Farm Truck Plate ?

[ZoomByU]

I stopped a guy last night who had farm truck plates on his truck. I ask him do you live or work on a farm. He says no and that he bought the truck with those plates and never changed it over. Our vehicular crimes division tells me as long as it is registered to that vehicle the owner can claim whatever they want (he must have not heard what i told him). What is the violation? Can you write it as a citation or is it something else?

[JTShooter]

I don't think that's a violation at all...

I'm more concerned over all the "paper tags" the state has out there and how easy it is to make your own...

[1313]

Here's what the Farm plates allow:
A farm truck is a vehicle operated for the purpose of transporting the owner's poultry, dairy, livestock, livestock products, timber in its natural state, and farm products to market or to other points for sale or processing, or for the transportation of laborers from their place of residence, and materials, tools, equipment and supplies, without charge, from the place of purchase or storage to the owner's farm or ranch, exclusively for the owner's use on such farm or ranch. The vehicle may not be used in connection with other gainful employment other than farming or ranching.


The rules according to TxDOT's website.
Transportation Code, §502.163, provides that the owner of any commercial motor vehicle displaying farm truck or farm truck tractor license plates used or permitted to be used for any purpose other than those listed in the last statement of use on page 1 of this form is guilty of a misdemeanor upon conviction, and the owner will be fined not less than $25 or more than $200, and each use or permission for use of such vehicle constitutes a separate offense.

As long as the truck isn't doing anything it's not supposed to it's good to go.

[bell4fan]

Not a violation. They can do anything in those vehicles except for use as gainful employment.

[bell4fan]

However, the violation is misuse of farm tags.

[powerstroked]

My cousin who retired from DPS about 10 years back always told me "Leave the farmers alone" besides you got better things to be doing squirrel like looking for nuts not farmers

[bell4fan]

Thats a popular motto in HP.

[CTx6]

right...but

So, normally you would leave the farmer alone unless he was breaking the law. But if you stop him and he isn't a farmer...free game right? And the improper tags works against him too now. Right?

[Nightshift va]

I stopped a guy last night who had farm truck plates on his truck. I ask him do you live or work on a farm. He says no and that he bought the truck with those plates and never changed it over. Our vehicular crimes division tells me as long as it is registered to that vehicle the owner can claim whatever they want (he must have not heard what i told him). What is the violation? Can you write it as a citation or is it something else?

different from state to state. heck they even get those hand made paper plates and since farm use vehicles are exceptions under our code we can't write them. however you can write them and tow them if you can articulate they are a danger to other drivers on the road, example would be bumper close to falling off which would create road h***ard or items are flying out of the vehicle creating road h***ard etc..you do have an obligation to protect others on the road as well exception or not. Heck don't even write them for equipment violations, stop them and tow them if they are a hazard only tough

[JTShooter]

y'all have to realize that the farmers are some of the biggest lobbyists in the state... hence the double standard in a lot of the transportation code...

[bell4fan]

So, normally you would leave the farmer alone unless he was breaking the law. But if you stop him and he isn't a farmer...free game right? And the improper tags works against him too now. Right?

You DO NOT have to be a farmer to get farm tags. Essientally as long as someone driving a farm tagged vehicle is not taking that vehicle to a place of employment, he's legal. Doesnt matter if he's a Dr., farmer, cop, lawyer, whatever.

[Carl]

I can see some need to read the transportation code again on Farm tags. Either employed by a farmer/rancher or is a farmer/rancher.

He bought the truck from someone else is the way I read the original post. The person that sold it should have retained the license plates that came off it, and had it re-registered.

Maybe some missed this part:

He says no and that he bought the truck with those plates and never changed it over.

Seems to me he is displaying fictitious plates, but that is just me.

One other thing being left out, was he 150 miles away from his so called farm.

[Carl]

My cousin who retired from DPS about 10 years back always told me "Leave the farmers alone" besides you got better things to be doing squirrel like looking for nuts not farmers

I try to leave the farmers alone until they try and justify just because they are farmers they can do whatever and whenever they want. Worked a crash on a FM road where a farmer was pulling one of those hay-rakes with all the crazy arms hanging off it, and cracked this guy windshiled's with it, and his claim was "I had the right of way" even though they were going opposite directions on a straightaway.

[JTShooter]

ah, fair nuff... don't get much farm traffic through my neck of the woods

[bell4fan]

I can see some need to read the transportation code again on Farm tags. Either employed by a farmer/rancher or is a farmer/rancher. I also am of the understanding the 150 mile rule isnt for farm tags, but is a DL exemption given to farmer/ranchers.

He bought the truck from someone else is the way I read the original post. The person that sold it should have retained the license plates that came off it, and had it re-registered.

Maybe some missed this part:



Seems to me he is displaying fictitious plates, but that is just me.

One other thing being left out, was he 150 miles away from his so called farm.

Yeah you should read it again because I cant find in 502.163 where it says you must be a farmer/or employed by one. It only talks about what the vehicle will be used for, not what the owner does for a living.

The person who sold the vehicle is not required to take the plates off, so the plates arent fictious. The charge should probably be operate unregistered motor vehicle.