(a) This chapter shall not be construed to apply to:
(1)a. School buses or other motor vehicles which are owned by county boards of education or under contract with county boards of education, regardless of whether or not the school buses and other motor vehicles are being used exclusively for the transportation of school children and school teachers to and from school and provided the school buses and other motor vehicles do not take on passengers for fare on a certificated route.
b. Motor vehicles for hire while operating wholly within the limits of a city or incorporated town or within the police jurisdiction thereof, or between two or more incorporated towns or cities whose city limits join or are contiguous or whose police jurisdictions join or are contiguous.
c. Motor vehicles while used in the transportation of property when the owner of the vehicle is legally and regularly engaged in the business of selling such property and is the owner and has the legal title to the motor vehicle involved, also motor vehicles if engaged in hauling milk, livestock, coal, coke, logs, lumber, poles, pulpwood, cotton in bales, cottonseed, fertilizer, peanuts, potatoes, or any other agricultural commodity of any kind (but not manufactured products thereof); or motor vehicles hauling road materials and paid by the State of Alabama, or paid by any county or other political subdivision thereof, or paid by any contractor performing work for the State of Alabama, or any county or other political subdivision thereof, for a distance not exceeding 50 miles; and motor vehicles used exclusively in the transportation of milk in thermal or artificially cooled bodies or containers; except, that this subsection shall not be construed to exempt from the provisions of Chapter 19 of Title 40 any motor carrier who operates under a certificate or permit granted under the authority of the Alabama Public Service Commission.
All motor vehicles hauling property for hire and which are in any respect exempt under paragraph a. of this subdivision (1) must, before transporting any exempt property, secure a permit from the Department of Revenue of the State of Alabama, which permit may be furnished without cost upon proper application where there are no legal objections thereto; and a permit shall be issued under reasonable rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Revenue of the State of Alabama.
(2) Motor vehicles owned or operated by or on behalf of hotels and used exclusively for the transportation of hotel patrons.
(3) Motor vehicles owned and operated by the United States, this state or any county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state.
(4) Motor vehicles controlled and operated by any farmer while used in the transportation of agricultural commodities and products thereof, whether for personal use or another farmer, or in the transportation of supplies to or from the farm.
(5) Motor vehicles controlled and operated by a bona fide cooperative association as defined by the General Agricultural Marketing Act, approved June 15, 1929, as amended, or organized or existing under any state cooperative marketing act, while used exclusively in the conduct of the business of the association.
(6) Motor vehicles while used exclusively in the transportation of newspapers and magazines and United States mail.
(7) Motor vehicles owned by a farmer used occasionally in transporting household goods and furniture.
(8) Motor vehicles, except taxicabs or airport limousines, used primarily for hauling 14 or fewer passengers to and from their regular places of employment, including the organizers, sponsors, or promoters of the vehicles where the operator of the vehicle is not otherwise engaged in transportation for hire and is engaged in a not-for-profit operation, provided, that the Alabama Public Service Commission may require the operators of the motor vehicles to register with the Public Service Commission, and the commission may inspect these motor vehicles as it deems necessary for purposes of safety.
(9) Church-owned buses used for carrying passengers to and from religious services, regardless of size and capacity.
(b) In addition to all other exclusions and exemptions from the application of this chapter, there are hereby exempted from the operation and provisions of this chapter ambulances, hearses, and wrecker services wherever used or operated in this state.
(c) No motor carrier who transports property exclusively in open-top dump truck and trailers without pneumatic loading and unloading devices shall be subject to any provisions of this chapter which require the filing of tariffs, schedules of charges, contracts, or the establishment or participation in any published rates. Nothing contained herein, however, shall exempt any motor carrier providing service in vehicles from complying with all other provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise provided by this chapter.
(d) No house mover or motor carrier of houses and other intact buildings shall be subject to any provision of this chapter which requires the filing of tariffs, schedules of charges, contracts, or the establishment or participation in any published rates. A house mover or motor carrier of houses or other intact buildings shall be subject to all remaining provisions of this chapter.
(e) Motor carriers who transport passengers for any nonprofit educational, religious, or charitable institution, society or corporation, or for any nonprofit literary, or scientific institution, or public institution, society, or corporation, or other organizations with tax exempt status by the federal government pursuant to 26 U.S.C.A. §501(c), including their organizers, sponsors, or promoters shall be exempted from the provisions of this chapter while transporting persons pursuant to an otherwise lawful contract or agreement. The provisions of subsection (d) of Section 37-3-20, as amended, shall not be applicable for that service or transportation except as herein provided. The agreement or contract shall not be declared invalid because it is not in compliance with any tariff, schedule of rates, or contracts prescribed by this chapter and no penalties, fines, assessments, or recovery of charges below any required rates, or waived entirely, shall be recovered from the motor carrier or such passenger. Provided, however, that the Alabama Public Service Commission may require the operators of the motor vehicle to register with the Public Service Commission and the commission may inspect these motor vehicles as it deems necessary for purposes of safety, insurance, and visibility of the name of owner or operator of the vehicle. Any motor carrier who transports any nonprofit group passengers shall file quarterly reports with the Public Service Commission, listing the names and addresses of the nonprofit organization, corporation, institution, or society and the organizers, sponsors, or promoters, if any, together with the date and its published fare, rate, and charges for each group. The report shall be cumulative only for the quarter filing as prescribed by the commission.
Any carriage heretofore or hereafter conducted by motor carriers exclusively in their vehicles pursuant to an otherwise lawful agreement shall not be declared invalid because it was not in compliance with any tariff, schedule of rates, or contracts required by this chapter and no penalties, fines, assessments, or recovery of charges in excess of or below any prescribed rates may be levied against or recovered by any shipper or motor carrier as a result of the carriage.
Last modified: May 3, 2021