NYS 2500 Owners, Passenger or Commercial Reg?

[Deputy91]

From NYS DMV site:

Can I register my pick-up truck as a 'passenger' class vehicle?
Yes. Your pick-up truck can qualify for passenger class plates if it meets certain conditions, depending on its unladen weight.

• If you have a modified or unmodified pick-up truck with an unladen weight less than 6,001 lbs., then you may register it in the passenger class if it meets the following conditions:
  • the pick-up truck does not have any business advertisements, and
  • the pick-up is used exclusively for non-commercial purposes

• If you have a modified pick-up truck with an unladen weight greater than 6,000 lbs., then you may register it in the passenger class if it meets the following conditions:
  • the pick-up truck does not have any business advertisements and is used exclusively for non-commercial purposes
  • a camper top having one or more side windows completely encloses the truck bed,
  • the pick-up truck has seats, seat fittings, or camping equipment installed in the truck bed ('camping equipment' indicates that you have a bed, a stove, or a refrigerator in the vehicle)

NOTE: These modifications must be permanent. If you use the pick-up truck without the required modifications, then you must register it in the commercial registration class.

You are not required to apply for passenger class plates for your pick-up. You can use commercial plates.

Register it as passenger.

They used to be much more restrictive. They changed the guidelines a year or so ago. And yes downstate no commercial plates on Parkways.

-Mike.

 

[mjf6175]

This is NYC but should be the same throughout ny.

https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/truckorcomm.shtml


2018 2500 6.4L Hemi Tradesman
1990 5.9L 12v Cummins W250

As someone who spent 35 years in law enforcement, 7 of them as a County police officer in NY( the other years as a federal agent) I can add some info. The link you posted pertains to NYC and has NO effect outside of NYC. Any highway in NY State that is labeled a "PARKWAY" is FORBIDDEN to have commercial traffic. If you have commercial plates on the vehicle you can be stopped and ticketed for the violation. Most of these parkways are located in and around NYC: Taconic State Parkway; Bronx River Parkway; Sprain Brook Parkway; Belt Parkway; Saw Mill River Parkway. And MANY MORE. There are several reasons why this is so. Many of the Parkways are older roads that are narrow, winding, and/or 2 lanes in many places with very limited break down areas or spaces for a large vehicle to get off the roadway. Also many of these parkways have low bridges that will (and do) take off the roofs of commercial traffic with higher roofs that enters onto one of the Parkways, ask me how I know.

Unfortunately NY State is unique in this terminology and causes confusion by out of state motorists, especially truckers where the word "Parkway" is more broadly defined. Many mistake it to mean that the Parkway is part of the Interstate system ( I-95; I-10, etc.) and they are NOT.

I personally would only issue a summons for such a violation only when forced. The 2 incidents I can remember is when a tractor trailer hit a bridge on the Bronx River Parkway during rush hour and spilled all of its contents on the roadway forcing closure. That trailer was a MOVING VAN filled with furniture and personal items. The roadway was a battle field. The other was a pickup with a 9FT snow plow on it trying to drive on the Hutchinson River Parkway which is a narrow 2 line on its southern half. Numerous complaints by drivers of an unsafe condition. When stopped and asked to leave the roadway the driver decided to argue the point. I therefore gave him a memorialized hand written explanation that he could use to argue with a judge about it and had to threaten arrest to make him exit the parkway.

But I agree it is not a perfect situation. You can register a 1500 Ram with passenger plates, make that Ram a 2500 and you have a problem. Meanwhile the 2 Rams are about the same vehicle externally in size. As someone above mentions, the only way you can get passenger plates on a 2500 is to put a cap on the bed and place seats back there. How long you keep the cap on with the seats is up to you.