Definitions - - CA Vehicle

Section § 36000

This law section defines an "implement of husbandry" as a vehicle used solely for agricultural activities. However, if a vehicle is mainly designed for transporting people or goods on public roads, it is not considered an implement of husbandry unless specifically noted elsewhere in the code.

An “implement of husbandry” is a vehicle which is used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural operations.

An implement of husbandry does not include a vehicle if its existing design is primarily for the transportation of persons or property on a highway, unless specifically designated as such by some other provision of this code.

implement of husbandry agricultural vehicles vehicle classification agricultural operations transportation on highway vehicle design agricultural machinery non-highway vehicles exclusive agricultural use vehicle designation farm equipment highway transportation exclusion agricultural vehicle use vehicle use limitations agricultural exceptions

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 973, Sec. 4.)

Section § 36005

This law outlines what is considered an 'implement of husbandry,' specifically vehicles and equipment used in agriculture. It includes lift carriers, trailers, spray rigs, nurse rigs, and trucks, provided they are used exclusively for farming tasks or transporting agricultural products. These vehicles can only be operated on highways under specific conditions, such as limited distance and speed, as well as specific design requirements like operating brakes or being towed by certain vehicles. Implements of husbandry must serve agricultural purposes like transporting crops, equipment, or livestock and may include portable homes for shepherds and equipment specific to farming operations like cotton or honey extraction.

An implement of husbandry includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(a) A lift carrier or other vehicle designed and used exclusively for the lifting and carrying of implements of husbandry or tools used exclusively for the production or harvesting of agricultural products, when operated or moved upon a highway.

(b) A trailer of the tip-bed type when used exclusively in the transportation of other implements of husbandry or tools used exclusively for the production or harvesting of agricultural products.

(d) A spray or fertilizer applicator rig used exclusively for spraying or fertilizing in the conduct of agricultural operations. This subdivision does not apply to anhydrous ammonia fertilizer applicator rigs which have a transportation capacity in excess of 500 gallons.

(e)

(1) A trailer or semitrailer that has a maximum transportation capacity in excess of 500 gallons, but not more than 1,000 gallons, used exclusively for the transportation and application of anhydrous ammonia, if the vehicle is either equipped with operating brakes or is towed upon a highway by a motortruck that is assigned a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of³/₄ ton or more.

(2) These vehicles are subject to Section 24603 if the stoplamps of the towing vehicle are not clearly visible.

(3) For purposes of this subdivision, a combination of vehicles is limited to two vehicles in tandem.

(f) A nurse rig or equipment auxiliary to the use of and designed or modified for the fueling, repairing, or loading of an applicator rig or an airplane used for the dusting, spraying, fertilizing, or seeding of crops.

(g) A row duster.

(h) A wagon or van used exclusively for carrying products of farming from one part of a farm to another part thereof, or from one farm to another farm, and used solely for agricultural purposes, including any van used in harvesting alfalfa or cotton, which is only incidentally operated or moved on a highway as a trailer.

(i) A wagon or portable house on wheels used solely by shepherds as a permanent residence in connection with sheep raising operations and moved from one part of a ranch to another part thereof or from one ranch to another ranch, which is only incidentally operated or moved on a highway as a trailer.

(j) Notwithstanding subdivision (f) of Section 36101, a trap wagon, as defined in Section 36016, moved from one part of a ranch to another part of the same ranch or from one ranch to another, which is only operated or moved on a highway incidental to agricultural operations. The fuel tank or tanks of the trap wagon shall not exceed 1,000 gallons total capacity.

(k) Any vehicle that is operated upon a highway only for the purpose of transporting agricultural products and is in no event operated along a highway for a total distance greater than one mile from the point of origin of the trip.

(l) A portable honey-extracting trailer or semitrailer.

(m) A fertilizer nurse tank or trailer that is not self-propelled and which is moved unladen on the highway and auxiliary to the use of a spray or fertilizer applicator rig.

(n) Any cotton trailer when used on the highways for the exclusive purpose of transporting cotton from a farm to a cotton gin, and returning the empty trailer to such farm, except that Section 5014 shall apply to such trailers.

(o) A truck tractor or truck tractor and semitrailer combination specified in this subdivision which is owned by a farmer and operated on the highways, (1) only incidental to a farming operation, (2) not for compensation, and (3) for a distance of not more than two miles (on the highway) each way. This subdivision applies only to truck tractors with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds that are equipped with all-wheel drive and off-highway traction tires on all wheels, and only to semitrailers used in combination with such a truck tractor and exclusively in production or harvesting of tomatoes. The vehicles specified in this subdivision shall not be operated in excess of 25 miles per hour on the highways.

(p) An all-terrain or utility-terrain vehicle used exclusively in agricultural operations.

implement of husbandry agricultural equipment lift carrier trailer for farming spray rig anhydrous ammonia transport nurse rig row duster cotton trailer honey-extracting trailer portable agricultural equipment trap wagon farm transportation highway agricultural use all-terrain vehicle in farming

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 168, Sec. 3. (AB 2111) Effective January 1, 2013.)

Section § 36010

A "farm trailer" is defined in two ways. First, it can be a trailer or semitrailer that a farmer owns and uses solely for moving agricultural products on highways, specifically to the first place where they are handled and back again. Second, it can be a trailer or semitrailer, with certain features like being low in height and having a limited weight rating, used before 1997. This type must be used just for transporting fruits and vegetables under specific conditions, including the ability to be driven on highways without a load for purposes related to rental or leasing.

A “farm trailer” is either of the following:

(a) A trailer or semitrailer owned and operated by a farmer in the conduct of agricultural operations, and used exclusively to transport agricultural products upon the highway to the point of first handling and return.

(b) A trailer or semitrailer equipped with rollers on the bed, with a frame not taller than 10 inches high, and with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, that is owned, rented, or leased by a farmer and operated by that farmer in the conduct of agricultural operations, used exclusively to transport fruit and vegetables upon the highway to the point of first handling and return, and that was manufactured and in use prior to January 1, 1997. These vehicles may also be operated on the highways without a load for the purposes of delivering a rented or leased vehicle to the renting or leasing farmer’s farm, or returning empty to the owner’s premises.

farm trailer semisuperler agricultural operations agricultural products transport highway transport gross vehicle weight rating rollers fruit and vegetable transport first handling point owned rented or leased by farmers delivering empty trailers transport regulations manufactured before 1997 low frame trailers farming equipment transportation

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 861, Sec. 56. Effective September 29, 2000. Operative December 31, 2001, pursuant to Sec. 67 of Ch. 861.)

Section § 36011

An 'automatic bale wagon' is a type of motor vehicle that can travel on highways and is equipped to pick up, load, and unload individual bales of hay or straw directly from fields.

An “automatic bale wagon” is a motor vehicle capable of transporting property on a highway and equipped with apparatus specifically designed to pick up single bales of hay or straw from a field and to load and unload baled hay or straw.

automatic bale wagon motor vehicle transporting property highway travel pick up bales field loading unload hay baled straw hay transportation agricultural vehicle specialized equipment highway use bale handling

(Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 627.)

Section § 36012

A cotton module mover is a specific type of truck or semi-trailer designed only for transporting cotton modules from the field to a cotton gin. It has a self-loading bed specifically for this purpose.

A “cotton module mover” is a motortruck, semitrailer, or a truck tractor, in combination with a semitrailer, that is equipped with a self-loading bed and is designed and used exclusively to transport field manufactured cotton modules to a cotton gin.

cotton module mover motortruck semitrailer truck tractor self-loading bed field manufactured cotton modules cotton gin transportation exclusive use agricultural vehicle cotton module transportation cotton industry self-loading equipment truck design semi-trailer combination

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 641, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1998.)

Section § 36015

The law defines an 'implement of husbandry' as farm equipment like tractors used on highways to move farm trailers with produce or other farm equipment between farms or to processing centers and back. It specifies that this can occur with or without a trailer attached.

“Implement of husbandry” includes any farm tractor, otherwise an implement of husbandry used upon a highway to draw a farm trailer carrying farm produce, or to draw any trailer or semitrailer carrying other implements of husbandry, between farms, or from a farm to a processing or handling point and returning with or without the trailer.

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(Added by Stats. 1963, Ch. 2149.)

Section § 36016

A "trap wagon" is a type of trailer or semitrailer specifically for use in agriculture. It's used to fuel, service, or repair farming equipment and can carry tools, spare parts, lubricants, or fuel tanks.

A “trap wagon” is a trailer or semitrailer used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural operations to fuel, service, or repair implements of husbandry. A trap wagon may be equipped with tools, spare parts, lubricating supplies, or fuel tanks.

trap wagon trailer semitrailer agricultural operations farming equipment repair equipment servicing farming tools spare parts lubricating supplies fuel tanks implements of husbandry agricultural implements farming maintenance

(Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 973, Sec. 7.)

Section § 36017

This California law says that when transporting empty bins, pallets, and tiedown straps within agricultural operations, these items are not counted as cargo or a load. However, vehicles carrying them must still follow the regulations set out in this division. Additionally, the total outside width of these transported items cannot be more than 102 inches.

For the exclusive purpose of this division, empty bins, pallets, and tiedown straps shall not be considered a load when transported within the parameters of agricultural operations. Any farm trailer or other vehicle transporting these items shall continue to be regulated pursuant to this division. The total outside width of any of the transported items shall not exceed 102 inches.

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(Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 973, Sec. 8.)