California State Park OHV Rules

Butch

poseur
Staff member
I put this up because I've been hit a couple time by yahoos at Hollister. If someone hits you, collect all their data, just like in a car. The last time was pretty serious and I could have been hurt. If you hurt someone and there are medical bills and insurance issues, it could be a big deal.

CVC Applies:

38316. (a) It is unlawful for any person to drive any off-highway
motor vehicle with a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of
other persons or property.

38317. Whenever reckless driving of an off-highway motor vehicle
proximately causes bodily injury to any person, the person driving
the vehicle shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by
imprisonment in the county jail for not less than 30 days nor more
than six months or by fine of not less than one hundred dollars
($100) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by both such
fine and imprisonment.

From the Hollister Hills SVRA site:

All vehicles which are operated on public lands must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

OHV Registration Requirements
In order to operate any type of motorized vehicle off-highway on public land, you must have one of the following:

Street-Legal License Plate: If you want to operate a 4-wheel drive vehicle or dual-purpose motorcycle on-highway and off-highway, you must have a street-legal license plate.

The Green Sticker Or Red Sticker: If you are going to operate a motorized vehicle off-highway only, you must have either a Green Sticker or a Red Sticker that has been issued by the DMV. The Green Sticker allows vehicles to operate on public land all year. The Red Sticker is for motorcycles and ATVs model year 2003 and newer that do not meet the emission standards established by the California Air Resources Board.

Possession of Alcohol: It is illegal to possess an open container of an alcoholic beverage while riding in or operating an off-highway vehicle. bla bla bla.

CONDITIONS FOR OPERATING: MINORS
No person under the age of 18 years shall operate an all-terrain vehicle on public lands of this state unless the person satisfies one of the following conditions:

(b) The person is under the direct supervision of an adult who has in their possession an appropriate safety certificate issued by this state, or issued under the authority of another state.
(c) The person has in possession an appropriate safety certificate issued by this state or issued under the authority of another

CONDITIONS FOR OPERATING: ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
No person under 14 years of age shall operate an all-terrain vehicle on public lands of this state unless the person satisfies one of the conditions set forth in Section 38503 and, in addition, is accompanied by and under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian or is accompanied by and under the direct supervision of an adult who is authorized by the parent or guardian (CVC 38504).

38504.1. (a) Neither a parent or guardian of a child who is under 14 years of age, nor an adult who is authorized by the parent or guardian to supervise that child shall grant permission to, or knowingly allow, that child to operate an all-terrain vehicle in a manner that violates Section 38504. WTF?

SAFETY HELMET REQUIRED

PASSENGERS PROHIBITED
No operator of an all-terrain vehicle may carry a passenger when operating on public lands. However, the operator of an all-terrain vehicle, that is designed for operation off of the highway by an operator with no more than one passenger, may carry a passenger when operating on public lands (CVC 38506).

OHV Equipment Requirements

NOISE LIMITS
Noise emissions of competition off-highway vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 1998, shall be limited to not more than 96 dBA, and if manufactured prior to January 1, 1998, to not more than 101 dBA, blah blah...

SPARK ARRESTER
(a) Notwithstanding Section 4442 of the Public Resources Code, blah blah...

OHV Operation Requirements

SPEED, TURNING, RECKLESS DRIVING
You may not drive a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers the safety of other persons or their property (CVC 38305, 38314, 38316a, 38317).

PRIMA FACIE SPEED LIMIT
No motor vehicle shall exceed 15 mph within 50 feet of any campground, campsite, or concentration of people or animals (CVC 38310).

SUSPENDED DRIVING PRIVILEGE
A driver’s license is not necessary to operate an OHV in most areas. However, if your driving privilege is suspended in California, you may not operate an OHV on California public lands [CVC 14601.1(e)].

This is only a partial list of regulations pertaining to OHV’s. For a complete listing, see Division 16.5 of the California Vehicle Code available at DMV offices and at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html.

It is your responsibility to know all of the regulations.

From the CVC (section 16.5)

38305. No person shall drive an off-highway motor vehicle at a
speed greater than is reasonable or prudent and in no event at a
speed which endangers the safety of other persons or property.

38310. The prima facie speed limit within 50 feet of any
campground, campsite, or concentration of people or animals shall be
15 miles per hour unless changed as authorized by this code and, if
so changed, only when signs have been erected giving notice thereof.
 
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KooLaid

Hippocritapotamus
Are they actually gonna check for the spark arrestor at Carnegie right now in the winter? I don't have one :( and I wanna ride today
 

elemetal

3 pings and a zing
They check about 90% of the time, up to you about your chances. If you get through the gate and a ranger on the trail sees you and tickets you it will cost $$$.
Also dry as hell right now so the fire danger is real, a fire from and illegal bike will just get our few areas shut down faster.
 

Cornfish

Well-known member
I have a spark arrestor (USFS legal) and Oregon OHV tags with liability insurance. Can I bring my dirt bike to California to ride with my Oregon registration? It is a 2016 4 stroke so I should be green sticker?
 
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