Vehicle registration; limits certain exemptions to pickup and panel trucks, etc. (HB1277)
Introduced By
Del.
Ed Scott (R-Culpeper)
Ed Scott
(R-Culpeper)
Served: 2004–
Progress
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Introduced |
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Passed Committee |
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Passed House |
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Passed Senate |
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Signed by Governor |
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Became Law |
Description
Vehicle exempt from registration. Limits certain exemptions from registration to pickup and panel trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 7500 pounds.
Status
03/03/2010: Passed the House
View Bill's History
Comments
By way of explanation, the purpose of this is to narrow significantly the scope of the vehicles that are permitted to be owned without registration when used as farm vehicles. Right now, any vehicle that is meant to be used on a farm, and only rarely operated on public highways, does not need to be registered, since that's a vehicle that needs (virtually) no state transportation services. That incudes trailers. This bill would allow only trucks, SUVs, and really big vehicles to qualify. No more trailers.
My question is this: Why? If a farmer wants to use a motorcycle to get around his property and doesn't use it on the roads, why should he have to register it? If he wants to use a Subaru Outback to ferry fertilizer and lambs around, and it never touches a paved road, why is that any of the DMV's business?
Waldo,
Thanks for the question. The intent of the bill is to eliminate some of the abuse of this exemption by not allowing cars to be claimed as farm use vehicles. The bill was properly amended in subcommittee to resinsert trailers as allowed to be exempt.
The original idea behind this exemption was to give farmers an exemption from registration for vehicles that are used exclusively for farming purposes and may only be used seasonally. Unfortunately, the exemption is abused and this bill addresses some of that abuse and makes it clearer for law enforcement as to what vehicles may be claimed for exemption.
I see—so the reality of the situation is that very few legitimate farm vehicles are anything other that pickup trucks, so by eliminating the use of other vehicles, the practical effect is to reduce abuse, with a minimum of impact on legitimate farm vehicles. That certainly makes sense to me.
Thank you for taking the time to read responses to your bills and, better still, answer questions!
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