endrow

I mentioned this in another topic And I was just curious what do you have to do to be able to qualify to get farm tags on a truck you use in farming and what are the restrictions on those tags. Just curious


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## SCtrailrider

In SC no restrictions and no questions, red fuel is legal on the highway up to a certain radius for farm work...


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## hay slayer

when i sent for a farm plate i had to send farm tax returns for previous year(maybe 2 prior years)the form actually had a few different options with each option having different restrictions


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## Tx Jim

In Texas one needs an Tax Exempt permit # to get farm tags. IIRC farm tagged vehicle is limited to 150 mile radius of home base, can't legally haul firewood or automobile. Farm tag is legal to drive for groceries,church,hauling farm products & acquiring supplies.

Last time I checked it saved a whooping $20 on pickup tag cost so I utilize regular tags on my PU.


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## hay slayer

after a long afternoon of unloading hay I took my 2 younger sons and their friends to a nearby lake to do some fishing, we just jumped in the crew cab(farm truck plates) of course a local cop pulled us over for not having current inspection sticker. when he saw it had farm plates and didn't need inspected he asked what we were doing, I told him I was taking these hard working boys to the lake for a well earned evening of fishing, well that got me a fine because it wasn't farm related. next time I'll say we're goin to (insert something farm related)


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## BWfarms

In NC the title holder is engaged in farming activity on ten acres or more and manages/controls the farm. Truck is used for the primary purpose of the farm and not for hire or help.

Some of the 'benefits' of farm tags is you are exempt from emission inspections and seatbelts. Reduced rate is dependent on value of the truck but no less than $30. For the most part Farm Trucks are left alone.


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## TJ Hendren

Here in Okie Land a farm tax exempt permit is required. They used to be pretty lenient and people were tagging SUV's and cars to go pick up a bag of chicken scratch. I was at the coop one day and a woman in a Lexus pulled up to get a bag of oyster shell and had a farm tag on it, I kid you not. The state stopped that very quickly, now it's only pickups' and larger trucks. The tag is 37.50(at least it was last year, I'll find out in in June when I retag). Not too restrictive on travel. Where I am located the Missouri state line is four miles east of me, Arkansas 10 S.E., and Kansas 35 North. I had trouble from other states not contiguous to Okla. as my day job requires me to travel sometimes, so I took it off my pickup and regular tagged it and just use the farm tag on the hay truck.


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## gradyjohn

Tx Jim said:


> In Texas one needs an Tax Exempt permit # to get farm tags. IIRC farm tagged vehicle is limited to 150 mile radius of home base, can't legally haul firewood or automobile. Farm tag is legal to drive for groceries,church,hauling farm products & acquiring supplies.
> 
> Last time I checked it saved a whooping $20 on pickup tag cost so I utilize regular tags on my PU.


Same here for me except my trailers. They have farm tags. Not sure about crossing state line. I have a friend that say I can as long as it is in the 150 mile radius? I think not?


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## SCtrailrider

This is SC's rules, very easy to follow...

*Farm truck defined*

SECTION 1. Subarticle 1, Article 3, Chapter 5, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 56-5-225. 'Farm truck' is defined as a truck used exclusively by the owner for agricultural, horticultural, dairying, livestock, and poultry operations and includes transporting farm processed horticultural products, including soil amendments and mulches owned by the truck's owner or another person, including first market. However, farm trucks with an empty weight of less than twenty-six thousand and one pounds may be used for ordinary domestic purposes and general transportation, but must not be used to transport persons or property for hire. No part of this definition may be interpreted to exempt any commercial motor vehicle less than 26,001 pounds GVW/GVWR/GCW/GCWR from all or part of state laws or regulations applicable to intrastate commerce if the vehicle:

(1) transports hazardous materials requiring a placard; or

(2) is designed or used to transport sixteen or more people, including the driver."

SECTION 3. Section 56-3-670(A) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 398 of 2006, is further amended to read:

"(A) For the purpose of this section, 'farm truck' is defined as a truck used exclusively by the owner for agricultural, horticultural, dairying, livestock, and poultry operations and includes transporting farm processed horticultural products, including soil amendments and mulches owned by the truck's owner or another person, including first market. However, farm trucks with an empty weight of less than seven thousand five hundred pounds may be used for ordinary domestic purposes and general transportation but must not be used to transport persons or property for hire. No part of this definition may be interpreted to exempt any commercial motor vehicle less than 26,001 pounds GVW/GVWR/GCW/GCWR from all or part of state laws or regulations applicable to intrastate commerce if the vehicle:

(1) transports hazardous materials requiring a placard; or

(2) is designed or used to transport sixteen or more people, including the driver."


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## SCtrailrider

hay slayer said:


> after a long afternoon of unloading hay I took my 2 younger sons and their friends to a nearby lake to do some fishing, we just jumped in the crew cab(farm truck plates) of course a local cop pulled us over for not having current inspection sticker. when he saw it had farm plates and didn't need inspected he asked what we were doing, I told him I was taking these hard working boys to the lake for a well earned evening of fishing, well that got me a fine because it wasn't farm related. next time I'll say we're goin to (insert something farm related)


Y'all need to get rid of those democrats and elect someone with more common sense and respect for farmers...


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## JOR Farm

I run them on my 1 tons it saves a few bucks but you do have to be careful about what you're pulling camper and boats will get you a ticket. The best place I have for them is on the semi-truck it's good within Alabama and 150 miles of home up to 55000# no cdl required or log or inspection. And only cost about $250 per year.


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## haybaler101

I don't know about Indiana's farm tags on pickups, but I don't think they are much different than regular tags. I have always just ran regular tags. On semis, farm tags are half price of commercial tags, no cdl needed, cannot haul for hire and have to be in 150 mile radius of home. I run 78,000+ farm plates on both my trucks.


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## haybaler101

In Indiana, we can farm tag semis to cover the empty weight of the truck so technically a 30,000 lb. plate will do the job. Just can't get on the interstate. I run some interstate hauling beans so I run full weight tags, but then only allowed 80k on interstate and usually weighing 85-88k!


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## paoutdoorsman

hay slayer said:


> after a long afternoon of unloading hay I took my 2 younger sons and their friends to a nearby lake to do some fishing, we just jumped in the crew cab(farm truck plates) of course a local cop pulled us over for not having current inspection sticker. when he saw it had farm plates and didn't need inspected he asked what we were doing, I told him I was taking these hard working boys to the lake for a well earned evening of fishing, well that got me a fine because it wasn't farm related. next time I'll say we're goin to (insert something farm related)


@hay slayer, what was the violation/cost on that fishing citation?


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## hay slayer

paoutdoorsman said:


> @hay slayer, what was the violation/cost on that fishing citation?


our fishing trip tally was just south of $100(iirc invalid registration)the whole story a bit more complicated. you know when cops walk up they ask if there are any weapons in vehicle , well on the back seat under three young teenagers I had a single shot 22 and a box of bird shot (for rats and such)next thing I was spread eagle on the hood with 4 wide eyed boys very interested in what was happening. For giving me such a hard time I returned the favor :angry: (hence the fine I suppose)when he asked me if he needed to call for back-up(you all know how dangerous a sweaty, hay seed covered farmer can be :lol: ) I cut my losses and shut-up. (the hour or so that I lost along the road was the biggest cost) couldn't wait to get back to the fields. this officer  couldn't of been more than 20 years old. his partner younger looking still. I did drop the boys off at the lake(mission accomplished)


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## danwi

If you would have just told the officer my employees and myself are going to get some dinner it would have been farm related.


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## luke strawwalker

In Texas, you can get farm plates but they're not all that much cheaper than regular plates... *MAYBE* save you about 20 bucks at most?? I farm plated my pickup when I bought it (since the value was higher) but my plates have run about $70 or so a year since I bought it in 2002. The main restriction you have to watch for is "not to be driven for gainful employment" (off farm job). It's perfectly legal to drive a farm plate vehicle to school or church, just not to an off-farm job. Well, one day I was doing a brake job or tune-up on Betty's car or van and she took my pickup, dropped Keira at her school and drove to her school, and then to an after-school meeting or training or something at a different campus in suburban Houston. Of course she got stopped by a Missouri City cop with a sh!tty attitude. He asked her where she was going and fortunately she said, to pick up my daughter at her school" which was honest if incomplete answer-- she didn't mention driving to her school to work or to the training at the other school she was coming from. I told her of course if it ever happened again you were "on a parts run for the farm" or something. If they ask to see the parts, you comment "they didn't have them" and leave it at that. LEGALLY *ALL* you're required to answer a cop is identify yourself.

We DO have farm plates on the trailers... in Texas it's basically $5 per year for farm trailer plates, which IS a money saver, and now Texas has put in inspection requirements for trailers that are NOT farm tagged which isn't applied to farm trailers.

There is no "within 150 miles of the farm" and "no crossing state lines" requirements that I've heard of, and I studied the law back when I was in the police academy and a few times since when I was stopped for not having a farm plate tag on a trailer... Even the stupid cops don't know the law, as the LAW says that farm trailers UNDER 4,000 LBS GVWR are ****NOT**** required to have a tag. Stupid dumb bunny cops I've run into TWICE (two different ones) have said, ERRONIOUSLY that ALL trailers MUST have a license plate. The first one I ran off a copy of THE LAW from the DPS website, took it to the judge in town, and she threw out the ticket and told her clerk to "stick that in his box" for him to read what the law ACTUALLY says... course this idiot little 20 year old "Dudley Doo-Right" was telling me EVERYTHING, including tractors and implements, had to have tags, so he really was a retard... Second time I did the same never got to see the JP, her "clerk" started pulling a bunch of crap out of her butt saying I had to "take the trailer to the local tax office in my county, and have them write me a letter on their letterhead after inspecting it saying it was not over 4,000 lbs GVWR, then bring that to them.... " I was like, "NOWHERE does it say that in THE LAW". There's no "procedure" required to VALIDATE that the trailer is less than 4000 gvwr, so where is all this coming from??" She was like "my husband farms and he's been stopped, basically they tell the cops that *everything* has to have a tag, so you might as well get one if you don't want all this to keep happening over and over again". P!SSES me off because "the law ISN'T what it SAYS, it's whatever the moron sitting behind the desk or badge SAYS it is... " That's why we're on such a slippery slope and why this country is going to hell in a handbasket in a dodge Viper...

I've hauled a truck bed for his farm truck to Indiana from Oklahoma for my nephew and hauled a brillion-type cultipacker back from Indiana with my farm plates and never had any issues. Later! OL J R 

Later! OL J R


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## IH 1586

danwi said:


> If you would have just told the officer my employees and myself are going to get some dinner it would have been farm related.


You sure? It is all in how someone perceives it. Case in point, 1 of my former accountants would not let me write off anything food related or such. Even though I was buying food for bunk filling. Years later through the same company found out she had a different way of thinking. For over 20 years how much money do you think my parents and other farmers were not getting to write off with this accountant.

Taking your help fishing after a hard days work is farm related, except to the person who doesn't think so.


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## IH 1586

It's interesting to see other states requirements. PA has 2 types. Farm exempt and farm plates. Tomorrow I'm switching my truck from regular to farm plates. It will take my yearly registration from $220 to $114.

Farm exempt:

Type A Vehicles - Type A farm vehicles are vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less. Farm vehicles with a Type A exemption are not required to bear a valid inspection certificate. A vehicle with a Type A exemption may only be driven on the highway between sunrise and sunset, and is restricted in use to:


Parts of a farm owned or operated by the owner of the vehicle;
Farms owned or operated by the farmer located not more than 50 miles apart;
The farmer's farm and a place of business located within 50 miles of that farm for the purpose of buying or selling agricultural commodities or supplies; or
The farmer's farm and a place of business within 50 miles for the purpose of repair or servicing the farm vehicle or trailer or semitrailer being towed or hauled by the farm vehicle

Farm Plates:

However, if it meets the following requirements, it can be registered as a farm vehicle bearing special farm truck registration plates.

A farm vehicle operating under a farm vehicle registration is restricted in vehicle use. It may be operated between:


Parts of a farm owned or operated by the owner of the vehicle;
Between farms that the owner of the vehicle owns or operates;
The farm or farms owned or operated by the registrant and a place of business for the purpose of buying or selling agricultural commodities or supplies, for the examination of an applicant for a driver's license, or for the inspection, repair, or servicing of the vehicle; or
A place of business and a place of delivery following the sale of the owner's agricultural commodities after sale by an auctioneer and delivery is made in the same farm vehicle that transported the commodities to the place of business.

There are no distance limitations for registered farm vehicles.

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/dvspubsforms/BMV/BMV%20Forms/MV-70S.pdf

Can you find PA's sneaky way of getting more money out of farmers if they are not paying attention.


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## Tightwad

Two types of farm related plates in Virginia:

F-tag: Fxx-xxx, issued through the DMV and about half the cost of normal truck plates, depending on weight. Legal for out of state travel and few restrictions, as long as what you're doing is farm related. No dyed fuel, must be inspected annually.

FARM USE: $8 painted plates you can buy at the local farm store, no DMV interaction. Used to be 30 mile radius, but I believe that's been extended to 80ish?? Must be farm related, must carry liability insurance and can use dyed fuel, no inspections. I've seen Subaru's and minivans running around with these plates, but thought I heard something about new classifications as to what type of vehicles they can be placed on this past year. Ours are all on ton trucks or trailers, so I haven't been too awful concerned with it.


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## matador

Farm plates here are only a thing for over 26,000 GVW. They are cheaper though- you save a couple hundred dollars a year on the cost of a semi tractor. They're pretty relaxed on them too- the DMV just asks if it's a farm truck. You get the same license plates as everyone else, but you get a silver sticker that says "FARM" that you put on the corner of the license plate


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## IH 1586

Tightwad said:


> I've seen Subaru's and minivans running around with these plates, but thought I heard something about new classifications as to what type of vehicles they can be placed on this past year. Ours are all on ton trucks or trailers, so I haven't been too awful concerned with it.


You would think if I can put a pallet of 4 -15 gallon drums of liquid fertilizer in it it should be able to be classified as a farm truck but in PA if it's classified as a sw (Station wagon)on registration you can't tag it farm. So the Tahoe has regular plates.


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## r82230

Different here in Michigan, say my 2016 truck weighs 8,000#, Farm plate $67. regular plate almost $400. No mileage radius, can haul family anywhere, can haul for others AS LONG as compensation is NOT for money. See attached certification that you have to sign.

Larry


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## Stxpecans123

Tx Jim said:


> In Texas one needs an Tax Exempt permit # to get farm tags. IIRC farm tagged vehicle is limited to 150 mile radius of home base, can't legally haul firewood or automobile. Farm tag is legal to drive for groceries,church,hauling farm products & acquiring supplies.
> 
> Last time I checked it saved a whooping $20 on pickup tag cost so I utilize regular tags on my PU.


This couldn't be further from the truth.
First you must show your ag timber card/#.
It pretty much cute your registration in half, now this may depend on county.
Now from what I was told just recently is that you can use the vehicle for any purpose you want as long as you do not have a job outside of your farm. And if you do have a job outside of your farming you cannot drive it to said job. Then if you have a outside job outside of your farm you really ought to consider why are you using truck but nobody is probably going to mess with you.

On a big truck it really cute down on the registration fee. Like say you registured a truck for 40,000lbs it comes up for $450 a year with farm plate and insurance is like $200 a year.

I nor my wife has no job outside of my farm. So everything has farm plates.

Now on a pickup you can go anywhere you want.
Big truck they say 150 miles if you don't want to have a log book. 
I have asked about this till I was blue in the face and as far as I know you can go anywhere you want but if you are over 150 miles you might want a log book.
Also you can go into other states as long as their farm plate rules are the same.

I am not 100% on the big truck rules and nobody seems to have the awnser. I have talked to alot of ow enforment people and have not gotten a 100% awnser.


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## Tx Jim

Really couldn't be further from the truth?? Maybe they removed the part about not being legal to haul firewood since I checked yrs back. Interpret the rest of the following as you see fit. It plainly states not over 150 AIR MILES for pickup & large trucks.

https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/CVE-13.pdf


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## Stxpecans123

The 150 air miles you just posted was for cdl... Not light truck.
But I drive everywhere with my farm tags. 
I have talk to numberous law enforcement within the last few weeks. You can read all that stuff and get 2 different things out of them.

I mean you said yourself you don't even have farm plates.. 
Maybe take it from someone who has them on many many vehicles. Like me...
I have been pulled over all over with farm plates no issues. Been pulled over with farm plates on both my 3500 ram and 40 foot gooseneck with a 7110 magnum in kansas for passing the weigh station there on the south end of the turnpike. He pulled me over and made sure I didn't have cdl numbers and chit chatted a while and said have a good day sir. FYI I was overweight for sure. 
Been in a farm plated peterbilt 330 pulling my 40 foot gooseneck up by Sherman coming back from a tractor auction in oklahoma with a fairly empty trailer. Dot cop at that, he asked where I was from and what I was doing. He had no issues with me driving my truck where I was and he knew I was way more than 150 miles from home. 
Maybe someone may try to throw the book at me but I doubt a judge would let it stick. Talk to the cops they say "we are not here to give farmers a hard time" 
Maybe I got the good ole boy look when I get pulled over who knows but it has been no issues and farm plates save big bucks.


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## Tx Jim

I understand the savings utilizing farm tags on larger trucks but it not worth the hassle to me on my PU!!!

I never stated you would receive a ticket for driving over 150 air miles BECAUSE THAT DEPENDS ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER that could possibly stop any law breaking vehicle. I've driven faster than speed limit & got stopped by law enforcement officer without getting a ticket BUT that didn't make my actions legal

I still remember being stopped one evening when I was about about 19 yrs old while driving my Dads farm licenced pickup. I had not broken any other traffic laws BUT Highway Patrolman told me I was breaking the law driving the farm tagged pickup for a non farming reason & to take that pickup home. Yes I could have lied about going to see my girlfriend but I didn't.

The photo below clearly states ALL FARM tagged vehicles limited to 150 air miles from farmers farm.


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## Stxpecans123

That says commercial motor vehicle...
With farm tags technically you do not need cdl.
Although your vehicle does have to be inspected unless it's a fertilizer or grain truck.

And also as a farmer with cdl no medical card req. Or log book.

So with that last pic you posted I read a commercial vehicle. Meaning a farm truck (big truck) as one that could have not for hire on it. Aka not for commerce.

So back to the original posters question is it worth it, depends. But here in Texas and say you are moving alot of hay with a 1 ton pickup and big gooseneck trailer currently yes I think it's worth it big time. Becuase that $60k pickup being used like that is hard on it and just is being over worked. And for 10-20k you can buy a much better suited single or tandem axle truck and pull that same trailer getting he same fuel milage. That registration is way cheaper for farm plates and so is insurance. So it makes it worth it I believe. If there were no exemptions like this for farm tags I don't it would be worth the effort of using a bigger truck like that. Especially the no cdl and if you do have a cdl the no medical card affidavit and such.

I have a nice 250 acre field 40 miles away from my main farm that I am going to planting haygrazer on in 2022. I would never even consider it without being able to use a farm tagged single axle truck and trailer to move this hay. Moving 250 acres worth of haygrazer is enough work as it is but if I had to do it with a pickup no way Jose.

Plus I could add another $15k single axle truck and another 40 foot gooseneck and my employee who has no cdl could drive that truck back and forth too. Nearly makes it like driving a piece of equipment.


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## Tx Jim

I don't own or intend to own a truck larger than a 3/4 ton pickup & for me the $20 saved for farm tags isn't worth it. YMMV


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## swall01

ive got farm tags on my 3500. application was easy online and there were no questions or requirements mentioned when i went to the tag office. the dmv here has really cracked down on the weight restrictions. basically anything bigger than a 250/2500 pulling a trailer (excluding campers) meets the weight requirement for CDLs. ive been told they are going by the GVWR/GCWR not the actual weight goin down the road. i see 350/3500s pulled over every where and the driver is always shrugging is shoulders and shaking his head. ive been told the 150 mile thing is real but never tested it.


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## JOR Farm

Here in bama we are having the same issue as GA the troopers are going by gvwr. So far they are leaving farm tags alone. Also not trying to start anything but I have already been taught a lesson about "commercial motor vehicle " the definition in Alabama at least means anything with a motor used on road to make money absolutely no size requirements.


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