A red sticker in California is the Department of Motor Vehicles identification plate issued to off-highway motorcycles and ATVs that don’t meet California Air Resources Board emission standards. The rule most riders need to know in 2025: red sticker vehicles are no longer limited to seasonal riding and can be used year-round on public lands open to OHV recreation. The program itself still exists, registration is still required, and your vehicle keeps its red designation.
What Makes a Vehicle a Red Sticker
California’s emission rules for off-highway recreational vehicles sit in Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations. Under 13 CCR § 2412, manufacturers must certify that their engines meet exhaust and evaporative limits before selling vehicles in the state. Engines that fall short can still be sold, but with use restrictions attached.1California Code of Regulations. Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 13, 2412 – Emission Standards and Test Procedures – New Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles and Engines
The red sticker designation applies to off-road motorcycles and ATVs from model years 2003 through 2021 that were certified under an alternative compliance pathway instead of meeting the full standards. A green sticker, by contrast, goes to vehicles that fully comply with CARB emission standards and have always had unrestricted year-round access to public OHV areas.2California Department of Motor Vehicles. Off-Highway Vehicle Registration
Checking Your VIN
The fastest way to tell whether an OHV is a red sticker vehicle is to read the eighth character of the 17-character VIN stamped on the frame. If that position shows a “3” or the letter “C,” the vehicle does not meet full CARB emission standards and falls into the red category. If you’re buying a used OHV and aren’t sure, the DMV can verify the designation when you apply for registration.
What Changed on January 1, 2025
Before 2025, red sticker vehicles could only operate during designated riding seasons at specific OHV areas. Those seasons varied by region and local air quality conditions, and parks enforced the schedule with signage and ranger patrols.3Legal Information Institute. Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 13, 2415 – California Off-Highway Vehicle Areas and Riding Seasons for Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles with Use Restrictions
The emission regulation contained a built-in sunset. Section 2412(f) stated that model year 2003 through 2021 vehicles not meeting full emission standards could operate only during restricted seasons “until January 1, 2025.”1California Code of Regulations. Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 13, 2412 – Emission Standards and Test Procedures – New Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles and Engines After that date, the seasonal limits simply expired.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: red sticker vehicles did not convert to green stickers. Your vehicle keeps its red designation and you renew it the same way you always did. The practical difference is that red and green stickers are now equally valid year-round in all public areas designated for OHV recreation.4California State Parks. Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Information Bulletin 24-3
How to Register and Renew
Any OHV used on public lands in California needs a DMV-issued identification plate. Operating without one is an infraction under California Vehicle Code § 38020.5California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 38020 For an initial registration you’ll need:
- Application for Title or Registration (REG 343), available at any DMV field office or on the DMV website.
- Verification of Vehicle (REG 31), often required for out-of-state transfers or vehicles without clean title history.
- The complete 17-character VIN from the frame, plus engine displacement and specifications.
- Proof of ownership, such as a bill of sale, manufacturer’s certificate of origin, or prior title.
Registration costs $54 and covers a two-year period.6California State Parks. OHV Registration Renewal payments must be received or postmarked by June 30 to avoid a 50-percent late fee penalty, and the fee cannot be prorated even if you pay late.2California Department of Motor Vehicles. Off-Highway Vehicle Registration
Initial registration requires a visit to a DMV field office. Renewals can be mailed to the Sacramento processing unit. The DMV does not currently offer online renewal for OHV registrations.
Where to Display the Sticker
California Vehicle Code § 38010 requires off-highway vehicles to display a DMV-issued identification plate.7California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 38010 Placement is governed by Vehicle Code § 38170 and varies by vehicle type.8California Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual – OHV Identification Plate Motorcycles typically carry the plate on the left fork leg; ATVs and other four-wheeled OHVs mount it on the rear frame or another permanent structure. The sticker shows the month and year of expiration in a center stripe. Keep it visible, since rangers check at trailheads and on the trail.
Model Year 2022 and Newer
This is where the program gets genuinely confusing, because CARB’s intent and the DMV’s actual practice don’t fully line up.
When CARB amended its regulations in 2019, the plan was that starting with model year 2022, off-road motorcycles and ATVs that couldn’t meet emission standards would no longer be eligible for red sticker registration. They would be categorized as competition-only vehicles, limited to private land and sanctioned racing events on closed courses.9California State Parks. Legislation Updates
In practice, the DMV has continued issuing red sticker registrations for model year 2022 and newer vehicles. A 2024 information bulletin from the OHMVR Division confirmed this and directed law enforcement to treat all off-highway vehicles with current red sticker registration as valid regardless of model year, as long as the registration matches the VIN.4California State Parks. Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Information Bulletin 24-3 If you own a 2022 or newer non-compliant motorcycle or ATV with a current red sticker, you can ride it on public OHV lands without enforcement action for now.
The gap may not last. Riders buying new non-compliant vehicles should watch whether CARB and DMV eventually reconcile their positions. The safer long-term assumption is that future models will need to meet green sticker emission standards to guarantee public land access.
Visiting from Out of State
If you’re bringing an OHV in from another state, it still needs to be legal for California public land use. You have three options: ride a street-licensed vehicle, rely on current OHV registration from a home state that has reciprocity with California, or buy a California Nonresident OHV Use Permit. The permit costs $30 and is valid through December 31 of the year you purchase it.10California State Parks. Nonresident OHV Permit Vendors
Reciprocity is not universal. Arizona does not have reciprocity with California, so even a street-licensed Arizona OHV or one with an Arizona off-road sticker needs a California nonresident permit. The OHMVR Division keeps a list of authorized vendors on its website; calling ahead is wise, since not every vendor stocks permits year-round.
Penalties for Riding Unregistered
Riding an OHV on public land without a valid identification plate is an infraction under CVC § 38020. Before 2025, violating the red sticker seasonal riding schedule was treated as a separate breach of the same section, because the statute specifically included riding outside the seasons set by 13 CCR § 2412(f) and § 2415.5California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 38020 With the seasonal restrictions expired as of January 1, 2025, that enforcement pathway no longer applies to model year 2003–2021 vehicles.
The more common issue today is an expired registration. If your sticker has lapsed, you’re unregistered, and a ranger or peace officer can cite you. The easiest way to avoid a trailhead problem is to keep the renewal current, especially given the 50-percent late penalty that kicks in after June 30.
What a Red Sticker Is Not
A red sticker is separate from the “competition only” category. True competition machines lack a standard 17-character VIN, don’t carry EPA or CARB emission labels, don’t meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and often bear a “Competition Only” label from the manufacturer.11California DMV. Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual – Definitions They cannot be registered for OHV use at all; the DMV will refuse the application. They can only operate on a “closed course,” which California Vehicle Code § 38014 defines as a speedway, racetrack, or prescribed route closed to all vehicles other than race participants and never open to general public access.12California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 38014 If your vehicle has a VIN and a red sticker, this category doesn’t apply to you.