§ 20-51. Exempt from registration. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 20‑51.  Exempt fromregistration.

The following shall be exemptfrom the requirement of registration and certificate of title:

(1)        Any such vehicledriven or moved upon a highway in conformance with the provisions of thisArticle relating to manufacturers, dealers, or nonresidents.

(2)        Any such vehiclewhich is driven or moved upon a highway only for the purpose of crossing suchhighway from one property to another.

(3)        Any implement ofhusbandry, farm tractor, road construction or maintenance machinery or othervehicle which is not self‑propelled that was designed for use in work offthe highway and which is operated on the highway for the purpose of going toand from such nonhighway projects.

(4)        Any vehicle ownedand operated by the government of the United States.

(5)        Farm tractorsequipped with rubber tires and trailers or semitrailers when attached theretoand when used by a farmer, his tenant, agent, or employee in transporting hisown farm implements, farm supplies, or farm products from place to place on thesame farm, from one farm to another, from farm to market, or from market tofarm. This exemption shall extend also to any tractor, implement of husbandry,and trailer or semitrailer while on any trip within a radius of 10 miles fromthe point of loading, provided that the vehicle does not exceed a speed of 35miles per hour. This section shall not be construed as granting any exemptionto farm tractors, implements of husbandry, and trailers or semitrailers whichare operated on a for‑hire basis, whether money or some other thing ofvalue is paid or given for the use of such tractors, implements of husbandry,and trailers or semitrailers.

(6)        Any trailer orsemitrailer attached to and drawn by a properly licensed motor vehicle whenused by a farmer, his tenant, agent, or employee in transporting unginnedcotton, peanuts, soybeans, corn, hay, tobacco, silage, cucumbers, potatoes, allvegetables, fruits, greenhouse and nursery plants and flowers, Christmas trees,fertilizers or chemicals purchased or owned by the farmer or tenant forpersonal use in implementing husbandry, irrigation pipes, loaders, or equipmentowned by the farmer or tenant from place to place on the same farm, from onefarm to another, from farm to gin, from farm to dryer, or from farm to market,and when not operated on a for‑hire basis. The term"transporting" as used herein shall include the actual hauling ofsaid products and all unloaded travel in connection therewith.

(7)        Those small farmtrailers known generally as tobacco‑handling trailers, tobacco trucks ortobacco trailers when used by a farmer, his tenant, agent or employee, whentransporting or otherwise handling tobacco in connection with the pulling,tying or curing thereof.

(8)        Any vehicle which isdriven or moved upon a highway only for the purpose of crossing or travelingupon such highway from one side to the other provided the owner or lessee ofthe vehicle owns the fee or a leasehold in all the land along both sides of thehighway at the place or crossing.

(9)        Mopeds as defined inG.S. 20‑4.01(27)d1.

(10)      Devices which aredesigned for towing private passenger motor vehicles or vehicles not exceeding5,000 pounds gross weight. These devices are known generally as "towdollies." A tow dolly is a two‑wheeled device without motive powerdesigned for towing disabled motor vehicles and is drawn by a motor vehicle inthe same manner as a trailer.

(11)      Devices generallycalled converter gear or dollies consisting of a tongue attached to either asingle or tandem axle upon which is mounted a fifth wheel and which is used toconvert a semitrailer to a full trailer for the purpose of being drawn behind atruck tractor and semitrailer.

(12)      Motorized wheelchairsor similar vehicles not exceeding 1,000 pounds gross weight when used forpedestrian purposes by a handicapped person with a mobility impairment asdefined in G.S. 20‑37.5.

(13)      Any vehicleregistered in another state and operated temporarily within this State by apublic utility, a governmental or cooperative provider of utility services, ora contractor for one of these entities for the purpose of restoring utilityservices in an emergency outage.

(14)      Electric personalassistive mobility devices as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(7a).

(15)      Any vehicle thatmeets all of the following:

a.         Is designed for usein work off the highway.

b.         Is used foragricultural quarantine programs under the supervision of the Department ofAgriculture and Consumer Services.

c.         Is driven or movedon the highway for the purpose of going to and from nonhighway projects.

d.         Is identified in amanner approved by the Division of Motor Vehicles.

e.         Is operated by aperson who possesses an identification card issued by the Department ofAgriculture and Consumer Services.

(16)      A vehicle that meetsall of the following conditions is exempt from the requirement of registrationand certificate of title. The provisions of G.S. 105‑449.117 continue toapply to the vehicle and to the person in whose name the vehicle would beregistered.

a.         Is an agriculturalspreader vehicle. An "agricultural spreader vehicle" is a vehiclethat is designed for off‑highway use on a farm to spread fertilizer,seed, lime, or other agricultural products on a field.

b.         Is driven on thehighway only for the purpose of going from the location of its supply sourcefor fertilizer or other products to and from a farm.

c.         Does not exceed aspeed of 35 miles per hour.

d.         Does not driveoutside a radius of 50 miles from the location of its supply source forfertilizer and other products.

e.         Is driven by aperson who has a license appropriate for the class of the vehicle.

f.          Is insured under amotor vehicle liability policy in the amount required under G.S. 20‑309.

g.         Displays a validfederal safety inspection decal if the vehicle has a gross vehicle weightrating of at least 10,001 pounds. (1937, c. 407, s. 16; 1943, c. 500; 1949, c. 429;1951, c. 705, s. 2; 1953, c. 826, ss. 2, 3; c. 1316, s. 1; 1961, cc. 334, 817;1963, c. 145; 1965, c. 1146; 1971, c. 107; 1973, cc. 478, 757, 964; 1979, c.574, s. 6; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1286; 1983, cc. 288, 732; 1987, c. 608;1989, c. 157, s. 2; 1991, c. 411, s. 4; 1995, c. 50, s. 4; 1999‑281, s.2; 2002‑98, s. 4; 2002‑150, s. 1; 2006‑135, s. 2; 2007‑194,s. 1; 2007‑527, s. 41.)