Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual

Driver Education illustration

Section 14 of 38

Chapter 13: Commercial Vehicles

13.040 Farm-Labor Vehicles (VC §322)

A farm-labor vehicle is a motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained for the transportation of nine or more farm workers, in addition to the driver, to or from a place of employment or employment-related activities.

A farm worker is any person engaged in rendering personal services for hire and compensation in connection with the production or harvesting of any farm products.

A farm-labor vehicle does not include vehicles:

  • Carrying only members of the immediate family of the owner or driver.
  • Being operated under specific authority granted by the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) or under specific authority granted to a transit system by an authorized city or county agency.

If a farm-labor vehicle is used to transport persons “for hire” (a fee is paid for the transportation of the farm laborers), the vehicle must be registered commercially.