by Sgt. Jesse Grabow
Columnist

Question: I have a one ton pickup that I use on my farm. It has farm plates on it. During the recent cold snap I told my neighbor that I was thinking of hooking up my fifth-wheel camper and head out to Arizona. He told me I would get a ticket for pulling my camper with a pickup that had farm plates on it. Is he correct?

Answer: Yes, your neighbor is correct. That would be a violation and you would receive a ticket for that. Being that it is an illegal use of farm plates/registration, you could also be subject to having the vehicle towed and put in impound until you put the proper registration on it.

Question: Can a person have an open bottle of alcohol in a vehicle on a frozen lake or river?

Answer: According to Minnesota State Statute 169A.35 Subd. 2. Drinking and consumption; crime described. “It is a crime for a person to drink or consume an alcoholic beverage, distilled spirit, or 3.2 percent malt liquor in a motor vehicle when the vehicle is upon a street or highway.” So as I read it, yes you can. As we always say, if you plan on drinking, be responsible, and have a plan in place to use a sober ride.

Question: I got a DWI recently and my driver’s license is revoked and I no longer own a motor vehicle. I do have an ATV and was wondering if I need a driver’s license to operate it.

Answer: In general, a valid driver’s license “is required” to operate an ATV on a road right-of-way (ROW). A driver’s license is not required to operate an ATV on a designated trail that includes a ROW. Be advised that a person can still be arrested for a DWI on an ATV. For more information on where you can drive an ATV, check out http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html

This question also segues into a good reminder to stress that drunk driving remains a major issue in our state. In the last five years, 651 people were killed in drunk driving crashes. Each year, 30,000 people are arrested for DWI.

In Minnesota, repeat DWI offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above alcohol-concentration level, must use ignition interlock in order to regain legal driving privileges, or face at least one year without a driver’s license. Offenders with three or more offenses are required to use interlock for three to six years, or they will never regain driving privileges. Learn more at MinnesotaIgnitionInterlock.org.

If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Trp. Jesse Grabow – Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Highway 10 West, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501-2205. (You can follow him on Twitter @MSPPIO_NW or reach him at, jesse.grabow@state.mn.us)