Remove License Plates on Fertilizer Wagons & Floaters
It's our pleasure today to share good news with our members. It's news that will save you money and time.
As of January 1, 2020, please remove the FT or FS license plates on any fertilizer trailers or self-propelled spreaders/sprayers. IFCA initiated legislation (HB 2669) to remove the registration requirement that has been in effect for decades. Normally, all the renewals would have been sent out last December requiring a $13 fee for each trailer; the fee for loaded sprayers and spreaders was $250. IFCA highly recommends that everyone removes these license plates-since the current tags expired in 2019, if you leave them on you are only drawing attention to yourself by displaying an expired plate.
IFCA successfully managed the legislation through the process, securing unanimous support in both the House and Senate, and Governor Pritzker signed the bill. It is Public Act 101-0481.
We extend a big thanks to the bill sponsors Representative Mike Unes (R-Pekin) and Senator Neil Anderson (R-Moline) for their leadership.
IFCA also worked with the Illinois State Police, Secretary of State and IDOT on this legislation, and we appreciate the great relationship IFCA has with these state agencies. It has taken several years to lay the groundwork to achieve passage of this legislation to relieve our members of this regulatory burden.
Here is what this means for our industry:
- Fertilizer trailers and self-propelled floaters and sprayers remain implements of husbandry in Illinois, and as such they continue to be exempt from sales tax.
- Now you can remove the plates and burn dyed fuel in self-propelled spreaders and sprayers but you must still adhere to the parameters in #3 below.
- Self-propelled floaters and sprayers must continue to operate on public highways within the parameters below, in order to be considered implements of husbandry:
a. They cannot exceed 36,000 lbs whether empty or loaded;
b. They cannot exceed 12 feet in width;
c. They cannot exceed 30 mph;
d. They must be within a 50 mile radius of their point of loading;
e. You should not use these self-propelled vehicles to pull trailers—they are not commercial motor vehicles.
b. They cannot exceed 12 feet in width;
c. They cannot exceed 30 mph;
d. They must be within a 50 mile radius of their point of loading;
e. You should not use these self-propelled vehicles to pull trailers—they are not commercial motor vehicles.
The best advice we can give is don’t operate over 36,000 lbs, and don’t speed and draw attention to yourself.
If you have any questions about this new law, please call KJ Johnson in our office.
What do you do with the old plates? Enter the IFCA contest for the most creative display of your removed plates and submit a photo to John Rebholz (john@ifca.com). We will award gift cards in the amount of $250, $100 and $50 to 3 retailers who our staff feels created the most innovative display, sign, design etc. utilizing the old plates. Submit your photos to John by January 17, we will announce the winners at the IFCA convention.