You can drive a side-by-side on the road in Minnesota, but only in narrow circumstances: along the shoulders and ditches of county roads under state law, or on specific streets that a city, town, or county has opened to side-by-side traffic through a local permit ordinance. You cannot simply ride in the travel lane of a highway, and interstates are always off-limits.
Two different statutes create two different pathways onto the pavement. Knowing which one you are relying on determines where you can go, what paperwork you need, and whether local rules even apply.
Riding on County Road Rights-of-Way
Section 84.928 gives side-by-sides a baseline right to use certain road rights-of-way anywhere in the state, no local permit required. For a Class 2 all-terrain vehicle (the category most full-size side-by-sides fall into), that access is limited to:
- The right shoulder or the extreme right-hand side of a county state-aid or county highway.
- The bank, slope, or ditch of a trunk, county state-aid, or county highway, but only to reach a business or connect to a trail.
- Left turns from any part of the road when conditions allow it safely.
That’s the whole menu. You are not entitled to cruise down the travel lane of a highway on a side-by-side, and state trunk highways allow only bank-and-ditch travel for business access and trail connections, not general riding.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.928
Local Permit Programs for Designated Streets
The second pathway is Section 169.045. Any county, city, or town can pass an ordinance authorizing side-by-sides and ATVs on specific designated roadways, and operation under those ordinances requires a permit from the local government. This is how smaller communities open their main streets to side-by-side traffic.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 169.045
When you are riding under a local permit, standard traffic laws apply to you as if you were driving a car, with two useful exceptions. You do not need a driver’s license to operate a side-by-side or ATV on a designated roadway under this program, and you can cross any street or highway that intersects the designated road.
Two restrictions ride with you regardless of the local ordinance. You cannot operate during inclement weather, fog, smoke, or any condition where you can’t see people and vehicles at 500 feet. And you can only operate between sunrise and sunset unless your machine has factory-installed headlights, taillights, and brake lights.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 169.045
The two pathways are independent. Section 84.928 covers your shoulder-and-ditch access statewide. Section 169.045 covers street riding, and only if your local government has opted in.
Registration and Equipment
Before any public road use, your side-by-side must be registered with the Department of Natural Resources. Registration costs $60 for three calendar years, plus an $8.50 issuing fee for new registrations or $6.00 for renewals. Transfers between owners run $4.00 plus the issuing fee.3Minnesota DNR. Off-Highway Vehicle Registrations and Fees
If you want to ride after dark, original-equipment headlights, taillights, and rear-facing brake lights have to be installed and working. Without them, you are limited to sunrise-to-sunset hours. A functioning muffler or exhaust system is also required on public lands.
A note on classification: Section 169.045 defines a “utility task vehicle” with a dry weight between 1,800 and 2,600 pounds, while the Class 2 ATV definition under Section 84.92 caps dry weight at 2,000 pounds.4Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.92 If your machine is heavier than 2,000 pounds, it may still qualify for a local road permit even though it isn’t a Class 2 ATV for trail purposes.
Who Can Drive It
Minnesota’s age rules are strict, and one of them catches many families off guard: no one under 15 can operate a Class 2 all-terrain vehicle at all. Since most full-size side-by-sides are wider than 50 inches and fall into Class 2, that effectively bars younger teenagers from driving them anywhere, including trails and road rights-of-way.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.9256
For smaller machines that qualify as Class 1 vehicles with side-by-side seating:
- Under 10 cannot operate on public lands or cross public roads.
- Ages 10 to 11 can operate a Class 1 side-by-side with an engine up to 170cc on public lands, but only when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
- Ages 12 to 15 can cross public roads and ride on public lands or state trails, but must hold a valid ATV safety certificate and be accompanied by an adult at least 18 or older who has a valid driver’s license.
Any operator under 16 must also be physically able to reach and control the steering wheel and foot controls while sitting upright with the seat belt fully engaged. If the machine is too large for the rider, operation is illegal regardless of age or certification.
The safety certificate requires a DNR-approved course with a riding component. Riders 16 and older can complete the training entirely online, including a virtual riding portion. The All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Institute’s ATV Rider Course ($55) also satisfies the state’s safety certificate requirement.6Minnesota DNR. ATV Safety Training Requirements
Insurance for Road Use
Minnesota’s no-fault law under Section 65B.48 requires insurance for every motor vehicle required to be registered in the state, and a DNR-registered side-by-side falls under that umbrella when you operate it on public roads. The minimum coverage is $30,000 bodily injury per person, $60,000 bodily injury per accident, and $10,000 property damage.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 65B
Standard auto policies usually don’t cover side-by-sides. You will likely need a separate ATV or off-road policy. The Minnesota Department of Commerce notes that most carriers offer liability limits starting at $15,000 for these vehicles, so confirm your limits meet the state minimums before you ride on any public road. If you only use the machine on private land, insurance isn’t legally required, though it still has value for liability exposure.
Where You Still Cannot Ride
Opening a road to side-by-sides does not open everything else. You cannot operate in unfrozen public waters, state parks, scientific and natural areas, wildlife management areas, or calcareous fens. Trails posted or signed for nonmotorized use are off-limits, and so is any restricted area with posted signs or gates blocking motorized access.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.773
Wetland protections also prohibit operating a side-by-side in a way that carelessly upsets the ecological balance of a wetland or causes damage beyond what state conservation rules allow. The standard is willful, wanton, or reckless disregard, which treats deliberate marsh-tearing differently from incidental contact in a wet area.
Penalties
Most violations of Minnesota’s off-highway vehicle laws are misdemeanors, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. First-time equipment or registration offenses typically draw fines well below that cap. Environmental violations under Section 84.773 can also carry restoration orders in addition to fines.
The most serious exposure is a DWI. Minnesota applies its impaired-driving law to off-highway vehicles the same way it applies to cars. The legal blood-alcohol limit is 0.08, and you can be arrested at lower levels if an officer observes impairment. Cannabis and other substances carry the same penalties, with no numerical limit.9Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Impaired Driving Laws
A first-offense DWI is a misdemeanor and can cost you your driver’s license for up to a year, along with thousands of dollars in costs and possible jail time. A first offense at a BAC of 0.16 or higher triggers an ignition interlock requirement to regain driving privileges. Second offenses within 20 years require two years of ignition interlock, third offenses six years, and four or more offenses ten years. A DWI on your side-by-side hits your regular driver’s license, not just your off-road privileges.