Side-by-sides can be street legal in Arkansas, but only where your city council or county judge has specifically opened roads to them. Act 922 of the 2025 Regular Session created that framework: a local ordinance or executive order designates which streets UTVs can use, and the driver has to carry a license, insurance, and a vehicle equipped to the state’s spec. Without that local action, driving a side-by-side on a public road is still illegal except in a few narrow situations.
What Counts as a UTV
Act 922 uses the term “utility task vehicle” and draws it tightly. To qualify, the machine must be 80 inches or less in width, ride on four or more low-pressure tires, have a steering wheel, use non-straddle seating (bench or bucket, not a saddle), and have a rollover protection system. It must also be designed for or capable of travel over unimproved terrain.1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session
Golf carts, riding lawnmowers, lawn or garden tractors, and traditional straddle-seat ATVs are excluded. If you ride a straddle-seat ATV, Act 922 does not help you; the older prohibition on ATV road use under Arkansas Code 27-21-106 still controls.1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session
Check Whether Your City or County Has Opened Roads
Act 922 did not make UTVs street legal statewide. It handed the decision to local government. A city’s governing body can pass an ordinance opening specific streets within city limits. In unincorporated areas, the county judge can issue an executive order doing the same for county roads.1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session
If the local action does not cover every road, it must include a map and a list identifying exactly which streets are open. That map is filed as an exhibit with the city clerk or county clerk. Before you drive, call the clerk’s office and confirm which routes have actually been designated.1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session
Rules can vary sharply between neighboring jurisdictions. A city 20 minutes down the road may have opened every residential street while your own town has done nothing. Assuming Act 922 alone makes the ride legal is the most common way people end up with a ticket.
Required Equipment
A UTV driven on a designated public road must have four categories of functional safety equipment:1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session
- At least two forward-facing headlamps.
- Rear-facing turn signals.
- At least one brake light.
- Seatbelts for all occupants.
Many stock UTVs already have headlamps and seatbelts, but rear-facing turn signals and a dedicated brake light are less common from the factory. Aftermarket kits bolt on without major modification. Install them before your first road trip.
Act 922 does not require mirrors, a windshield, a horn, or a muffler for street-legal operation. The rollover protection system is already part of the vehicle definition, so any machine that qualifies as a UTV has one.
License, Registration, and Insurance
You need a valid Arkansas driver’s license to operate a UTV on a designated road, and you are subject to whatever restrictions your license carries. Act 922 sets no separate minimum age. Any license restrictions, including those for intermediate or provisional licenses under Arkansas Code 27-16-804, apply behind the wheel of a UTV the same way they apply in a car.1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session
The UTV has to be registered with the Arkansas Office of Motor Vehicle under the standard motor vehicle registration process. You display the registration decal on the driver’s side roll bar rather than on a license plate bracket.1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session Because the act is new, the OMV may still be finalizing fee schedules and forms for street-legal UTV registration. Your local revenue office can confirm current costs.
Liability insurance must meet the same minimums Arkansas requires for a private passenger car.1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session Those minimum limits are $25,000, $50,000, and $75,000.2Department of Finance and Administration. Safety Responsibility Carry proof of insurance with you whenever you drive on public roads. Not every insurer writes UTV policies for on-road use, so expect to shop around, and expect higher premiums than an off-road-only recreational policy.
Roads That Are Off-Limits No Matter What
Even after your local government opens roads, three categories are permanently off-limits and cannot be waived by any city council or county judge:1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session
- Roads with speed limits above 55 mph.
- Divided four-lane highways.
- Roads within state parks.
You also have to follow all standard rules of the road, including speed limits, traffic signals, and right-of-way rules, the same way you would in a car. Act 922 does not impose a separate UTV speed cap below the posted limit. If a designated road is posted at 45 mph, you can legally travel at 45 mph. Whether a stock UTV handles safely at that speed on pavement with off-road tires and a high center of gravity is a different question.
Exceptions That Don’t Need Local Approval
A few situations were already legal before Act 922 and remain so under Arkansas Code 27-21-106. You can operate an ATV or UTV on a public road if:
- You are using the vehicle in farming or hunting operations and need to travel on a public road to get from one field to another.3Justia. Arkansas Code 27-21-106 – Operation on Public Streets and Highways Unlawful – Exceptions – Definition
- You are making a direct, roughly perpendicular crossing of a road. You must come to a complete stop, yield to oncoming traffic, and cross at approximately a 90-degree angle. Crossing a divided highway is only allowed at an intersection. Between sunset and sunrise, headlights and taillights must be on.3Justia. Arkansas Code 27-21-106 – Operation on Public Streets and Highways Unlawful – Exceptions – Definition
- You have lost one or both legs above the ankle or have a physician-certified serious walking disability, in which case you may operate a multi-wheeled ATV on non-hard-surfaced roads, highway shoulders, and certain public streets when those routes are the most reasonable way to reach an off-road trail. The vehicle must display a red flag on a pole extending at least 36 inches above the seat, and you must carry the physician’s certificate.3Justia. Arkansas Code 27-21-106 – Operation on Public Streets and Highways Unlawful – Exceptions – Definition
These exceptions are narrow. Traveling from one field to another for farming is not the same thing as running errands in town. If your use does not fit squarely into one of them, you need local designation under Act 922.
Penalties
Operating a UTV on a public road without meeting Act 922’s requirements, and without fitting one of the older exceptions, is a Class C misdemeanor. Conviction carries a fine between $10 and $50, up to 30 days in jail, or both.1Arkansas State Legislature. Act 922 of the Regular Session The fine range is small, but a misdemeanor on your record is a lasting consequence, and driving without required insurance can trigger further action under the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act, including possible license suspension.
National Forest Roads Are a Separate Question
A street-legal UTV under Act 922 does not automatically have access to roads on federal land. The U.S. Forest Service uses Motor Vehicle Use Maps to designate which roads and trails are open to which vehicle types, and some routes are limited to highway-legal vehicles only while others are open to off-highway vehicles.4US Forest Service. Maps If you plan to ride on national forest roads in Arkansas, pull the current Motor Vehicle Use Map for that forest and check your route. Routes not shown on the map are closed to motor vehicle travel.