Home Permanent farm use placards available now; enforcement to begin July 1
Virginia

Permanent farm use placards available now; enforcement to begin July 1

Crystal Graham
farmer and son eating watermelon in corn field
(© cherryandbees – stock.adobe.com)

A formal process has been established for Virginia farmers to acquire permanent farm use placards from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The official DMV-issued placards will be required in place of unofficial signs usually purchased at local stores.

The change is a result of legislation passed by the 2023 General Assembly attempting to crack down on the non-farming public using illegal tags.

Permanent farm use placards are available at all DMV customer service centers for panel trucks, pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles.

Placards must be in place by July 1, 2024 when enforcement will begin.

“It is our hope that these placards will help ensure the proper use of farm use tags and, most importantly, make Virginia’s roads safer,” said DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey. “There is time before enforcement begins, so we encourage farmers to send their applications through the mail at your earliest opportunity.”

Placards cost $15 and are good for the lifetime of the vehicle but are not transferable. An additional $15 may be required if the owner does not already hold a title for the vehicle.

The permanent farm use placard application will require the following information:

  • Name of vehicle owner and one of the following: FEIN/SSN/DMV customer number
  • Vehicle year, make, model and vehicle identification number (VIN)
  • Approximate farm location and acreage where the vehicle is used
  • Type of agricultural commodities produced
  • Signatures confirming the vehicle will only be used for purposes allowed under farm use exemption and that the vehicle is insured

Applications for the permanent farm use placard are available at dmv.virginia.gov.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.