Observing ORV Laws in Indiana

What Is an Off-Road Vehicle (ORV)?
IC-14-8-2-185

According to Indiana law, an ORV is a motor-driven vehicle capable of cross-country travel without benefit of a road and on or immediately over land, water, snow, ice, marsh, swampland, or other natural terrain.

The term “ORV” includes:

• A multi-wheel drive or low-pressure tire vehicle
• An amphibious machine
• A ground-effect air-cushion vehicle
• Other forms of transportation that are powered by a means other than muscle or wind
  

Registering Your ORV
IC-14-16-1-8; IC-14-16-1-9; IC-14-16-1-11; IC-14-16-1-11.5

• If you operate an ORV on public property, it must be registered. The only exception is a vehicle that is properly registered in another state and operated by a resident of that state.
• All ORVs purchased after December 31, 2003, must be registered.
• ORVs are registered by submitting an application to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The registration fee is $30, and the registration is valid for three years.
• Registration application forms are available from most dealers, most license branches, and the DNR Customer Service Center; or they can be printed from the DNR website at www.in.gov/icpr/webfile/formsdiv/00390.pdf.
• Upon approval of the application, the DNR will issue two registration decals and a Certificate of Registration containing the vehicle number.
• The pocket-sized Certificate of Registration must be carried on the vehicle and made available for inspection by law enforcement officers.
• A bill of sale will serve in lieu of the Certificate of Registration for 31 days from the purchase date.
• Registration decals must be attached to both sides of the forward half of the vehicle.
• All decals must be maintained in a legible condition, and expired decals must be removed from the vehicle.
• If your ORV is currently registered and you wish to renew, you may do so online.

Other Facts about Registration
IC-14-16-1-14; IC-14-16-1-15

• The owner of a registered vehicle must notify the DNR within 15 days if:
  • The vehicle is destroyed or abandoned or …
  • The vehicle is sold, or an interest in the vehicle is transferred wholly or in part to another person or …
  • The owner’s address changes.
• If a Certificate of Registration is lost, mutilated, or illegible, the owner of the vehicle may purchase a duplicate from the DNR for a fee.
• A person may not operate a vehicle with an altered, defaced, or obliterated vehicle number.

Buying and Selling an ORV
IC-14-16-1-14

• A person who buys a registered ORV must apply within 15 days from the date of purchase to transfer the Certificate of Registration to his or her name.
• If the application is not made within 15 days, the person may not operate the ORV until a certificate is issued.
  

Operating on Highways and Roads
IC-14-16-1-20

• An ORV may be ridden on the public right-of-way adjacent to a public highway, except a limited access highway, when there is sufficient width to do so without endangering life or property.
• You may cross a public highway, other than a limited access highway, at a 90-degree angle to get from one area to another. To do so, you must:
  • Bring your vehicle to a complete stop before crossing and ...
  • Yield to all traffic.
• Cities, towns, and counties have individual laws pertaining to ORVs. Check these before riding.
• An ORV may be operated on a road or highway for a special event after obtaining a permit.
  

Operating on Public Property
IC-14-16-1-27

• An ORV may not be ridden on public property without the consent of the state or an agency of the state.
• An ORV may not be ridden in a U.S. forest without the consent of the U.S. Forest Service.
  

Understanding Operator Requirements
IC-14-16-1-20

• Persons under 14 years of age may operate an ORV only if:
  • They are supervised by a person who is at least 18 years of age or ...
  • They are operating on property owned or controlled by the operator’s parent or guardian.
• A person may not operate an ORV on a public highway without a valid motor vehicle driver’s license.