LINCOLN -- Teens ages 14 or 15 years old will have an opportunity to register for a tractor safety training course from May 25 through June 10. Federal law prohibits children under 16 years old from using certain equipment on a farm unless their parents or legal guardians own the farm. However, certification received through the course grants an exemption to the law allowing 14 and 15 year olds to drive a tractor and to do field work with certain mechanized equipment.

Susan Harris, University of Nebraska Extension educator, said a common cause of agricultural-related injuries and deaths in Nebraska is overturned tractors and ATVs. She emphasized that this course is designed to train students how to avoid these incidents as well as many other hazards on the farm and ranch.  

Students will complete the first day of the course either by attending a hands-on event at one of two locations or online through the eXtension Foundation Campus website. The hands-on events will take place May 24 in North Platte and May 26 in Grand Island. The hands-on event and the online course will cover the required elements of the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program, including quizzes that students must pass to attend the driving portion of training. Once a student is registered, they will be sent instructions, materials, course paperwork and a link to the online course if they will not be attending one of the two hands-on events.  The onsite driving training and exam will include a driving test and equipment operation and ATV safety lessons. Students must demonstrate competence in hitching and unhitching equipment and driving a tractor and trailer through a standardized course. Instructors also will offer education about safe behaviors and laws for ATVs, utility-task vehicles and other off-road vehicles.  

After successfully completing the hands-on event or the online course and testing, the required driving test will be offered at six locations across Nebraska from May 25 through June 10.  The required driving test locations include North Platte (5/25), O’Neill (6/6), Gering (6/7), Broken Bow (6/8), Hastings (6/9), Weeping Water (6/10).

The cost of the course is $25 and includes educational materials and supplies. Payment will be made at the time of the driving exam. Only checks and cash are accepted. To register, visit https://cvent.me/44ExVl.

Site locations and site contacts are listed below:

Hands-On Safety Days 

May 24 – Lincoln County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Road, North Platte, Randy Saner randy.saner@unl.edu, and Vicki Neidhardt, 308.532.2683, vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu 

May 26 – Raising Nebraska, 501 East Fonner Park Road, Grand Island, Sarah Polak, 308.385.3967, spolak2@unl.edu 

Tractor Driving Days 

May 25 – Lincoln County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Road, North Platte, Randy Saner randy.saner@unl.edu, Vicki Neidhardt, 308.532.2683, vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu 

June 6 – Akrs Equipment, 49110 US Highway 20, O’Neill, Debra Walnofer, 402.336.2760, dwalnofer2@unl.edu 

June 7 – Legacy of the Plains Museum, 2930 Old Oregon Trail #8500, Gering, Stacy Brown, 308.632.1480, sbrown7@unl.edu 

June 8 – AKRS Equipment, 44098 Hwy 2, Broken Bow, (Todd Sutherland), Denise Daake, 308.872.6831, denise.daake@unl.edu 

June 9 - Adams County Extension, 2975 South Baltimore Ave., Hastings, Ron Seymour ron.seymour@unl.edu, Twila Bankson 402-461-7209, twila.bankson@unl.edu 

June 10 – Cass County Fairgrounds, 8400 144th St., Weeping Water, Sandy Prall, 402.267.2205, sprall2@unl.edu