COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES (CMVS) Commercial Motor Vehicle (as defined by CFR 49 390.5) is any selfpropelled or towed motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport passengers or property when the vehicle ‘s gross weight exceeds 10,001 pounds, the vehicle is designed to transport more than 8 passengers (for compensation) or 15 passengers (uncompensated) or is moving material found by the Secretary of Transportation to be hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and transported in a quantity requiring placarding under regulations prescribed by the Secretary under 49 CFR, subtitle B, chapter I, subchapter C. Generally an operator of a Commercial Motor Vehicle is required to have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) unless the following exemptions apply.
Agriculture Exemption
Under Map 21 Section 32934 Agriculture Exemptions from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) for Covered Farm Vehicles allows certain exemptions from CDL requirements. A farmer is covered by the agriculture exemption above when driving a covered farm vehicle. A “covered farm vehicle” includes any commercial motor vehicle (CMV) (defined in 49 CFR 390.5, but excluding vehicles transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards), traveling in the state in which the vehicle is registered or another state. The vehicle must be: • operated by a farm or ranch owner or operator, or an employee or family member of the owner or operator • being used to transport to or from a farm or ranch: o agricultural commodities; o livestock; or o machinery or supplies; • equipped with a special license plate (i.e. Farm Tag) or other designation by the state in which the vehicle is registered to allow for identification of the vehicle as a farm vehicle by law enforcement.
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