At the request of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Motor Vehicles have extended temporary waivers of registration and license requirements along with normal weight and width restrictions for carriers transporting emergency supplies of hay or animal feed.

The exemptions, which became effective on Aug. 6, 2010, were in effect until 6 p.m. October 6, 2010, or whenever the drought crisis abates. Because of on-going drought conditions, the exemptions have been extended from Oct. 6 through 6 p.m. Dec. 6, 2010. The exemption applies to the entire state.

The relief is needed due to drought conditions and high temperatures that have blanketed a good part of Virginia. The exemptions extend to transporters carrying feed, hay or other relief supplies anywhere in the Commonwealth.

Several state agencies — Agriculture and Consumer Services, Motor Vehicles, State Police and Transportation — worked with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to notify affected haulers of the exemptions. This multi-agency cooperation helps ensure essential emergency relief supplies reach the disaster areas in a timely manner and precludes inadvertent ticketing or detention.  

Please visit http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/news/drought.shtml for specific exemptions details and other information on the drought Web site. The original exemptions and the extension are posted in the “Important Links” section.