OKLAHOMA CITY - Last week, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued an official opinion - which carries the force of law - that shot down an action taken by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
According to Drummond’s opinion, an OHP trooper cited a driver for hauling agriculture equipment - a swather on a trailer - without an escort. The OHP’s action upset the owner of the equipment. The owner then spoke with State Rep. Dick Lowe, a Republican from Amber. Lowe moved to request an official opinion from the AG’s office.
On Aug. 24, Drummond’s office issued opinion A.G. 2026-11. The document clarified how Oklahoma law applies to oversized agricultural equipment.
Currently, Oklahoma law generally requires vehicles wider than 12 feet to have an escort vehicle while traveling on state highways. The requirement is intended to help other motorists see and safely navigate around oversized loads such as construction equipment, large machinery and manufactured homes.
Drummond said the requirement didn’t apply to farm equipment or the trailers used to haul it. He wrote that Oklahoma law defines equipment used exclusively for farming, including swathers and balers, as an “implement of husbandry.” The state law, he said, specifically excludes those implements and the trailers used to transport them from the state’s definition of a “vehicle.”
“Oklahoma farm families move equipment between fields every day of the growing season, and our laws should reflect that reality,” Drummond said.
“Title 47, section 14-120.1 of the Oklahoma Statutes requires certain oversized vehicles “operating on highways in this state” to be accompanied by an escort vehicle,” the AG’s opinion said. “However, title 47’s definition of “vehicle” specifically excludes ‘implements of husbandry.’” Drummond’s opinion also referenced a Tenth Circuit Court case, Bingham v. Hollingsworth Mfg. Co. Inc. That case said the implement of husbandry exception to vehicle codes was designed to allow farmers occasionally to tow non-complying farm equipment along the highways as they traveled short distances from one field to another or from their fields to storage areas.
“The fact that this mechanism can trailer bulk fertilizer along the highway is to be regarded as an incidental use,” the Court said. “It does not cause it to be subject to Oklahoma’s trailer safety requirements.”
Still, while Drummond’s opinion shoots down general tickets from the OHP, it doesn’t remove agricultural equipment from legal oversight.
Under the law, farm equipment must have required lighting and operators must take steps to reduce the equipment’s width as provided by the manufacturer. In addition, the owners remain responsible for operating the equipment with regard for the safety of others on the road.
The opinion also notes that some husbandry gear is prohibited from traveling on interstate and defense highways.
It also identifies an exception for retail implement dealers. The escort, the law said, applies when a dealer transports an implement more than 150 miles from the distribution point to a farm or another location.
While Drummond’s opinion has generated some negative responses, it’s also received many positive responses, too.
In Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma City Police Department posted a message on social media on Aug. 27, saying “it appreciates and supports Attorney General Drummond’s recent legal opinion, which provides important clarification regarding the responsibilities of law enforcement agencies on highways and interstates.”
“This guidance enables OKCPD officers to remain focused on their core mission—responding to calls for service and ensuring the safety and well-being of residents throughout Oklahoma City,” the statement said. “We remain committed to working in close coordination with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and our local, state, and federal partners. Through continued collaboration, we will uphold the highest standards of public safety and service for the residents and visitors of our community.”