---
title: O.C.G.A. § 40-8-33. Farm tractors, three-wheeled motorcycles used for agricultural purposes, and trailers and semitrailers that qualify as implements of husbandry.
collection: code
id: 40-8-33
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 40-8-33 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-8-33
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-8-33.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-8-33/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t40-ch6-16-(v29)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f322c22b_0#page=78
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC / EQUIPMENT AND INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES / EQUIPMENT GENERALLY / LIGHTING EQUIPMENT
---

# O.C.G.A. § 40-8-33. Farm tractors, three-wheeled motorcycles used for agricultural purposes, and trailers and semitrailers that qualify as implements of husbandry.

(a) Every farm tractor and every three-wheeled motorcycle used only for agricultural purposes equipped with an electric lighting system shall at all times mentioned in Code Section 40-8-20 display a red taillight and either multiple-beam or single-beam road lighting equipment meeting the requirements of Code Sections 40-8-23 and 40-8-30, respectively.

(b) When operated or towed upon a highway at any time from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise and at any time when it is raining in the driving zone and at any other time when there is not sufficient visibility to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of 500 feet to the rear, every trailer and semitrailer which would otherwise be exempt from this article as an implement of husbandry under Code Section 40-8-1 either shall:

(1) Comply with the requirements for taillights set forth in Code Section 40-8-23;

(2) Be equipped with an operating amber flashing or revolving light which is plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear and which is either permanently or temporarily fixed to the rear of such trailer or semitrailer; or

(3) Be accompanied by an escort vehicle which is equipped with one or more operating amber flashing or revolving lights that are visible from a distance of 500 feet and which shall follow such trailer or semitrailer.

(c) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to impose a duty on a manufacturer of an implement of husbandry under Code Section 40-8-1 to install an electric lighting system, taillights, or amber flashing or revolving lights or otherwise equip implements of husbandry to be in compliance with the provisions of this Code section at the time of manufacture or sale; it being the intent of this Code section to place a duty on operators of the equipment only under specified circumstances and conditions, and not on manufacturers.

## History

Ga. L. 1953, Nov.-Dec. Sess., p. 556, § 102; Ga. L. 1973, p. 598, § 3; Code 1933, § 68E-214, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 165, § 4; Code 1981, § 40-8-33, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 165, § 10; Ga. L. 1984, p. 1329, § 5; Ga. L. 1989, p. 298, § 3; Ga. L. 2024, p. 518, § 4/HB 1193, effective July 1, 2024.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, substituted the current provisions of subsection (b) for the former provisions, which read: “When operated or towed upon a highway, roadway, or street at any time from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise and at any time when it is raining in the driving zone and at any other time when there is not sufficient visibility to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway, roadway, or street at a distance of 500 feet to the rear, every trailer and semitrailer which would otherwise be exempt from this article as an implement of husbandry under Code Section 40-8-1 either shall comply with Code Section 40-8-23, relating to taillights, or shall be equipped with an operating red flashing light which is plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear and which is either permanently or temporarily fixed to the rear of such trailer or semitrailer or shall be accompanied by an escort vehicle which is equipped with one or more operating red or amber flashing lights that are visible from a distance of 500 feet and which shall follow such trailer or semitrailer.” and in subsection (c), substituted “amber flashing or revolving” for “red flashing”.