Operating Your OHV Legally

OHVs may be operated on county roads, paved or otherwise, unless the road is posted with a sign showing that OHV operation is prohibited.

You may operate on private lands if you have permission from the landowner.

OHVs may cross a state highway only at those locations that are posted as an approved crossing location. The OHV must cross at a 90-degree angle to the highway.

An ATV may be operated on a groomed snowmobile trail if the ATV has a snowmobile registration sticker and the trail is open for ATV use. To find out if a trail is open to ATVs, check with the local county sheriff and the land manager.

Riding on public lands is a privilege. To protect this privilege:

• Ride only in OHV–designated areas. However, land use designations change. To get the most current information about areas that are open for OHV riding, contact the local land manager.
• Ride in single file on the right side of the road or trail.

The U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and other federal and state land managing agencies determine where OHV use is permitted on their lands. The operator is responsible for knowing which routes are open to OHVs.

OHV Maps

OHV maps are available from the IDPR through the Idaho Trail Mapping Program. To find ATV, motorbike, and UTV trails, visit the IDPR’s trail mapping website. On this website, you can select your riding area. Then you can print your map and also export it to Google Earth or a GPS unit.

Maps also are available from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.