Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 321.453 (2026)

Size, weight, load, and permit exceptions

✓ current as of July 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section IA-LEGlegis.iowa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

1. Except as provided in sections 321.463, 321.471, and 321.474, the provisions of this chapter governing size, weight, and load and the permit requirements of chapter 321E do not apply to any of the following:

a. Fire apparatus.

b. Road maintenance equipment owned by, under lease to, or used in the performance of a contract with any state or local authority.

c. Implements of husbandry when moved or moving upon a highway that is not a portion of the interstate.

d. Equipment used primarily for construction of permanent conservation practices on agricultural land when moved or moving upon a highway that is not a portion of the interstate, so long as the equipment is without payload and the movement does not violate posted weight limitations on bridges.

e. Hydroexcavation equipment used primarily for digging and excavation when moved or moving upon a highway that is not a portion of the interstate.

2. A vehicle that is carrying an implement of husbandry or equipment used primarily for construction of permanent conservation practices and is exempted from the permit requirements under this section shall be equipped with an amber flashing light visible from the rear. If the amber flashing light is obstructed by the loaded implement or equipment, the loaded implement or equipment shall also be equipped with and display an amber flashing light. The vehicle shall also be equipped with warning flags on that portion of the vehicle which protrudes into oncoming traffic, and shall only operate from thirty minutes prior to sunrise to thirty minutes following sunset.

3. A motor vehicle that is operated by a farmer and that is carrying an implement of husbandry between fields, locations for repair, or locations for storage of the implement of husbandry shall be exempt from any requirement to obtain a permit under section 321.463, 321.471, or 321.474. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to exempt such a vehicle from any requirement or restriction other than a requirement to obtain a permit, including but not limited to requirements or restrictions relating to size, weight, load, lighting, flags, equipment, or manner of operation. For the purposes of this subsection, “farmer” means as defined in section 142D.2. [C39, §5035.02; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321.453; 82 Acts, ch 1154, §3, ch 1254, §3] 86 Acts, ch 1210, §6; 87 Acts, ch 186, §4; 94 Acts, ch 1087, §3; 94 Acts, ch 1198, §45; 98 Acts, ch 1003, §1; 98 Acts, ch 1223, §26; 99 Acts, ch 13, §18; 99 Acts, ch 108, §6; 2014 Acts, ch 1087, §1, 2; 2015 Acts, ch 30, §104; 2017 Acts, ch 81, §1; 2023 Acts, ch 6, §1 Referred to in §321.423, 321E.2 Section not amended; headnote revised \n

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases, 1955–1995 · leading case: Worthington v. McDonald, 68 N.W.2d 89 (Iowa 1955).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

Worthington v. McDonald, 68 N.W.2d 89 (Iowa 1955). · cites it 8× “” Section 321.453 states certain exceptions to 321.”

State v. Ricke, 160 N.W.2d 499 (Iowa 1968). · cites it 11× “The trial court held that under section 321.453 the provisions of section 321.”

State v. Wehde, 258 N.W.2d 347 (Iowa 1977). · cites it 4× “233, The Code; or commerce with bordering states would be enhanced, § 321.457(7), The Code.”

State v. Glenn, 234 N.W.2d 396 (Iowa 1975). · cites it 5× “See Code §§ 321.453, 321E.1. It allowed defendant maximum weights of 36,000 and 54,000 pounds on the “tandem” and “triple” axles, respectively.”

Prichard v. State, 529 N.W.2d 621 (Iowa Ct. App. 1995). · cites it 4× “2d at 92 , the court said, "the language of section 321.453 is not so limited nor is such a construction of the statute reasonably called for.”

State v. McDonald, 197 N.W.2d 573 (Iowa 1972). · cites it 5× “The sole issue presented is whether this tractor-scraper qualified as “road machinery” exempt from compliance with otherwise applicable statutory weight limitations.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.