HF 974

2nd Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; providing that a peace
officer may operate any vehicle or combination of
vehicles; making clarifying changes; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 171.02, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 171.02,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Driver's license classifications, endorsements,
exemptions.

(a) Drivers' licenses shall be classified according
to the types of vehicles which may be driven by the holder of
each type or class of license. The commissioner may, as
appropriate, subdivide the classes listed in this subdivision
and issue licenses classified accordingly. Except as provided
in subdivision 2a, no class of license shall be valid to operate
a motorcycle, school bus, tank vehicle, double-trailer or
triple-trailer combination, vehicle transporting hazardous
materials, or bus, unless so endorsed.

There shall be four general classes of licenses as follows:

(b) Class D; valid for:

(1) operating all farm trucks new text begin when new text end operated by (i) the
owner, (ii) an immediate family member of the owner, (iii) an
employee of the owner not primarily employed to operate the farm
truck, within 150 miles of the farm, or (iv) an employee of the
owner employed during harvest to operate the farm truck for the
first, continuous transportation of agricultural products from
the production site or on-farm storage site to any other
location within 50 miles of that site;

(2) operating fire trucks and emergency fire equipment,
whether or not in excess of 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight,
new text begin when new text end operated by a firefighter while on duty deleted text begin , deleted text end or new text begin by new text end a tiller
operator employed by a fire department who drives the rear
portion of a midmount aerial ladder truck;

(3) operating recreational equipment as defined in section
168.011, subdivision 25, that is operated for personal use;

(4) operating all single-unit vehicles except vehicles with
a gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds, vehicles
designed to carry more than 15 passengers including the driver,
and vehicles that carry hazardous materials; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(5) notwithstanding paragraph (c), operating a type A
school bus without a school bus endorsement if:

(i) the bus has a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or
less;

(ii) the bus is designed to transport 15 or fewer
passengers, including the driver; and

(iii) the requirements of subdivision 2a, paragraph (b),
are satisfied, as determined by the commissioner deleted text begin .
deleted text end

deleted text begin The holder of a class D license may also tow deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end

new text begin (6) operating any vehicle or combination of vehicles when
operated by a licensed peace officer while on duty; and
new text end

new text begin (7) towing new text end vehicles if the combination of vehicles has a
gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less.

(c) Class C; valid for:

(1) operating class D vehicles;

(2) with a hazardous materials endorsement, transporting
hazardous materials in class D vehicles; and

(3) with a school bus endorsement, operating school buses
designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers, including the
driver.

(d) Class B; valid for new text begin :
new text end

new text begin (1) new text end operating all deleted text begin vehicles in deleted text end class C deleted text begin , deleted text end new text begin and new text end class D
new text begin vehicles new text end , and all other single-unit vehicles including, with a
passenger endorsement, buses deleted text begin . The holder of a class B license
may tow deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (2) towing new text end only vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of
10,000 pounds or less.

(e) Class A; valid for operating any vehicle or combination
of vehicles.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
new text end