FARM VEHICLES: EXCESS WEIGHT.

(a) The owner of a registered commercial motor vehicle, truck-tractor, trailer, or semitrailer may obtain a short-term permit to haul loads of a weight more than that for which the vehicle is registered by paying an additional fee before the additional weight is hauled to transport:

(1) the person's own seasonal agricultural products to market or another point for sale or processing;

(2) seasonal laborers from their place of residence to a farm or ranch; or

(3) materials, tools, equipment, or supplies, without charge, from the place of purchase or storage to a farm or ranch exclusively for use on the farm or ranch.

(a-1) A permit may not be issued under this section unless the vehicle's owner provides a registration number issued by the comptroller under Section 151.1551, Tax Code. The comptroller shall allow access to the online system established under Section 151.1551(l), Tax Code, to verify a registration number provided under this subsection. This subsection does not apply to a permit issued to a retail dealer of tools or equipment that is transporting the tools or equipment from the place of purchase or storage to the customer's farm or ranch.

(b) A permit may not be issued under this section for a period that is less than one month or that:

(1) is greater than one year; or

(2) extends beyond the expiration of the registration year for the vehicle.

(c) A permit issued under this section for a quarter must be for a calendar quarter.

(d) The fee for a permit under this section is a percentage of the difference between the registration fee otherwise prescribed for the vehicle and the annual fee for the desired weight, as follows:

One month (30 consecutive days) 10 percent

One quarter 30 percent

Two quarters 60 percent

Three quarters 90 percent

(e) The department shall design, prescribe, and furnish a sticker, plate, or other means of indicating the additional weight and the registration period for each vehicle registered under this section.