Vehicle Registration Exemptions - New York

No motor vehicle may be operated or driven upon the public highways of New York without first being registered.

A “motor vehicle” means every vehicle operated or driven upon a public highway which is propelled by any power other than muscular power, except:

• Electrically driven mobility assistance devices operated or driven by a person with a disability;
• Electric personal assistive mobility devices operated outside a city with a population of one million or more;
• Vehicles which run only upon rails or tracks;
• Snowmobiles;
• All-terrain vehicles;
• Bicycles with electric assist;
• Electric scooters;
• Fire and police vehicles (but not ambulances);
• Farm type tractors and all terrain type vehicles used exclusively for agricultural purposes, or for snow plowing, other than for hire;
• Farm equipment, including self-propelled machines used exclusively in growing, harvesting or handling farm produce; and
• Self-propelled caterpillar or crawler-type equipment while being operated on the contract site.