ATV Riding Laws – Missouri

Title XIX of the Missouri statutes covers the legal provisions for Motor Vehicles, Watercraft, and Aviation in the state. This statute includes legislation for the use of ATVs on both public and private lands.

Securing Ownership

Ownership without registration of title is illegal in Missouri. Owners of ATVs must obtain a certificate of ownership from the Missouri Department of Revenue within 30 days of purchase. Any person younger than 16 may not register an all-terrain vehicle.

Registration is not transferable. Should vehicles be sold, their certificates of registration will lapse, and purchasers are required to register the ATVs in their name. Accordingly, they will be required to pay a registration fee and visibly display a valid decal on the vehicle.

Registration is not required for the following vehicles:

  • An all-terrain vehicle owned and used by the federal government, Missouri state government or another state.
  • An ATV which has not been in Missouri for more than 30 days and is registered in another country or state.
  • ATV Riding Restrictions
  • Missouri imposes several restrictions on where ATV users may ride:
  • Roads and highways. Only ATVs owned by government and driven on official business, as well as those used by farmers in daylight hours may ride on the state’s highways and roads. The speed limit for these vehicles is 30mph.
  • Authorities may issue permits to handicapped persons and other licensed drivers to use ATVs on city streets or country roads. All riders must be in possession of a valid driver’s license.
  • Private property. No rider may use an ATV on private property without the permission of the landowner.
  • Local Authorities. Individual municipalities may adopt ordinances that permit ATVs to be ridden on the streets and highways within their jurisdiction.
  • Waterways. Only owners of properties which include streams or rivers may ride through them. Otherwise, ATV riders need to secure the owner’s permission to do so. ATV users are prohibited from riding through waterways on public land.
  • Railroads. The property through which a railroad runs is private. Consequently, any person riding an ATV on or alongside the tracks is committing an offense. Authorities take this seriously because these riders are endangering their own and other people’s lives.

Additional Operating Restrictions

Under Missouri law, children under the age of 16 may not ride an ATV unless they are accompanied or supervised by a parent or guardian. Alternatively, they may be accompanied by a person appointed by a parent or guardian for that purpose.

Riding an ATV under the influence of drugs or alcohol is prohibited. They are also forbidden to operate a vehicle in a way that will endanger another person or cause damage to property.

All riders under the age of 18 are required to wear a crash helmet. No ATV may carry a passenger, except when used on agricultural land.

Safety Requirements

All ATVs must be fitted with the following equipment and devices:

  • Brakes in good working order.
  • An effective muffler.
  • A spark arrestor approved by the U.S. Forest Service.
  • A headlight, tail light, and slow moving equipment emblem for use on a street or highway.
  • A bicycle flag attached to the back of the ATV and 7 feet off the ground when riding on a roadway.