Vehicle Registration Exemptions - Pennsylvania

The following types of vehicles are exempt from registration:

• Any vehicle used in conformance with the provisions relating to dealers, persons registered under any of the miscellaneous motor vehicle business classes or nonresidents.
• Any implement of husbandry, other than a commercial implement of husbandry, used exclusively for agricultural operations. Vehicles are exempt from registration when operated within 50 miles of the farm or farms owned or operated by the vehicle owner.
• Any implement of husbandry, trailer or semitrailer used exclusively for agricultural operations when being towed or hauled by an implement of husbandry or farm vehicle within 50 miles of the farm or farms owned or operated by the owner of the towed or hauled vehicle.
• Any vehicle moved by special permit as provided for in sections 4965 (relating to single permits for multiple highway crossings), 4966 (relating to permit for movement of quarry equipment), and 4970(a) (relating to permit for movement of construction equipment). Any vehicle registered and displaying plates issued in a foreign country by the armed forces of the United States for a period of 45 days from the date of the return of the owner to the United States.
• Any vehicle owned by a resident of Pennsylvania that is required to be registered in another state based and used principally outside of Pennsylvania. Any vehicle moved solely by human or animal power.
• Any mobile home or modular housing unit.
• Any farm vehicle used exclusively upon a farm or farms owned or operated by the owner of the vehicle, subject to the following:
  • Type A. — Such a farm vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating not exceeding 10,000 pounds may be driven upon highways only from sunrise to sunset and between:
    • Parts of one such farm.
    • Such farms located not more than 50 miles apart.
    • Such farm or farms and a place of business located within a radius of 50 miles from such farm or farms for the purpose of buying or selling agricultural commodities or supplies.
    • Such farm or farms and a place of business located within a radius of 50 miles from such farm or farms for the purpose of repairing or servicing of the farm vehicle or the trailer or semitrailer being towed or hauled by the farm vehicle.
  • Type B. — Such a farm vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 10,000 pounds and not exceeding 17,000 pounds may be driven upon highways only from sunrise to sunset and between:
    • Parts of one such farm.
    • Such farms located not more than 25 miles apart.
    • Such farm or farms and a place of business located within a radius of 25 miles from such farm or farms for the purpose of buying or selling agricultural commodities or supplies.
    • Such farm or farms and a place of business located within a radius of 50 miles from such farm or farms for the purpose of repairing or servicing of the farm vehicle or the trailer or semitrailer being towed or hauled by the farm vehicle.
  • Type C. — Such a farm vehicle which does qualify as a motor carrier vehicle, and which does not display a currently valid certificate of inspection may be driven upon highways only from sunrise to sunset and between:
    • Parts of one such farm.
    • Such farms located not more than ten miles apart.
    • Such farm or farms and a place of business located within a radius of ten miles from such farm or farms for the purpose of buying or selling agricultural commodities or supplies.
    • Such farm or farms and a place of business located within a radius of 25 miles from such farm or farms for the purpose of repairing or servicing of the farm vehicle or the trailer or semitrailer being towed or hauled by the farm vehicle.
  • Type D—such a farm vehicle which does qualify as a motor carrier vehicle and displays a currently valid certificate of inspection may be driven without any restriction as to time but may only be driven on highways between:
    • Parts of one such farm.
    • Such farms located not more than 50 miles apart.
    • Such farm or farms and a place of business located within a radius of 50 miles from such farm or farms for the purpose of buying or selling agricultural commodities or supplies or for repairing or servicing of the farm vehicle or the trailer or semitrailer being towed or hauled by the farm vehicle.
  • A biennial certificate of exemption shall be required for an exempt farm vehicle.
  • The farm vehicle owner shall maintain such minimum levels of liability insurance coverage on the vehicle as required under Chapter 17 (relating to financial responsibility) by owners of registered motor vehicles. The owner shall satisfy the requirements of this subparagraph if the minimum amounts of liability insurance coverage for the farm vehicle have been provided under farm liability insurance coverage maintained generally by the owner. Coverage prescribed in Subchapter B or Chapter 17 shall not be maintained or provided for the farm vehicle. Coverage prescribed in Subchapter B of Chapter 17 shall not be maintained or provided for the farm vehicle.
• Any trailer or semitrailer, including but not limited to non-self-propelled special mobile equipment and amusement rides constructed as an integral part of the trailer chassis to create a single unit, to be used primarily for off highway use and only operated incidentally upon the highway.
• Any military vehicle used for training by a private, nonprofit, tax exempt military educational institution when such vehicle does not travel on public roads more than one mile and the property on both sides of the public road is owned by the institution.
• Any oversized or overweight vehicle which may be moved or operated only under a permit and without a load pursuant to section 4961(a) (relating to authority to issue permits) and 4962(f) (relating to when loads permitted).
• Any vehicle used for golf course maintenance, resort maintenance or college, university or seminary campus maintenance when such vehicle does not travel on public roads more than one mile and the property on both sides of the public road is owned by said golf course, resort or college, university or seminary.
• Any motor vehicle being towed.
• Any trailer registered in another state towed by a motor vehicle registered in Pennsylvania provided:
  • The owner has as many trailers registered in Pennsylvania as combinations so registered; or
  • The towing vehicle is being operated under a permanent lease to a person meeting the requirements of the above subparagraph.
• Any multipurpose agricultural vehicle.
• These vehicles must be used exclusively upon a farm, or farms owned or operated by the owner of the vehicles or upon highways between:
  • Parts of one such farm.
  • Such farms located not more than five miles apart.
• Any farm and garden vehicle under 20 horsepower driven incidentally upon a highway, as determined by the department.
• A tow dolly.
• Special mobile equipment engaged in construction activities within one mile of an active construction site where the vehicle is being used. Vehicles used under this exemption are required to meet lighting and other requirements of special mobile equipment. This exemption does not apply to tracked vehicles.
• Any portable traffic control signal or device upon a trailer not exceeding 3,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
• Any all-terrain vehicle exempt from registration under Chapter 77 (relating to snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles) and operated as an emergency vehicle by a police or fire department or emergency medical services agency when the vehicle does not travel on public highways more than two miles and is primarily for off-highway use and only operated incidentally upon the highway. An all-terrain vehicle so operated must comply with section 4571 (visual and audible signals on emergency vehicles).