| Minnesota Criminal Justice Statute Service | Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

169.81.3(d)

Statute ID: 20175

Statute Function ID: 40186

Traffic Regulation - Length of Coupled Vehicle Combinations - Violate USDOT/FHA/BMCS standards

In Effect

New Search Refine Search Back to Results

Charge

Classifications

Offense Level:

Petty Misdemeanor (PM)

General Offense Code:

DWI/Traffic/Vehicle Regulation (4)

Offense Summary Code & Rank:

Traffic/Accidents(exclude DWI) (J) (Rank 28)

Detailed Offense Code:

Traffic/Transportation (499)

Offense Severity Level:

Function Text:

UCR Code

Description

999

NIBRS Non-Reportable

Flags

Crime of Violence:

Targeted Misdemeanor:

Predatory Offender Registration Review:

Enhanceable:

Certify to DPS:

Report to DNR:

DPS Group:

Conditional Release:

Payable:

Yes

Petty Misdemeanor Only if Prosecutor Certifies:

Yes

Third Violation Indicator:

Qualified Domestic Violence Related:

Nonviolent Controlled Substance Offender Review:

Wildlife Restitution:

Statute Number:

169.81.3(d)

Enactment Date:

May 15, 2025

Effective Date:

Jul 1, 2025

Expiration Date:

Repealed?:

Summary Text:

Traffic Regulation - Length of Coupled Vehicle Combinations - Violate USDOT/FHA/BMCS standards

Statute ID:

20175

Created:

Jun 5, 2025 by mnjis.legal.analyst@state.mn.us

Updated:

Jun 5, 2025 by mnjis.legal.analyst@state.mn.us

Last Update Action:

Added

Legal Analyst Comment:

Amended 2025 C20 Sect169 effective 07/01/2025; amendment to (d)

Summary Text:

Traffic Regulation - Length of Coupled Vehicle Combinations - Violate USDOT/FHA/BMCS standards

Link to MN Statute Text:

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/169/81.html

Legislative Session:

2025 - Regular

Session Law Text?:

Statute text last updated on:

Jun 5, 2025

(a) Statewide, except on the highways identified under provisions in paragraph (c), no combination of vehicles may exceed a total length of 75 feet.

(b) However, the total length limitation does not apply to combinations of vehicles transporting:

(1) telephone poles, electric light and power poles, piling, or pole-length pulpwood; or

(2) pipe or other objects by a public utility when required for emergency or repair of public service facilities or when operated under special permits as provided in section 169.86.

These combinations of vehicles must be equipped with sufficient clearance markers, or lamps for night transportation, on both sides and upon the extreme ends of a projecting load to clearly mark the dimensions of the load.

(c) The following combination of vehicles regularly engaged in the transportation of commodities, property, or equipment may operate only on divided highways having four or more lanes of travel, and on other highways as may be designated by the commissioner of transportation subject to section 169.87, subdivision 1, and subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction over the highway, for the purpose of providing reasonable access between the divided highways of four or more lanes of travel and terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repair, and rest, and points of loading and unloading for household goods carriers, livestock carriers, or for the purpose of providing continuity of route:

(1) a truck-tractor and semitrailer exceeding 75 feet in length;

(2) a combination of vehicles including a truck-tractor and semitrailer drawing one additional semitrailer which may be equipped with an auxiliary dolly;

(3) a combination of vehicles including a truck-tractor and semitrailer drawing one full trailer;

(4) a truck-tractor and semitrailer designed and used exclusively for the transportation of motor vehicles or boats and exceeding an overall length of 75 feet including the load; and

(5) a truck or truck-tractor transporting similar vehicles by having the front axle of the transported vehicle mounted onto the center or rear part of the preceding vehicle, defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, sections 390.5 and 393.5 as drive-away saddlemount combinations or drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter combinations, when the overall length exceeds 75 feet but does not exceed 97 feet.

(d) Vehicles operated under the provisions of this section must conform to the standards for those vehicles prescribed by the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as amended.