Off Topic - close - Riding an UTV/Side by side in Oregon

[motovate]

Off topic but I know there are many Oregon riders on this forum.

Back Ground - Arizona will license for public streets - UTV/Side by sides & ATV's. Must meet the state requirements such as DOT approved tires, stop/turn running lights, horn, mirrors, insurance, etc.

Years - well actually decades ago - I actually was paid to install all the turn signals, lights, etc on the fairly new ATV's @ a shop I worked at in Oregon so the owner could get it licensed and ride them on the streets. I vaguely remember somewhere along the way that changed somewhat.

What I'm wondering is if I bring an out of state UTV/side by side licensed in my home state of Arizona with me to Hodaka Days can I run it around the non freeway roads with out running afoul of the Law???

Anyone know if that would be treated as any other out of state licensed vehicle????? Or will it be a great big come and get me red flag????

Appreciate any input - thanks.

LBM

[Zyx]

I am not sure if vehicle reciprocity between states would extend in the case of an ATV. It does for motorcycles, so arguably it would for any other motor vehicle. Not familiar with Oregon statute on the point.

[motovate]

It is an interesting quandary since the plate Arizona uses is the same plate as a motorcycle. Probably have to live there now to know how it works. If a UTV has Dot Tires, Arizona Plate, working turn signals, stop lights, horn, mirrors, brakes possibly wipers if it has a windshield is it a UTV or is it a small 4 wheeled vehicle?

I really like universal vehicles. I have a broke down little tractor that I use to tow a little trailer around the homestead and push a little snow and dirt every once in awhile. Tractor is not worth fixing. A UTV is small enough to be handy around the house and I can license and drive it around AZ, I can use it for the homestead ( a whopping 1 acre!) and maybe haul it around with me as I go through other states and use it to putter around. Seems like a good idea and it might well replace my Jeep!

LBM

I am not sure if vehicle reciprocity between states would extend in the case of an ATV. It does for motorcycles, so arguably it would for any other motor vehicle. Not familiar with Oregon statute on the point.

[bobwhitman]

Weel, to give a "not for attribution" guesstimate, it is likely that -
given our generally congenial relationship with the local constabulary, and;
your likely responsible and (ahem) mature use of said device, and;
the very rural and lightly trafficked nature of Athena, Weston and Umatilla County generally,
you would seem pretty unlikely to get busted.

Bring it on! (No, wasn't me who said that.)
Bob

[motovate]

Tongue in cheek means it's "maybe", "sorta", what if Officer Obie has had a bad day

I'm not likely to be hot dogging around where I can get my posterior run over that's for sure. I would likely build a small single rail bike trailer that I can easily take apart and tilt up in the front of my 16' car hauler where I can put the Hodie cross way up front and the UTV up on the back and have room to carry stuff around in it. Tow it all up with a camper on my truck RV like and find a spot to settle in for a couple of weeks. Use the UTV to poke around the back roads up and over to La Grande /Enterprise/Joseph (where I used to live) and back to Athena then tow the Hodie to the Days. That's sorta the plan and I think plenty doable since there are utility UTV's with 60 to 80 HP. Might be too big a plan?

Do you see any of them running around county roads??? They are fairly prevalent here in rural northern AZ.

I'm a long term planner - some would call me a dreamer!

LBM

Weel, to give a "not for attribution" guesstimate, it is likely that -
given our generally congenial relationship with the local constabulary, and;
your likely responsible and (ahem) mature use of said device, and;
the very rural and lightly trafficked nature of Athena, Weston and Umatilla County generally,
you would seem pretty unlikely to get busted.

Bring it on! (No, wasn't me who said that.)
Bob

[Zyx]

http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/atv/pages/qa.aspx

Check the information at the above site. There is no direct answer there regarding out of state licensed quads or ATVs, but there is some information that applies. Gravel roads 1 1/2 lanes wide or narrower are open to ATV use, paved roads and gravel two lanes wide or more are not. Oregon will not issue a license to an ATV, but does recognize the concept of reciprocity on the question of ATV permits. Permits are not licenses and only pertain to certain OHV sites and public lands. But the concept of reciprocity is endorsed as between states as long as both states extend the same privilege. Since Oregon and Arizona extend reciprocity to licensed motor vehicles, I would posit that this applies to all such licensed vehicles, but because Oregon does not license ATVs, the concept of reciprocity on a licensed quad is open for debate. None of us wants to get into a legal debate with Oregon LE.

So would Oregon recognize a motorcycle license on an out of state ATV?. I would say they have to unless their regulations specifically prohibit such allowance. Which they don't. But that is just a legal argument, and because ATVs are never licensed in Oregon, driving one on paved roads is going to attract attention, then you have an argument with law enforcement. On the other hand, at Hodaka Days, the organizers have permission on some level for using unlicensed off road bikes on city streets, and I don't see a quad in those circumstances being an issue. Just don't go on an excursion to the big city.

Friends of mine in Oregon ride quads on their local roads in rural Nyssa without hassle from Sheriff or local cops as long as they ride responsibly. That doesn't make it legal, but tends to show what cops might or might not do to enforce code. If you have a quad with a valid license from out of state, you have a prima facia argument of legality. I just would not push the envelope by riding outside the general area of Hodaka Days.

[Zyx]

"A non resident operator who is authorized on highways in another state can operate as a street legal ATV in Utah, only if that state reciprocates a Utah street legal ATV on the other state's highways. The non resident operator, who is reciprocal to Utah, will need to have Utah's required equipment before it can be operated as a street legal ATV."

This information is from an adjacent state, Utah, but shows how regulators think. Sure we offer reciprocity, as long as the other state also does, BUT your street legal ATV from somewhere else is going to have to also meet OUR requirements for equipment, which in Utah includes turn signals and the whole enchilada. There are a lot of licensed ATVs in AZ that don't have turn signals.

Still looking for similar info from Oregon.

[Zyx]

http://azstateparks.com/ohv/other.html

Another example, this time from the socialist republic of California. Note that even if RV or motorcycle plates allow use in AZ, they do NOT extend to use in CA. Still can't find anything this definitive regarding OR.

[Zyx]

Getting closer. This is from Washington State but discusses use of a WA licensed ATV in Oregon, and what is required.

http://waatva.org/atv-registration/

About half way down the page it discusses use in Oregon. But follow the link in the applicable paragraph, because there is also further discussion on what it takes to license an ATV in WA, and by extension, what Oregon may require from anyone else under the umbrella of reciprocity, as in, turn signals and more, plus insurance.

All that I gather from what I see is that Oregon recognizes reciprocity with other states. If Oregon were as anal as CA, the rules would say you can't use a WA licensed ATV in Oregon. However, the rules say you can if the vehicle is licensed in another state. I can't find definitively, but would suggest that in extending reciprocity, Oregon is going to expect you to have whatever is required of you in your home state. That is only a presumption based on the concept of reciprocity, not a legal conclusion which I am not licensed to offer anyway.

Bring the quad. If someone has a rash about it, park it.

[taber hodaka]

shorty I'm gonna jump in here just to give you a break. I feel one is guilty if he feels he is. In Montana if they sell you a license plate you are legal to ride. Some requirements only fall under the highway patrol. Fish and game, county sheriff almost no regulation. Forest service concern with riding double. I believe if you fallowed all rules that say you can't, we wouldn't legally be able to do anything. If we are riding responsibility and prudent I think you would be OK I know I would. This is not legal advice and I don't live in the what if world , What if my horn fell off and I ran over it, or what if someone stole my permanent license plate, those things do happen. LBM As shorty said bring the Quad. Northern AZ winter Montana summers ---------Clarence

[motovate]

Interesting link and pretty informative in a round about way. Looks like Washington State and probably Idaho are the only western states with clearly defined ATV/UTV requirements where you can license for the road. Actually much clearer then Arizona. Most of the info refers to "OHV" permits as far as reciprocity goes and even then you have to meet each states requirements for operating. At least you don't have to buy a permit for each state anymore if you ride anything off road if you have one from your home state. At one time you did.

Just for the fun of it I called a Bike/ATV/UTV dealer in La Grande,Ore and ask the question - - the answer was very clear - off road only no on road for these type of vehicles no matter what state licenses them. So locally in small settlements you can probably get by with it like you can with snowmobiles in the winter but if Johnny Law is having a bad day or isn't a true believer your day (my day!!!) might turn out badly.

The other thing is that since it is not a clearly "OK" thing some of the badge toters may well decide to confiscate the ride and that leads to another issue all together. In my past life I actually worked with "Officers" in Kalifornia who would and did confiscate off road MC's who were running "dealer plates instead of Green Stickers in the same vein as a local PD will tow a car without a license plate. Never ran into that in any other states I worked in but you just never know.

So I guess I am back to running the Side by Side around here if I get one and either lengthening my current car hauler or getting a longer one ( which is much cheaper anyway) and just towing the jeep around. Back to the drawing board!!!

Good research Shorty! Oregon was pretty quiet about it.

Back to Hodakas!
LBM

Getting closer. This is from Washington State but discusses use of a WA licensed ATV in Oregon, and what is required.

http://waatva.org/atv-registration/

About half way down the page it discusses use in Oregon. But follow the link in the applicable paragraph, because there is also further discussion on what it takes to license an ATV in WA, and by extension, what Oregon may require from anyone else under the umbrella of reciprocity, as in, turn signals and more, plus insurance.

All that I gather from what I see is that Oregon recognizes reciprocity with other states. If Oregon were as anal as CA, the rules would say you can't use a WA licensed ATV in Oregon. However, the rules say you can if the vehicle is licensed in another state. I can't find definitively, but would suggest that in extending reciprocity, Oregon is going to expect you to have whatever is required of you in your home state. That is only a presumption based on the concept of reciprocity, not a legal conclusion which I am not licensed to offer anyway.

Bring the quad. If someone has a rash about it, park it.