traffic vehicle is-x-legal transportation minnesota
Would a chariot be road-legal in Minnesota?
<p>We already have <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/q/43787/12499">a question about motorcycle chariots in Florida</a>, but what about <em>actual</em>, horse-drawn chariots, and what about Minnesota?</p>
<p>My thinking is that it would probably fall into the same regulatory area as a horse and buggy, but would a chariot actually be road-legal in Minnesota under the aforementioned laws?  <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=is+a+chariot+road+legal&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsanj3Lsi4CLx7zGF1Uf-Exj5ejrhg:1653264741076&amp;ei=ZdGKYpOnBM23tAarsK2wDQ&amp;start=0&amp;sa=N&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjT7fGMq_T3AhXNG80KHStYC9Y4ChDy0wN6BAgBEDc&amp;biw=1326&amp;bih=668&amp;dpr=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google</a> brings up <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/8t88m8/us_is_it_legal_to_drive_a_chariot_on_the_road/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a Reddit discussion</a> suggesting that they may be road-legal in California, and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Cartalk/comments/lpav7w/so_uhh_can_you_legally_register_a_chariot_to/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">another</a> about vehicle <em>registration</em> for a chariot, but nothing else relevant.</p>

<p>The second-broadest category under Minnesota law (<a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.011" rel="nofollow noreferrer">definitions</a>, ch, 169) is &quot;motor vehicle&quot;, defined in its entirety:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(a) &quot;Motor vehicle&quot; means every vehicle which is self-propelled and
every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from
overhead trolley wires.</p>
<p>(b) Motor vehicle does not include an electric-assisted bicycle, an
electric personal assistive mobility device, or a vehicle moved solely
by human power.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Numerous sub-types of &quot;motor vehicle&quot; or &quot;vehicle&quot; are defined in that section, such as &quot;Class 1 electric-assisted bicycle&quot;,
&quot;Farm tractor&quot;, &quot;Motorized foot scooter&quot;, &quot;Semitrailer&quot; and so on. There is no more-specific category that includes animal-drawn carts of any kind. In <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/supreme-court/1989/c9-88-2623-2-0.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Minnesota v. Hershberger</a>, 444 N.W.2d 282 we learn that there must be a religious accommodation made with respect to the <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.522" rel="nofollow noreferrer">slow-moving vehicle</a> statute, insofar as the law requires slow-moving vehicles to have garish warning signs that conflict with Amish religious beliefs. I set aside the possibility that you are referring to a Hindu ceremony re-enacting the Battle of Kurukshetra (millions of chariots).</p>
<p>The first question is whether a chariot is a &quot;slow-moving vehicle&quot;. This is set by the characteristic that it is &quot;designed for operation at a speed of 30 miles per hour or less&quot;. This is a question of fact and not law, and opinions on the matter differ, however it is more likely than not that a chariot is not designed to travel faster that 30 mph (the internet generally indicates that the physical speed limitation of a chariot is somewhere around 30 mph). Still, even as a slow-moving vehicle, all that is required is &quot;a triangular slow-moving vehicle emblem&quot;. Since there is no statutory distinction between a &quot;cart&quot; and a &quot;chariot&quot;, there is no legal basis for treating them differently. The concept of &quot;road-legal&quot; is a consequence of other specific classifications. For example, an ATV is regulated under <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.045" rel="nofollow noreferrer">§169.045</a>, but that section does not apply to every vehicle. Since there is no special law addressing animal-drawn carts, they are not specifically prohibited therefore they are &quot;road-legal&quot;. §169.045 does allow for local restrictions, therefor you would also have to investigate the specific municipality.</p>
