ATV Florida Forum

Can anyone tell me what in the hell is the deal with the OHV decal that I got in the mail.... I called the Polk Sheriffs ofice to see if they could tell me what is is for. I also asked if I am aloud to ride it on the unpaved road next to my house under the speed of 30mph...You would have thought I ask him how to SPLIT DNA or something, he told me NO not unless you have a license plate and insurance for it. I ask "well how do I get a license plate for an  OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLE" he replied that is not my department.....Then I asked if I am riding down the road and said ATV not speeding or anything,what will happen if you pull me over, NOTHING he said.Now can anyone tell me what the decal is that I have to renew every year for $38.00 . Is this not the same thing you pay for on your car or pickup to drive on the street????

you don't have to renew the decal every year. It is a one time thing. You have to have the decal to ride on any Public Land. You are NOT allowed to ride on unpaved roads in Polk County, they opted out of that law.

Does anyone know what  ordinance number this is or point me to a website to view this information.. also talked to Commissoner Wilkinson too.

Randy should have that info. I don't know the ordinance number. Randy is a good guy and fights for ATV's in our County.

i dont know how this will be taken but i really dont care....i admit to riding on the side of the road(in the grass) and in open land(without trespassing signs)..i have two riding spots , both about 45 acres each , on the sides of a major road. the police around here, will stop occasionally and chat about my banshee or just watch me ride cause they have nothing else to do. one cop took it for a spin. they have never asked me to leave or chased me off. i always wear a helmet, boots, pants and gloves. Never do i get near traffic. I usually put it in the back of my truck and drive there..i used to just ride from my house through the neighborhood and down the side of the road,in the grass. I live in a gated community with the majority of the residents being seniors. they obviosly dont like a atv riding down the road. i understand that. so i stopped...

my bike was in pieces in my garage for about a month. A cop was called into the neighborhood for a domestic violence down the street. on his way out i flagged him down....we talked about atv's, public land issues and crappy neighbors for about 20 minutes. He told me I can go to the DMV and register my vehicle and get a tag for it..only thing i would need is working brake lights and signals...i asked him if i did that and the neighbors called the police, what would happen? he said if i was obeying traffic laws, nothing could be done, it would be a street legal vehicle.

I am in Pasco county..I'm not sure if it is different here, but i do know about how all the counties opted out of that law.. but this information came from a police officer..my bike is a 2001 so i have not registered it ..but i do plan on to...i am curious to see what the actual requirements for a street legal vehicle are..


dodge fsu...as for that ohv decal..why did they send it to you?what size and color is it?

You will not be able to make it street legal. It just isn't possible in Florida. He doesn't know what he's talkin about.

if i had working lights and tag and registration, what else would they think of to get in the way?im sure theres something.....but what makes them different from a motorcycle?

o mirrors was one of the things he said also

sheriffs office also told me they have atv with tags on them , issued by the county" He said you know,,,, the atv's we use when we pull people over, so we don't have to walk over to where they stop..  lol You have got to be kidding me......lmao Winter Hanen Police Dept. said it is legal to ride on the street "unpaved" over the age of 16 under 30 mph....

Well before you do it, you had better get them to send it to you in writing. I am 99.99% sure that you are not allowed to do it.

You can put all the things on an atv that 'should' make it street legal.  However, to the best of my knowledge Florida has a law that states that if a vehicle has ever had an OHV title it can never be titled as street legal.  So while you may have all the proper options on your quad w/o a different title you can't get a license plate for it.  I know other states have street legal quads but Florida seems to have a 'not in our backyard' philosophy.

Section 317.0003, Florida Statutes provides for the following definitions:

An "off-highway vehicle" is defined as any ATV, two-rider ATV or off highway motorcycle
(OHM) that is used off the roads or highways of this state and that is not registered and licensed
for highway use pursuant to Chapter 320, Florida Statutes.

An "ATV" is defined as any motorized off-highway or all-terrain vehicle 50 inches or less in
width, having a dry weight of 900 pounds or less, designed to travel on three or more lowpressure
tires, having a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering
control and intended for use by a single operator and with no passenger. All-terrain vehicle also
includes any "two-rider ATV."

A "two-rider ATV" is any ATV that is specifically designed by the manufacturer for a single
operator and one passenger.

An "OHM" is defined as any motor vehicle used off the roads or highways of this state that has a
seat or saddle for the use of the rider and is designed to travel with not more than two wheels in
contact with the ground, but excludes a tractor or a moped.


You can not title an OHV and this is their definition of an OHV. If you can get around all of these you may be able to do it.

well I'm not looking for  a title on my atv.. all I am saying is the sheriffs Dept.  HAS atv's with a tag and insurance on them AND they use them on paved roads AND over the 30 mph speed limit. Why can't the rest of us do the same....
By the way I am In no way bashing the P.D. or the sheriff........

OH yea I do have a Title number for my atv and a regestration. The green and yellow decal from the state that you get in the mail = title number and reg......

DodgeFSU, I thought the same as you, as long as you made it street legal (brake lights, signals, headlights) that it would be legal too.
Only 'cause I seen pics. of a quad w/ that & on the street too, but the plates were from another state in the pic.

I guess FL. has an ordinance against it.
I don't know why the county has them on there quads.

YOU CAN DO IT TO A DIRT BIKE THOUGH    !!!

and if you could get it rite you have to run d.o.t. tires on it per the law

the cops also speed ,run red lights  ,and drive drunk.They are above the law.Driving a vehicle thats illegal to drive,thats a minor thing for them.

You forgot to add, maybe 'cause HCSO's department is so broke right now that they also sneak dope into the jail to sell to the inmates, & in today's paper another one of there deputy's just got arrested for saying his custom chopper got stolen in Daytona & filed a false insurance claim against it.(it was never stolen)

But I guess it's people like me that make them look bad, not themselves.

HaHaHa.

There is a section in the law books stating that Law Enforcement may operate OHVs on public roadways while being used for Law Enforcement purposes.