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Drivers of Farm Equipment Do Not Need Commercial Drivers Licenses
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Written by Cathleen W. Rubio   
Thursday, 22 December 2011
The U.S. Department of Transportation will not require commercial licenses for drivers of farm equipment.

State Rep. Stephen Hartgen and other members of the Idaho Legislature who represent agricultural interests in Twin Falls and Owyhee counties had been monitoring the proposal to change the federal rules on licenses.

Hartgen had opposed the change, calling it unwarranted, and had been concerned that any attempt to require a commercial license would prohibit younger farm employees and others not frequently needing such licenses from being able to drive the equipment.

“It was pretty clear that if they were going to push that forward, they were going to get considerable pushback from all across the country. It was not something the feds really needed to get into,” he said Aug. 15. “It struck me as a big overreach. I’m glad they pulled it back. To me, this was not a good plan.”

The Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 established minimum national standards for commercial driver’s licenses, and allows states to waive commercial driver’s license requirements for agricultural producers who drive farm equipment on public roads for short distances.

Anyone who operates a motor vehicle on the public roads in Idaho is required to have a driver’s license; the Idaho legislators were concerned about the potential requirement for the more restrictive commercial license.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was seeking to clarify whether a piece of farm equipment, when operated on public roads, should be considered a commercial motor vehicle. Clarification was needed, the administration contended, to make sure safety regulations are uniformly administered.

Farm groups fought the action, saying they were concerned some states might not allow exemptions to the commercial license requirements for farm employees.

In an Aug. 10 press release, the Department of Transportation said it does not intend to propose new regulations, and that states should use “common sense” to enforce existing safety rules.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 22 December 2011 )