ATV Riding Laws – Louisiana

Louisiana requires all ATV operators to have a title and registration unless they use them for agriculture. The Department of Motor Vehicles regulates usage and manages the renewal of registrations, which must be done once every two years. The Department provides owners with a decal to put on their vehicles.

Restrictions

There is no state agency to regulate all-terrain vehicles. However, operators are restricted from driving in state parks. The Louisiana Statutes, revised in 2011, permit these and other off-road vehicles to run on public road and highway shoulders if used for farming activities, and within five miles of the farmer’s property, except for in Orleans Parish. Farmers, however, cannot go on interstate highways. To drive on the permitted surfaces, operators need a Class “E” driver’s license.

If using road shoulders, vehicles operators can do so only from 30 minutes after sunrise to a half-hour before sunset. Additionally, designated professionals can use off-road vehicles on streets within state-owned colleges and universities. They include paramedics and emergency technicians, police officers, and university/college employees.

All-terrain vehicles can be operated on trails in wildlife management areas. A permit is required to ride on year-round trails, per state law.

Accidents Involving ATVs in Louisiana

The Consumer Product Safety Commission ranked the state behind Alabama, Mississippi, and chart toppers Texas and West Virginia for the number of accident fatalities from 1982 through 2015. Ranked 19th in this category, the state had 321 deaths during this time. But accidents continue to be reported. In June 2017, an ATV was involved in a crash with dirt bikes and a Pontiac Grand Prix. It did not have headlights on, according to police; ejected from the vehicle, the driver died on the scene.

Illegal All-Terrain Vehicle Activity on the Rise

Local media outlets have reported numerous instances of illegal ATVs on streets, roads, and highways. There have been complaints of traffic held up by the vehicles. The absence of seatbelts has made operating them dangerous on roads, as riders can be ejected by any impact, even from a sideswipe with another vehicle, as occurred in one incident reported by WWL-TV. Those registered with the state must have restraints, lights, and other safety elements.

An April 2017 police crackdown on ATV drivers in New Orleans involved barricades and officers for traffic control. Complaints about large gatherings in the streets prompted the efforts. The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) also dealt with unlicensed food and liquor sellers. The crackdown halted the event and one arrest was made for narcotics possession, according to a news report, and an all-terrain vehicle was confiscated after it was caught driving on the street. However, enforcement is difficult, as the NOPD has faced officer shortages. The law already restricts the use of off-road vehicles on public roads unless they’re used for agriculture and properly licensed.