ATV Riding Laws – Kansas

Although no specific state agency regulates ATVs in Kansas, all ATVs must be titled and registered. The Kansas Department of Revenue provides registration and titles to owners. Individuals who purchase an all-terrain vehicle have 30 days to file for an application. A title is not needed for a vehicle owned since June 30, 1996, or before then.

The state bans any ATV from being driven on an interstate or highway. One cannot be driven in the limits of a city with more than 15,000 people. However, cities do have the authority to override this ban and permit the use of all-terrain vehicles on streets within their jurisdictions. The Wichita Eagle reported in 2013 that police were encouraging the public to identify all-terrain vehicles being driven on city streets (from noting their use on roads to noticing the absence of tags and safety equipment). Wichita is a city of over 388,000 as of 2014. In any case, operation on public roads at night is forbidden unless there are functioning headlights and taillights on the vehicle.

Designation of All-Terrain Vehicle in Kansas

The Kansas Statutes define an ATV as one that weighs 1,000 pounds or less and is 48 inches wide or less. Vehicles with three or more low-pressure tires, of a pneumatic tire six inches or wider, and rim diameter of 12 inches or less, are included in the definition. It also includes those with a straddled seat and requires 10 pounds per square inch or less of operating pressure.

Rules on Who Can Operate an ATV in Kansas

A license is not required to operate the vehicle. The state has also not issued an age limit or restriction. However, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment recommends that no child under 16 operate an all-terrain vehicle given its operating difficulty and tendency to roll over and eject operators and passengers. Teens and children regularly ride, and tragic accidents sometimes involve them. In June 2017, a 14-year-old from the town of Liberal, Kansas, was killed. He was a passenger, driven by a 16-year-old who was not injured in the crash, according to KSN.com.

All-terrain vehicle accidents involve adults as well. A farmer in Muscotah died after an ATV rolled over and landed on him while he was working. The Consumer Product Safety Commission puts Kansas in the middle of the pack when it comes to accident fatalities. The Commission’s data on ATV accident fatality statistics from 1982 to 2015 show that 165 people were involved in fatal crashes during that time.