State clarifies rules regarding farm-use tags

By Amber Marra - amarra@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- The rules pertaining to farm-use vehicles in Virginia are now a little more focused on making sure agricultural transportation really is being used down on the farm.

Earlier this year, the General Assembly changed state code pertaining to vehicles for agricultural use to exclude any vehicle weighing less than 7,500 pounds.

A vehicle with legal farm-use tags is used "exclusively for agricultural or horticultural purposes on lands owned or leased by the vehicle's owner," according to Section 46.2-665 of state code.

Exceptions can be made for vehicles being used to take produce and livestock to a location within 30 miles of the owner's farm on a seasonal basis, according to the code. Another exception is that a farm-use vehicle may be used if a storage facility or market is within 50 miles of an owner's farm.

Transporting wood or wood products also holds an exemption within the code. Farm-use vehicles may be used if a sawmill is within 20 miles of the owner's farm.

The problem occurs when those with such tags attempt to use them on an automobile for regular transportation, because farm-use vehicles are not required to obtain or pay for registration certificate or fees, license plates or decals.

"It's hard for law enforcement to tell if it's actually farm use or if [the driver] just trying to get around licensing," said Timmy French, Shenandoah County Farm Bureau president.

Shenandoah County has placed a reminder about the changes on its official website, but French says he doesn't think this was passed due to abuses in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, but rather those with seasonal migrant workers.

He does admit that, like everywhere else, Shenandoah County is not perfect.

"Sometimes you'll see a vehicle with a farm-use tag on it and my question is if it's someone's vehicle that they use to go get wood, because if that's the case that's not what farm-use [tags] are for," he said.

Shenandoah County Sheriff's Maj. Scott Proctor agrees that there are few if any problems with enforcing the law pertaining to farm-use vehicles in the county.

"Very little, if yearly, we'll occasionally get a complaint that someone has put farm-use tags on a vehicle and they don't own a farm," Proctor said.

What is comes down to for French is that the farm-use program continues on without abuse or "people scurrying around licensing fees."

"The farm-use tag is a good system for farmers who use vehicles to do daily tasks and we don't want to lose it," he said.