Illinois AG Plates: Eligibility, Costs, and the Five-Truck Cap

Illinois ag plates — the farm truck registration under Section 3-815 of the Illinois Vehicle Code — let qualifying farmers register trucks, truck tractors, and trailers at annual fees ranging from $250 to $1,590 based on gross weight, well below the standard commercial rates. Eligibility is limited to vehicles used exclusively in the owner’s own farming operation, with one narrow exception for hauling seasonal fresh produce from the farm to first processing.¹

Who Qualifies

There are two ways in. The common one: your truck is used exclusively for your own agricultural, horticultural, or livestock-raising operations and never for hire. “For hire” means hauling someone else’s goods for compensation. The second, narrower path covers trucks used only to transport seasonal, fresh, perishable fruits or vegetables from the farm to the first point of processing. That is the one situation in which for-hire use qualifies.¹

The “exclusively” requirement is strict. A farm-plated truck cannot double as a general freight hauler, a construction vehicle, or a delivery truck for a side business. The moment it does non-agricultural commercial work, it is out of compliance. The Illinois Secretary of State confirms that farm plates cover trucks, truck tractors, and trailers used in farming operations.²

What Ag Plates Cost

Fees are set by gross vehicle weight (truck plus maximum load) and include the $10 registration fee. Annual farm plate rates:¹

16,000 lbs. or less (Class VF): $250
16,001–20,000 lbs. (Class VG): $326
20,001–24,000 lbs. (Class VH): $390
24,001–28,000 lbs. (Class VJ): $478
28,001–32,000 lbs. (Class VK): $606
32,001–36,000 lbs. (Class VL): $710
36,001–45,000 lbs. (Class VP): $910
45,001–54,999 lbs. (Class VR): $1,126
55,000–64,000 lbs. (Class VT): $1,302
64,001–73,280 lbs. (Class VV): $1,390
73,281–77,000 lbs. (Class VX): $1,450
77,001–80,000 lbs. (Class VZ): $1,590

How Much You Save Against Standard Commercial Plates

The heavier the truck, the bigger the gap. Standard commercial flat weight taxes under paragraph (a) of the same statute run substantially higher at every bracket:¹

At 28,001–32,000 lbs., farm plates cost $606 versus $942 commercial — a $336 annual saving.
At 55,000–64,000 lbs., farm plates cost $1,302 versus $1,930–$2,070 commercial, saving $628 to $768.
At 77,001–80,000 lbs., farm plates cost $1,590 versus $2,890 commercial, saving $1,300 per truck per year.

For an operation running several heavy trucks, the annual savings can be significant. The Secretary of State also prorates quarterly fees for standard commercial vehicles, so partial-year math can look different, but on a full-year basis the farm rate is cheaper at every weight.³

The Five-Truck Cap

One owner can register a maximum of five trucks under the farm plate provisions. Of those five, only two can exceed 59,500 pounds gross weight.¹ If your operation runs more than five trucks, the extras must go on standard commercial plates. Because the dollar savings grow with weight, most farmers put their heaviest eligible trucks on farm plates first.

How to Register

Applications go through the Illinois Secretary of State’s Commercial and Farm Truck section. You file the application, provide vehicle details, and pay the fee from the schedule above. The statute describes the process as “filing of a proper application and the payment of the $10 registration fee and the highway use tax.”¹ No surety bond is required.²

You will need your vehicle title or other proof of ownership. The statute itself does not specify requirements for proof of farmland ownership, lease agreements, or a sworn affidavit, but the Secretary of State’s office may request supporting documentation to verify agricultural use. Call the office before filing if you are unsure what to bring.

The Seasonal Produce Exception

Most applicants qualify by farming their own land and hauling their own products. The statute’s second pathway covers trucks used solely to transport seasonal, fresh, perishable fruits or vegetables from the farm to the first point of processing, even when the hauling is done for hire.¹

The exception is narrow. It covers only seasonal, fresh, perishable produce, not grain, livestock, or processed foods. And it covers only the leg from farm to first processing. A truck moving strawberries from a farm to a packing shed qualifies; the same truck taking those strawberries from the packing shed to a grocery warehouse does not.²

What Happens If You Misuse the Plates

Using a farm-plated truck for non-agricultural commercial work is a statutory violation, treated the same as failing to pay the correct flat weight tax. You registered at the discounted rate but operated the truck in a way that required the full commercial rate.

If the Secretary of State revokes the farm registration, you must pay the standard flat weight tax before the truck can go back on the road. That can mean $2,890 for an 80,000-pound truck instead of $1,590. Anyone convicted of violating flat weight tax requirements faces penalties under Section 3-401 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.¹ Under Illinois administrative rules, a vehicle caught without proper registration can be detained, and the operator may face arrest, a summons, and additional fines.⁴ Losing a truck to a registration dispute during planting or harvest can hurt.

Related Benefits Worth Knowing

A truck displaying farm plates may also qualify as a federal “covered farm vehicle,” which exempts it from CDL, drug testing, hours-of-service, and other Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requirements when operated by the farm or ranch owner, a family member, or an employee, carrying agricultural commodities, livestock, machinery, or supplies to or from the farm, not for hire, and not carrying placarded hazardous materials. Vehicles at or below 26,001 pounds can operate anywhere in the United States under the exemption; heavier vehicles (up to 80,000 pounds) can operate within Illinois or within 150 air miles of the farm when crossing state lines.⁵

Illinois separately offers overweight axle permits for farmers hauling grain, livestock, fruits, vegetables, or ensilage, allowing individual axles to exceed standard limits by a set percentage depending on truck configuration. Those permits do not raise the maximum gross weight, do not let you exceed your registered weight, and do not apply on Interstate highways.

On the tax side, farm trucks over 6,000 pounds gross weight can qualify for the federal Section 179 deduction, letting you write off the full purchase price in the year the vehicle is placed in service instead of depreciating it. A tax professional can confirm how your specific vehicle and business-use percentage apply.

1
Illinois General Assembly. 625 ILCS 5/3-815 – Flat Weight Tax; Vehicles of the Second Division
2
Illinois Secretary of State. Commercial and Farm Trucks
3
Illinois Secretary of State. Commercial and Farm Trucks Fees
4
Legal Information Institute. Illinois Administrative Code 92-1010.330 – Operation of Vehicle Without Proper Illinois Registration
5
FMCSA. What Is a Covered Farm Vehicle (CFV)?