R909-2-34. Special Mobile Equipment

(1) Special mobile equipment or SME refers to vehicles:

(a) not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property;

(b) not designed to operate in traffic; and

(c) only incidentally operated or moved over the highways.

(2) Special mobile equipment exempt from registration includes:

(a) farm tractors; and

(b) off road motorized construction or maintenance equipment including backhoes, bulldozers, compactors, graders, loaders, road rollers, tractors, trenchers, and ditch digging apparatus.

(3) Heavy equipment designed for off-highway uses such as scrapers, loaders, off highway cranes, and rock trucks, but not tracked vehicles may be issued single trip permits to operate under their own power, on approved routes other than interstate highways, as follows:

(a) the distance traveled shall not generally exceed 20 miles;

(b) only daylight operations are authorized, and all oversize restrictions apply;

(c) weights must comply with the bridge formula for non-divisible loads;

(d) single axles equipped with single tires shall not be authorized to exceed 40,000 pounds;

(e) a minimum of one pilot escort vehicle is required; and

(f) special mobile equipment shall be routed by the division.

(4) Special mobile equipment or SME affidavit. All persons who operate or cause to operate an SME exempt from registration shall submit a completed special mobile equipment affidavit to the division.

(a) To be deemed complete, an affidavit must be on the form provided by the division and all required fields filled in. Affidavits will be available at all ports of entry. Affidavits shall be turned into a port of entry.

(b) Special mobile equipment exempt from registration shall carry a copy of the approved affidavit in the vehicle at all times;

(c) Vehicles that are not special mobile equipment shall register with the Utah State Tax Commission prior to operating the vehicle on a public highway.

(d) Upon receipt of a denial of special mobile equipment, if the owner or operator wishes to appeal the decision of the division, a petition may be filed with the department, within 30 days.

(i) A response to an appeal from the department will be made in writing within 30 days.