A new Ohio law for lighting on farm equipment signed into law last fall took effect recently.

Monday, October 15, 2001

A new Ohio law for lighting on farm equipment signed into law last fall took effect recently.

The new law requires equipment operating on roads to display proper lighting and marking from sunset until sunrise, the Lawrence Soil and Water Conservation District reported in its newsletter.

Operating 30 minutes prior to sunrise without lights is no longer permissible, the law states.

The Ohio Revised Code requires tractors and other self-propelled equipment to display the following lighting from sunset to sunrise:

– One white headlight on the front of the vehicle, visible from at least 1,000 feet.

– Two red lamps as wide apart as possible on the rear of the vehicle, visible from at least 1,000 feet, or one red light and two red reflectors.

– Two amber flashing on extreme right and left projections of the tractor, especially in cases of dual-wheeled vehicles.

If rear-towed equipment obstructs light, then that piece of equipment must have lighting.

Effective today, all tractors are also eligible for a nonrefundable credit against the tax imposed on retrofitting the tractor to comply with the new requirements – equal to 50 percent of the expenditure or up to $1,000.

Farm machinery manufactured in 2002 and later will be equipped with the new lighting patterns, and owners must maintain the lighting.

Older farm machinery, with the exception of tractors, is not required to be retrofitted.

Also, the Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem is required by the ORC when moving agricultural or livestock equipment and farm machinery on public roadways.

For more information about the new laws, or other requirements for farm machinery on roadways, check with the Soil and Water office in Linnville, 867-4737.