Off-Highway Vehicle Registration Reminder

Friday, August 22, 2008
Hunting

This article was Archived on Monday, September 22, 2008

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds -off-highway vehicles owners, including motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), quadricycles, dune buggies, amphibious vehicles and air cushion vehicles, have registration and use rules that are worth reviewing before setting off on a hunt.

On most public lands, OHVs are required to stay on designated routes determined by the land management agency responsible for those lands. It is also illegal to retrieve harvested wild game by going cross-country, or going off designated routes. Private landowners may have additional restrictions or requirements of hunters with OHVs. OHV registration requirements in Montana include:

•   Off-highway vehicles operating on public land must be registered at the County Treasurers’ office in the county where the owner resides and display a decal. This one-time registration is valid until the current owner sells the OHV.
• A license plate is necessary for any ATV or motorcycle to be used on a public road, which includes city streets, county roads, and any road, including two-track (4x4 roads) on National Forest lands.
• To legally operate an OHV on public roads, the vehicle itself must be street legal and the operator must have a state driver’s license.
• OHVs that are properly registered in another state may operate in Montana for 30 consecutive days.

Nonresidents with OHVs that are not registered may purchase a temporary use permit that is valid for the calendar year at FWP regional offices , by mailing in an application available from FWP’s web page at fwp.mt.gov on the Recreation page under licenses and permits, or by visiting one of the OHV vendor sites listed on the FWP web site. Permits are $5.