COLORADO – On May 7, 2021, Governor Jared Polis signed into law a state law that off-highway vehicles (OHVs), regardless of the state or other jurisdiction in which the off-road vehicle is registered or titled, are not permitted on state public roads, roads, or highways. Off-road vehicles include ATVs, four-wheeled and side-by-side vehicles, and more. Mountain bikes offer a fun and exciting off-road experience. However, if you want to get the most out of your mountain bike trip without incident or frustration, it`s important to know when and where to go. It`s common to drive in Tucson, Arizona`s second largest city, and see ATVs crossing city streets, even downtown. On the recently opened La Paz Trail, many cities even allow unlicensed UTVs to use city streets to access gas, rooms, food, and a room for the night. Granting a UTV permit for the road does not even require a safety inspection. Simply pay the registration fee, present proof of insurance and receive a motorcycle license plate. This is in addition to the Arizona OHV registration. This website is owned and operated by Huntley Law; However, nothing in this document should be construed as legal advice and should in no way be construed as creating a customer relationship. He participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program that offers websites the opportunity to earn advertising fees through advertising and links to Amazon.com.
This website also participates in other affiliate programs and is paid for traffic and business to these companies. Hundreds of operators use all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in Colorado for recreational and professional purposes. Recreational use of off-road vehicles is common in some of Colorado`s most beautiful parks and hiking trails, including national parks, while work on farms and plantations is common. If you plan to use an ATV, you should first know the appropriate state laws. Otherwise, you could get into legal trouble. Colorado has always been lenient in licensing off-road motorcycles to connect Forest Service trails via county roads, but had avoided ATVs and ATVs up to HB15-1054 starting in 2015. This law would have allowed a person to drive an off-highway vehicle (PHEV) on a county road if they had a driver`s license, followed the rules of the road and remained below 40 mph. Counties would have published maps of all roads available for limited legal UTVs. The owners applied for and issued the license plate issued by the DMV and had insurance for the UTV.
This bill was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate and was to be signed into law, but the wealthy greenies of cities like Aspen and Crested Butte shot it down, much to the chagrin of Western cities like Silverton, Ouray, Lake City and others that depend on tourism dollars. Therefore, Colorado counties set their own standards and designate authorized routes on county roads and city roads instead of having a statewide standard. The general rule in Colorado is that you can`t operate ATVs or ATVs on public roads, roads, and highways. Fortunately, many Colorado cities and counties have opened some or all of their roads to use mountain biking or UTV. Also, are there any limited exceptions that we have listed below? COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) — Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill earlier this month that states that off-road vehicles (OHVs) are not allowed on state public roads, roads or highways. Off-road vehicles would include ATVs, four-wheeled and side-by-side vehicles, etc. The Paiute Trail system in central Utah was built specifically for OHV tourism, and most cities have designated OHV routes for access to gas stations, grocery stores and auto parts stores, restaurants, and hotels. Utah requires OHV registration and recognizes non-state registrations.
Temporary permits are issued to state residents without OHV enrollment programs. Utah also has very favorable PHEV licensing requirements for road use in all counties except Salt Lake County. Senate Bill 258 recently lifted tire size restrictions (previously no more than 29 inches) and legalized UTVs on all roads except interstate highways and limited-use roads (NPS, etc.). The bill increases the OHV speed limit to 50 mph. Utah`s requirements for road-registered UTVs include turn signals, a horn, side mirrors, license plate holder and light, eye protection (windshield/face shield/glasses), and liability insurance. A valid OHV sticker is also required, and the OHV license plate is equivalent to a motorcycle license plate. In future updates, we`ll cover what it takes to drive homologated UTVs on roads in Nevada, Texas, Minnesota, Wyoming, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, North and South Dakota, Washington, Michigan, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin, new Hampshire and Tennessee. While the law applies nationally, there are some exceptions in some areas. For a list of these exceptions, see staythetrail.org/ohvs-on-streets-and-roads/ for more information.
Arizona`s requirements for UTVs on the road include a horn, mirrors, license plate mount and lighting, dowry approved tires, eye protection, and insurance. This is a provision for random use, which means that you do not use the vehicle as your main source of transportation, although we do know people with special needs with manually operated UTVs that are their main mode of transportation. Previously, we introduced a guide to turn signals and legal UTV kits for roads, as nearly half of the 50 states now allow counties and cities to set standards for limited use of PHEVs on county roads. Today, 22 states allow OHV road licenses, turning them into legal UTV to connect national and state forest trails via paved roads, whether as motorcycles or agricultural equipment. Each UTV comes with warnings and manuals that strictly prohibit use on paved roads, but many PHEV-friendly states allow limited use to connect trails to roads and access gas stations, shops, restaurants, and hotels in the TOURIST townships of the OHV. No, ATVs are not approved vehicles for the road in Colorado. According to Colorado Revised Law 33-14.5-108, you may not ride an ATV on public roads, highways, or Colorado roads except in emergency situations or for agricultural purposes. The only exception is if the public area or road has signs identifying them for the use of ATVs or commercial vehicles. It is dangerous to ride an ATV on the road because manufacturers do not develop it for use on the sidewalk. An ATV driven on the sidewalk is more vulnerable to rollover accidents.
Continuing our series of articles analyzing atV laws in each state that emerged from this article, this article looks at ATV laws in Colorado. It should also be noted that although I am a lawyer, I am not your lawyer and I do not give legal advice. If you have any questions, you should consult a local lawyer. UTV Action Magazine is based in northern Los Angeles County, Southern California. While it`s possible to allow off-road motorcycles with dual-sport kits in some rural California counties, so far it`s impossible to allow ATVs and ATVs for the road. This is true even though California reaps billions of dollars a year from OHV recovery, so it`s a shame not to allow the use of rural roads. California already has the highest car registration fees and gas taxes in the country, but you really need a long suspension to drive on California`s dilapidated roads, especially sections of I-5 and I-405 in Los Angeles. There are also restrictions on carrying weapons on an ATV or UTV. All firearms must be completely unloaded, both in the chamber and in the magazine. All firearms and bows carried on an ATV or UTV must be housed in a hard or soft case.
“Ultimately, it`s about keeping everyone as safe as possible, no matter what they`re driving,” said Col. Matthew Packard, Colorado State Patrol Chief.