OHV · Field guide · Reviewed September 15, 2026
OHV and off-road riding
ATVs and side-by-sides need different rider checks. Neither a sticker nor a street plate opens a closed trail.
The short version
You need legal papers and a legal route
Most OHVs on public land need a current street plate, OHV sticker, or qualifying visitor permit, plus a route open to that vehicle type. On public land, everyone on an ATV or side-by-side ROV needs a motorcycle-standard helmet. An ATV can carry one passenger only if built for two. In an ROV, everyone must fasten the seatbelt and shoulder belt or safety harness while moving.
What changes the answer: An ROV driver under 16 needs a parent, guardian, or adult they authorize supervising from inside the vehicle. ATV youth training and supervision rules are different.
For example, a 15-year-old may drive a side-by-side ROV on public land only with a parent, guardian, or adult they authorize watching from inside. The driver must reach and use every control. Each passenger must reach a handhold while sitting upright against the seatback with the belt and shoulder belt or harness fastened. Helmets are required too.
Registration is separate from the map. California Green and Red Sticker registrations have been equally valid since January 1, 2025. A sticker, nonresident permit, or plate still does not open a closed route.
On Forest Service land, the Motor Vehicle Use Map names open roads, trails, vehicle types, and seasons. At a state OHV park or BLM area, use that area's map and current notices. A route open to a narrow ATV may not allow a wider side-by-side. Fire orders and temporary closures still apply.
How it works
Start with the vehicle papers
Most OHVs used on land open to the public need a street plate or a current OHV sticker. A title is not enough. State residents often use a DMV sticker when the vehicle has no street plate.
Some visitors can use a current sticker from home. This depends on whether the two states honor each other's papers. A vehicle with no home-state sticker may need a California visitor permit. Check the state OHV page before the trip.
Red and Green Stickers now work the same
Since January 1, 2025, current Red and Green Stickers both work year-round in public areas set aside for OHV use. The old Red Sticker season is over.
This only ends the old sticker season. The route must still be open to that kind of vehicle. Fire orders, short-term closures, sound and gear rules, and park hours can still stop the ride.
The map is a second green light
At a state OHV park, use the park map and gate notice. On BLM land, use the local office's route map and current order. On Forest Service land, the Motor Vehicle Use Map lists the roads, trails, vehicle types, and seasons open to motor use.
A forest route that is not on that map is not open to public motor vehicles. A route on the map can still be rough, unsafe, or closed for a short time. Check alerts and signs too.
Each ATV rider has rules
California's ATV definition is fairly narrow. It uses three or more low-pressure tires, a seat meant to be straddled, and handlebars. It is no more than 50 inches wide and no more than 900 pounds unladen. Unladen means equipped and ready to operate, but without a load. A wider vehicle with side-by-side seats and a steering wheel is usually an ROV, so use the side-by-side rules instead.
On public land, each person on an ATV must wear a safety helmet that meets the motorcycle rule. A driver may carry one rider only if the ATV was built for two people. Extra seat room does not count.
A driver under 18 must have an ATV safety certificate, be taking the approved course, or ride under the direct watch of an adult who has a certificate. A child under 14 also needs direct watch by a parent, guardian, or an adult they approve.
Side-by-sides have their own rules
An ROV is the kind of vehicle often called a side-by-side. It has a steering wheel and seats that do not straddle the frame. On public land, the driver and each rider must wear a helmet that meets the motorcycle rule. Each person must also fasten the seatbelt and shoulder belt or safety harness while the ROV moves.
The driver must be 16 or older. A younger driver can ride only with a parent, guardian, or approved adult watching from inside the vehicle. The driver must be able to reach and use all controls. In a 2014 or newer ROV, each rider must use a seat location the maker built for a passenger.
A passenger must be able to grasp a handhold while seated upright against the seatback with the seatbelt and shoulder belt or harness fastened. For a 2013 or older ROV, an added passenger seat can be used only if its occupant stays fully inside the rollover protection structure while the vehicle is moving.
Fire and gear rules stay with you
An OHV used on forest, brush, or grass land must have a working spark arrester unless it has a muffler covered by Vehicle Code sections 27150 and following. A narrow exception also covers sanctioned closed-course races with a permit from the fire authority. OHVs must still meet sound and other gear rules.
Dry weather can bring a fire order fast. Check before you leave and again at the gate. A sticker, open map route, and spark arrester do not beat a fire closure. The general speed limit is 15 mph within 50 feet of a camp, campsite, or group of people or animals.
First moves
- 1
Pick the exact riding place. It may be an SVRA, BLM area, forest road, trail, or private park.
- 2
Name the vehicle type and list every rider, driver, passenger, and age. Check the rule that matches that group.
- 3
Check whether your vehicle needs a sticker, plate, or nonresident permit.
- 4
Confirm the road, trail, or open area is legal for your vehicle type.
- 5
Check helmets, passenger seats, seat belts or harnesses, youth training, and adult supervision before riding.
- 6
Check the spark arrester and sound rules. Then check fire limits and temporary closures.
- 7
At a state vehicular recreation area, recheck the park page and entrance notice before unloading.
Watch for
- 1
A dirt road, wash, or two-track is not permission by itself.
- 2
A helmet does not make an extra ATV passenger legal. The ATV must be built for that passenger.
- 3
Youth rules are not one age cutoff. ATV training, ATV supervision, ROV supervision, and the ability to reach the controls are separate checks.
- 4
A visitor with current home-state registration may be covered by reciprocity. An unregistered vehicle may need California's nonresident permit. The same can be true for a vehicle from a nonreciprocal state.
- 5
County roads and private land use their own rules. National forests, BLM land, and SVRAs can differ too.
Official sources
Official sources
Current forms, fees, deadlines, maps, and local instructions from the agencies responsible for them.
Check the land manager's current map and closure orders for your vehicle type. The rider, passenger, and registration rules still apply on an open route.