UTV Licence Plates

Anyone gone through the process of getting plates for your UTV yet? I just heard about it earlier this week, and plan to get one for my Canam defender. The guy I saw that got one, said all he needed was a vin and his drivers licence. I figured proof of insurance may be needed? What are yalls experience if any?

UTV License Plate Site

I need to do this. I already drive around my hood some now but have never came across any popo.

I do too. My wife, however, is a rule follower and refuses to ride around the hood with me and our two boys.

I've heard what you heard, and I've also heard you have add turn signals, horn, mirrors, etc.

I was planning to go into the county office and see what the official deal is when they open back up.

I would imagine that you would have to get it inspected. Depending on where you live it may have to have the emissions test done. You will need proof of insurance. You really want to go through all this?

The website says nothing about blinkers or even DOT tires. It doesn't say anything about insurance either, but i just found that to be odd. There are some stipulations though.

A Utility Vehicle (UTV) is a motor vehicle that:

has side by side seating for the operator and passenger;
has four or more tires;
is designed for off-highway use; and
is designed by the manufacturer for utility work and not for recreational purposes.


An off-highway vehicle operated on public off-highway vehicle land must have:

a brake system;
a muffler system;
U.S. Forest Service qualified spark arrester;
a head light and tail light; and
an Off-Highway Vehicle decal issued by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.


ATVs, ROVs, UTVs and Sand Rails with an Off-Highway Vehicle license plate may be operated on roads in the following situations:

in a master planned community with a uniform set of restrictive covenants and a county or municipality-approved plat; or
on a road with a posted speed limit of not more than 35 mph, during the daytime and not more than two miles from the location where it is usually parked for transportation to and from a golf course; and
to cross intersections, including a road or street that has a posted speed limit of more than 35 mph.
Additionally, cities and certain counties may authorize operation of ATVs, ROVs, UTVs, and Sand Rails on roads within the boundaries of the city or within unincorporated areas of certain counties. The ATV, ROV, UTV and Sand Rail must display an Off-Highway Vehicle license plate when operated on roads authorized by the city or county. Operation may be authorized only on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. If operated on the roads at a speed of 25 mph or less, an ATV, ROV, UTV and Sand Rail is required to display a slow-moving vehicle emblem.

ZK,
How old are the rules you just posted? Are you calling an OHV sticker a license plate?

While I was gearing up to operate my first UTV, the state pulled the entire legislative chapter out of the Texas Code book for redaction. I have been waiting on the latest updates but have not looked in awhile.

So you just want it so you can drive around your neighborhood?

Just from what I've heard from the guy i found this out through, March 1st, 2020 is when this came about. So it's fairly new. It' a OHV license plate. I'll see if i can find a picture of his.

That, or to the convenience store down the street, to/from walmart, the mexican restaraunt down the street. Pretty much anywhere within the 2 mile radius. .

The picture a guy posted in an open group on fb, so I didn’t feel as bad reposting it.

They want plates on my tractors too I bet. Nope.

Pretty sure tractors are still good with the orange slow moving triangle. Other states have had atv, utv, etc plates in place for a few years now, but i think Texas may finally be catching on. Not real sure of it.

So, do you have to have insurance just like a normal vehicle?

Not to get the tag from my understanding so I don’t think you have to have it. But I’m about to get one so will let you know. I already have insurance so will see if they require

I had to carry $500,000 ins. on my Mule for a lease I was on, it was less than $100/year. And yes I have several undeveloped areas near me that are great for working my dogs on Homing pigeons and great for taking them for a run. Mule is always ready to go, if I have to use the truck means loading up a box into the truck each time to haul dogs in. I didn't have to worry about this 5 years ago because all these roads i'm talking about were private but have since became public. I'm definitely looking into this.

"So, do you have to have insurance just like a normal vehicle?" Geez . . . . As an insurance agent with a large core of rural business, I can tell you ATVs are the bane of my existence. They are unprotected and, plain & simple, not worthy for road use. I especially despise it when I see younger, unrestrained children being lugged around in them (and in golf carts). I've got friends whose children have died in them. I know of other loved ones no longer right in the head because of an ATV ride. Got another one who was air lifted from West TX and missed lots of work.

Do you have to and should you obtain it are two different issues. Without a separate policy, most ATV owner's home insurance provides automatic coverage only on the initial residence premises. Most of the people I know who own one or some, never operate them on their initial residence premises.

Oh, btw, most insurance companies do not even like to underwrite them if being used on a roadway making it an automatic declination if the question is answered correctly or even posed at all. There are reasons. These reasons are called claims.

In some of the out of states, some of the towns have approved them for running around town. I have not seen anything in Texas about using them on the streets.

I’m just looking at it from the perspective of when they are involved In a wreck, are they going to be considered uninsured motorist? I just see them as a hazard because you’re going to have a lot of high horsepower machines taking to the streets and the general public doesn’t pay attention very well.

Yep, big, under-protected hazard. Can't qualify for UM unless they have a policy with UM on it - ATV policies are somewhat of a modified motorcycle policy. Oftentimes, the UM coverage portion is way more than the liability coverage segment. Most people won't purchase the UM because of the cost. Takes it a ways from the $100 cited above.

From what I was told, he didn’t have to show proof of insurance. He said he had it though.

I agree, I could see a big mess happening if it doesn’t get changed to having to prove insurance. I do have insurance on mine.

Will an umbrella policy cover it also? I have insurance but hell I don’t even know what the policy covers, just got it. But also have umbrella policy too.

Most often no or possibly yes with a sizeable gap, unless declared and underlying insurance in place. Talk to your agent.

PM me if questions.

Has anyone gone to get one of these yet? I finally got some time today to go in. Got an appointment made (appointments only for bell co.), showed up, stood in line, then with 4 people left in front of me, the state-wide system went down.

I waited around for over an hour and finally gave up. I talked to the lady and rescheduled my appointment for Tuesday.

I was just curious if anyone has gone through with it yet or not?

Was planning on going next week

My appointment is mid day Tuesday. I'll let you know if anything interesting happens and what all you'll need when you go.

The lady was already perturbed at the situation, so I didn't ask her any questions about it.

You know for a fact that if more and more people start driving them on public streets they will put a stop to it. Especially after somebody runs over some kid and hurts them.

New one on me.

Just one super bad incident - fella hauled his side by sider from his home town to a family gathering at a park up here at the lake. He let someone else drive it. Another person got in the bed of the ATV. While operating the unit, the driver's cap got blown off. He made a sudden U-turn to fetch it. The rear passenger fell out, hit his head and subsequently died.

The lawsuit was heard in the deceased person's county, half a state away. Named as defendants were the driver and the owner of the unit.

35 mph and under posted roads, law is mainly for residential neighborhood sub divisons, thus the restrictions on mileage area

Per state law if you have ranch or farm you can drive up to 25miles on FM roads with low speed triangle already

No different then a truck bed. Heck most UTV’s now are size of small trucks

Driving a tractor on a FM road is a heck of a lot different than somebody driving a UTV 35 MPH or probably faster in a subdivision.

My tractor will do a lot more damage at 35mph then any utv. I drive my UTV all the time on FM roads legally as it is pre-new law anyway.

But back to new law if you are over 35mph, per law you are speeding. The new law has a 2 mile radius restrictions and it includes Golf carts.

"No different then a truck bed. Heck most UTV’s now are size of small trucks" The difference is lack of adequate liability coverage and especially so on UTVs not financed. The bet here is most side by sides 6 years old and older have little or no liability coverage. Most home insurance policies do provide automatic coverage for ATV incidents which take place on their "initial" residence premises. Drive it out the gate or out of the driveway and that there automatic liability coverage is gone gone. Most people do not operate their side by sides at their primary residence.

I’m talking danger wise, liability is an individual responsibility. Just like how much liability coverage you carry on any vehicle or property.

If it doesn’t get you around the drinking and driving ticket, what’s the point?

Cuz it's easier to hop in the buggy and drive around the corner to pick up breakfast tacos

Well I went and picked my plate up today. The lady didn't know anything about the new UTV Off Highway tags, but was interested to find out. She called a few people and found out how to get it done in her computer system to get it registered and gave me a plate.

All I needed was the Vin/Serial number of the UTV and my DL. Total cost was $14.75.

Amateur, it’s for when you out run them through the creek crossing and field, this is so they can’t retaliate, when your being your normal role model citizen the next day.

Don’t know about BP but BIL gets heated when he has to run.

I'm going this afternoon to try. Don't run it on the street much but it's worth $15 to not catch any potential crap on the rare times I do.

I don’t run fool, it’s going to take a serious offense to get me running anymore.

"My tractor will do a lot more damage at 35mph then any utv." No, no, no - you don't get it. When operating a UTV, you have legal obligation to your passengers. That's where the majority of the claims come from - people riding in the UTV.

Then there's idjits who take their small kiddoes as passengers and the haul them around on pavement - that's a whole nuther level of lunacy.

I take my kids with me all around our neighborhood on the pavement. I dont see a problem with it.

Yeppers

I do get it, I’ve seen a semi get completely wiped out by a tractor implement,

I don’t see the sub division law with speed limits of 25-30mph, as overly dangerous. Same precautions as in a vehicle should be taken in a UTV, that’s pretty much a given. No different then a Jeep. A vehicle is a vehicle

I’m not disagreeing on Liability coverage, not disagreeing with seatbelts and car seats either.

Not following traffic laws and not being consequence of passages is same in a car as it is in utv.

This law is very specific to general area of a sub division, it’s not like Utah, Idaho or CO where you can get passed on a major road by a UTV

Passed a golf cart thingie here in New Barnflies. Not supposed to operate them on certain roads, children are supposed to be appropriately restrained and not to be operated at night. We see golf carts where they ain't supposed to be, young'uns loose in their seats and yes, being driven at night. Now we are seeing UTVs and they aren't even part of the ordinance.

I dunno what's worse - getting behind selfish cyclists on small hill country roads with no shoulders or getting behing a durn golf cart.

Im gonna get mine next week

They should get ticketed-

Breaking laws- speeding, seat belts, child restraints, etc should be ticketed

Went and got mine today. Was quite the adventure. First lady told me what I wanted didn't exist. After a bit of arguing, she went and got someone else. Two more ladies came over. They kind of looked like bouncers.

"Why do you want it?" they demand to know.

"Well, it says that it makes your ROV/UTV legal to drive on the road in specific circumstances."

"No it doesn't" they both reply in perfect unison.

"Well then what does it do?" I politely ask.

"It's an identifier" one of the fine ladies says.

"An identifier for what?" I kindly reply.

They all 3 look at each other.

"It says on the TXDMV site that with a license plate you can drive on a road with posted speed limit under 35 MPH, within 2 miles from home, yada yada yada" I respectfully point out.

"No it doesn't" one of them says. I've now found their leader and spokesperson.

"So what does it say?" I reply with the nicest facial expression I can muster.

"I don't know, but it doesn't say that."

"Would you like to see? I have it pulled up right here." I retort in a very helpful way.

"No" she snaps.

"Okay, can I still get the plate?"

"Sure, but I don't know why you want a license plate for a vehicle that is only legal on private property."

"I'd like to identify it" I respond.

They sold me a plate. $14.75

Hell, maybe she was right. I kind of want to get a ticket now so I can see what a judge says. I'm curious.

'Reminds me of when the woman from TXDMV did an audit of our business, mainly for the dealer plates we had on demonstrators. She told me we were "breaking the law" of a dealer plate by having the aerial devices up in the air in front of our business...on our private property. I tried to explain it was on private property, but then decided to smile, nod, and tell her I'd take them down. I did, until she drove away. I hope our current government is cutting out these kind of idiots. The world needs convenience store clerks too.

What a mess Gumbeaux. It took a long time here in Bell county but my lady was super nice about it. She didn’t have the slightest clue as to what was going on.

I think She is right and wrong, it’s legal after the local authority has adopted the statue is how I understand it.

Some cities my decide no and not adopt.

I've met them both. I don't think either wants to get any exercise that way...

At some point in our conversation I did ask if it was county specific. She told me no. UTVs were not allowed on public roads anywhere in the state, ever. I didn't even bother telling her about some of the beaches or the public streets in Port O'Connor before this law was ever even passed.

Ya she is not very knowledgeable about her job. Technically you can already if you have slow moving triangle and are within 25 miles of farm/ranch.

Yep,
I just have an orange triangle. My diesel mule won’t even go 30 mph, and I carry a 500,000 liability policy.
To heck with the license plate.

but it would look cool if you had a license plate ...

Skull & cross bones would be better

Well played!!

Aaaaarg! The pirate flag