Title 31
Motor and Other Vehicles

Chapter 3
Registration of Vehicles

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-31.4

§ 31-3-31.4. Registration of forestry vehicles — Use of farm plates.

(a) Forestry vehicles, equipped with rubber tires while being used in forestry and operated on highways, shall be registered on a form furnished by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles and shall be assigned a special number farm plate pursuant to the provisions of § 31-3-31 with a suitable symbol or letter indicating the usage of the forestry vehicle.

(b) As used in this section:

(1) “Forest land” shall have the same meaning as defined in § 2-27-2.

(2) “Forest product operations” means any and all trade occupations involving the harvesting, production, maintaining, and sale of forest products originating in the state including, but not limited to:

(i) Arboriculture and logging; and

(ii) Kiln drying, operations of firewood, saw milling, lumber, pallets, biochar, mulch, compost, biomass, wood chips, saw dust, timbers, posts, beams, shingles, and artisan tree carvings, seasonal greens, and berries.

(3) “Forestry vehicle” means every vehicle which is designed for and used for forest product operations purposes, and used by the owner of the vehicle or family member(s) or employee(s) or designees of the owner, in the conduct of the owner’s forestry product operations, which use shall include the delivery of forest products produced by the forester but shall not include commercial hire for non-forestry product operation uses including, but not limited to, hauling of sand and gravel, and snow plowing, other than directly on the vehicle owner’s forest land.

(c) This section is only applicable to forest product operations with annual revenue of no greater than two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000).

History of Section.
P.L. 2025, ch. 354, § 1, effective July 1, 2025; P.L. 2025, ch. 358, § 1, effective July 1, 2025.