Ask a Conservation Officer

[Lee Borgersen]

  Ask a Conservation Officer:

           Rules for ATVs on roads.......



Q: My county passed an ordinance that now allows ATVs to be ridden on the far right-hand shoulder of county roads. Does this mean that I can ride my ATV anywhere I want in the county?

A: No. County boards have jurisdiction over county roads, county state aid highways, and some township roads and city streets, depending on the organization of the county. These ordinances have enabled great riding and transportation opportunities for ATV riders in those areas, but the ordinances do not apply to state highways and some city streets.

State highways are still restricted areas for ATVs; they can only be operated in the bottom or out-slope of the ditch.

Keep in mind that most of these county ordinances only authorize the riding of the ATV on the far right-hand shoulder of the road, and many include a speed limit, closed areas, or other requirements. Check with your local county office for specifics. Ride safe, and be respectful of private property.

Matthew S. Miller is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer with the Lake Superior Marine Unit.