Arizona OHV Laws: Decals, Helmets, and Where You Can Ride

If you ride an off-highway vehicle in Arizona, the state requires you to buy a $25 annual OHV decal, equip the machine with specific safety gear, follow age and helmet rules, and register the vehicle separately if you want to use it on paved roads. Arizona OHV laws apply on any public or state land, and violations run from Class 3 to Class 2 misdemeanors — not warnings.¹

The rules cover ATVs, side-by-sides, dirt bikes, dune buggies, sand rails, and similar motorized vehicles designed for recreational off-highway travel.² Watercraft, utility vehicles, and mining or railroad equipment are outside the definition and outside this article.

The Arizona OHV Decal

You need an OHV decal if the vehicle was designed by the manufacturer primarily for travel over unimproved terrain and has an unladen weight of 2,500 pounds or less.³ Anything heavier is exempt. Riding without a decal on public or state land is a Class 2 misdemeanor.⁴

The resident decal costs $25 plus a processing fee and is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.¹ Before buying or renewing, one registered owner has to complete the free online course “OHV Decal: Safe & Ethical Riding in Arizona.” Display the decal in the upper left corner of the license plate area, with the registration sticker in the upper right.⁵

Out-of-state visitors are not exempt. Since September 2019, nonresidents have had to buy a nonresident OHV decal before riding in Arizona. It also costs $25 plus a processing fee, is valid for one year, and covers only one machine — decals are not transferable between vehicles. Nonresidents display the decal on the left rear quarter panel for vehicles with three or more wheels, or on the left fork leg for two-wheeled machines. Dual-sport motorcycles and four-wheel-drive trucks do not need one.⁶

Required Safety Equipment

Every OHV operating in Arizona must carry the following, and missing any of it is a citable offense:⁷

Brakes adequate to control the vehicle and stop it reliably.
A USDA-approved spark arrestor, running constantly while the engine is on, except on a closed course.
A muffler or noise-reduction device that keeps sound at or below 96 decibels, except on a closed course.
Headlights and taillights meeting the manufacturer’s guidelines, required from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.
A safety flag at least 6 by 12 inches, mounted at least eight feet above the ground, when riding on sand dunes or in areas designated by the managing agency.

The flag rule catches people out. If you’re headed to sand dunes near Yuma or another designated dune area, you need a whip flag before you unload, not after a ranger stops you.

Helmet and Age Rules

Anyone under 18 must wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet with a minimum DOT safety rating while operating or riding as a passenger on an OHV on public or state land.⁷ Adults are not required by state law to wear one.

Arizona does not set a minimum age for OHV operation, but children under 12 may only ride on roads, trails, and areas specifically opened to them by a federal, state, or local government agency. They cannot ride recklessly, ride off-trail in ways that damage habitat or natural resources, or enter closed areas.⁴ When a child under 12 violates any of these rules, the citation goes to the parent or legal guardian. For minors between 12 and 15, the citation can go to either the minor or the parent, but not both.

Riding on Paved Roads

The OHV decal only authorizes off-road use. To ride on paved and improved roads, you need a separate state motor vehicle registration.⁸ Before the state will register the vehicle, it must be equipped with all of the following:⁹

At least one brake operable by hand or foot
A brake light
Headlights that shine at least 500 feet ahead
A taillight visible from at least 500 feet to the rear
At least one red rear reflector, if not built into the taillight
A license plate light
A horn audible from at least 200 feet
A muffler in good working order and in constant operation
At least one rearview mirror
A seat and footrests for the operator and each passenger
A fuel tank cap

Eye protection is also required on streets and highways unless the vehicle has a protective windshield.⁹ Riders in the Phoenix or Tucson metro areas may need to pass an emissions test, and once registered the vehicle must carry liability insurance like any other motor vehicle.

Without street-legal registration, an OHV generally cannot travel on paved or improved roads. Local authorities, usually the county sheriff, may allow unregistered vehicles to cross certain maintained roads. Where crossing is permitted, you must cross at a 90-degree angle at a point with clear visibility and no obstructions.⁹ Check with local law enforcement before you assume any crossing is legal.

Where You Can Ride

State Trust Land

An OHV decal lets you cross State Trust Land on existing roads and trails if the vehicle weighs less than 1,800 pounds.¹⁰ That threshold is lower than the 2,500-pound decal cutoff, so some heavier side-by-sides that require a decal still cannot use the decal alone to cross Trust Land.

The decal only covers crossing on established routes. Any other activity on State Trust Land — staging, parking, camping, hiking, sightseeing — requires a separate Recreation Permit from the Arizona State Land Department. Riding off existing roads and trails is prohibited, and so is operating a motorized vehicle within a quarter mile of any occupied or unoccupied building, paved surface, or stock tank.¹⁰

National Forest Land

Forest roads use a two-tier system. On state, county, and forest roads marked with a horizontal route number such as “FR 249,” your vehicle must be street-legal and you must be a licensed driver. On unmarked forest roads or roads identified by a vertical route marker, you do not need a driver’s license or street-legal registration.⁹ Each National Forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map showing which routes are open, and riding off designated routes is a federal violation.

BLM Land

Bureau of Land Management land is managed through travel management plans that designate roads, trails, and areas as open, limited, or closed to motorized use. Fenced areas protect sensitive wildlife and plant habitat and are closed to vehicles. Open riding areas exist where posted, but riders must obey all signs and stay within designated boundaries.¹¹ Arizona equipment and registration rules apply on BLM land too.

Penalties

Operating without a valid OHV decal is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Other operation violations — missing equipment, riding in closed areas, ignoring age rules — are Class 3 misdemeanors.⁴ Under Arizona’s misdemeanor framework, a Class 2 carries up to four months in jail and a fine of up to $750; a Class 3 carries up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.

Instead of, or in addition to, a fine, a judge can order 8 to 24 hours of community service, completion of an approved OHV safety course, or both.⁴ Violations on federal land carry their own penalties on top of state consequences, and resource-damage citations from the Forest Service or BLM can cost significantly more than a state misdemeanor fine.

1
Arizona DOT. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) and Boating Registration
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1171 – Definitions
3
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1177 – Off-Highway Vehicle User Fee; Indicia; Registration
4
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1174 – Operation Restrictions; Violation; Classification; Citation
5
Arizona Game & Fish Department. OHV Decals
6
Arizona State Parks. OHV Trails and Off-Highway Vehicle Program
7
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1179 – Off-Highway Vehicle Equipment Requirements; Rule Making; Exception
8
Arizona State Parks. Arizona Off-Highway Vehicle Registration
9
Arizona State Parks. OHV Laws and Regulations
10
Arizona State Parks. Trails on Arizona State Trust Land
11
Bureau of Land Management. Off-Highway Vehicles