• A “covered farm vehicle” with a GVWR, GCWR, GVW, or GCW of 26,001 pounds or less may use the hours-of-service (HOS) exemption anywhere in the United States.
• A covered farm vehicle with a GVWR, GCWR, GVW, or GCW of more than 26,001 pounds may use the HOS exemption anywhere in the state of registration or across state lines within 150 air miles of the farm or ranch from which the vehicle is operated.

There is a broad exemption from many parts of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for the operation of covered farm vehicles. A covered farm vehicle and its driver are exempt from:

• Commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) (Part 383)
• Drug and alcohol testing (Part 382)
• Medical cards and medical exams (Part 391, Subpart E)
• Hours of service (Part 395)
• Vehicle inspection and maintenance (Part 396)

The exemption is found in 390.39, with the definition found in 390.5:

Covered farm vehicle means a straight truck or articulated vehicle that is:

• Registered in a state with a license plate or other designation issued by the state of registration that allows law enforcement officials to identify it as a farm vehicle;
• Operated by the owner or operator of a farm or ranch, or an employee or family member of an owner or operator of a farm or ranch;
• Used to transport agricultural commodities, livestock, machinery or supplies to or from a farm or ranch; and
• Not used in for-hire motor carrier operations; however, for-hire motor carrier operations do not include the operation of a vehicle meeting the requirements above by a tenant pursuant to a crop share farm lease agreement to transport the landlord’s portion of the crops under that agreement.

Refer to the following geographic restrictions based on the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), gross combination weight rating (GCWR), gross vehicle weight (GVW), or gross combination weight (GCW) of the vehicle: