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Covered farm vehicles: what's exempt and whether you still mark it

Short answerA covered farm vehicle is a farm-plated truck run by a farmer, family member or employee, hauling farm goods to or from the farm, not for hire and not carrying placarded hazmat. Under 49 CFR 390.39 it's exempt from CDL, drug and alcohol testing, medical card, hours of service and inspection and maintenance rules. The vehicle marking rule, 49 CFR 390.21, is not on that exemption list, so a covered farm vehicle used in interstate commerce still needs the name and USDOT number on both sides.

What a covered farm vehicle is

49 CFR 390.5 defines a covered farm vehicle (CFV). It's a truck or combination that:

Has a license plate or other state-issued marker showing it's a farm vehicle
Is operated by the owner or operator of a farm or ranch, or a family member or employee
Hauls agricultural commodities, livestock, machinery or supplies to or from a farm or ranch
Is not used in for-hire operations (a tenant farmer hauling the landlord's share under a crop-share deal is still not for hire)
Is not hauling hazmat that requires placards

Weight matters too. FMCSA's guidance: at 26,001 pounds or less, the CFV exemptions apply anywhere in the U.S. Heavier than that, the truck has to stay in its registration state, or if it leaves, stay within 150 air miles of the farm or ranch.

What CFVs are exempt from

Under 49 CFR 390.39, a covered farm vehicle and its driver are exempt from:

Part 383, commercial driver's license requirements
Part 382, drug and alcohol testing
Part 391 Subpart E, physical qualifications (the medical card)
Part 395, hours of service
Part 396, inspection, repair and maintenance

A CFV hauling placarded hazmat stays under Part 383. And FMCSA warns states can have stricter rules of their own.

What's not exempt: the marking rule

The 390.39 list stops at those five. Part 390's marking rule, 49 CFR 390.21, isn't on it, and the marking rule itself has no farm exception. So a CFV that's a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce still needs:

Your farm's legal name or a single trade name, as on your MCS-150
"USDOT" and your number
On both sides, in contrasting letters readable from 50 feet in daylight

Missouri DOT's farm carrier guide spells it out: interstate farm vehicles over 10,000 pounds must be marked with a USDOT number, while intrastate farm vehicles in Missouri are not subject to the marking. Minnesota's truck guide also exempts farm trucks not used in interstate commerce from its vehicle identification rule. Other states differ, so check yours.

Driving and equipment rules still apply

Missouri's guide also notes that Part 392 (driving rules) and Part 393 (parts and accessories) generally still apply to farm vehicles over 10,000 pounds. The CFV exemption is about the driver's license, testing, medical card, hours and maintenance paperwork, not about the truck being exempt from everything.

Lettering a farm truck

Farm trucks get dirty and live outside. Our USDOT truck lettering is premium cast vinyl rated 5+ years outdoors, one pre-spaced sheet per door, about 15 minutes a door to apply. If you only need the number on the truck during harvest, door magnets are a removable option, and 390.21 allows removable devices as long as they meet the same legibility rules. See are magnetic DOT signs legal.