Can You Make a UTV Street Legal in Arkansas?

It is not possible to register a UTV in Arkansas as street legal for reasons discussed below.

However, it is possible to make a UTV street legal in Arkansas by registering in another state. The resulting title, registration, and license plate will allow you to drive your side-by-side on roads, highways, and city streets in Arkansas and beyond.

This page covers street legal UTVs in Arkansas from top to bottom including relevant laws, details about OHV areas, and times when a normal UTV can be driven on Arkansan roads. Review the following resources to learn more.

Rather ride than read? Start making your UTV street legal in Arkansas right now with the help of our expert team.

We have made our best effort to include all relevant details, but something we did not cover might apply to your situation. We are enthusiasts, not attorneys. This is not legal advice.

Why Arkansas Can’t Register UTVs as Street Legal

In order to register a UTV as street legal through the Arkansas DMV, it would need to fit Arkansas’s definition of a street legal vehicle and pass an Arkansas motor vehicle inspection, however Arkansas’s laws do not allow for this.

The Arkansas Transportation Code states that “It is unlawful for a person to operate an all-terrain vehicle on a public street or highway of this state, even if the all-terrain vehicle otherwise meets the equipment standards of [a street legal vehicle].” This applies in all but a few strict circumstances related to local travel as described in a later section below. That means UTVs and other off-highway vehicles cannot be registered as regular passenger vehicles in Arkansas, and none of the other vehicle categories found in the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Code fit the description of a conventional UTV. Of the possible candidates:

• Autocycles must have three wheels

• Motorcycles cannot have more than three wheels

• Low-Speed Vehicles cannot be capable of exceeding 25 MPH

• Mini-Trucks cannot be more than 48” wide, must weigh at least 1,500 pounds, and must have a full metal cab among other requirements

Additional resources used to inform this section are linked in the Laws, Codes, and Other Resources section below.

How to get street legal

In states like Montana and South Dakota, the vehicle code allows UTVs to be registered as street legal vehicles. You can register your UTV in those states without ever leaving your home. Once registration is complete and the required equipment is installed, your UTV will be street legal in Arkansas with an out-of-state registration (see How to Make Your UTV Street Legal).

From the world-famous Ozark National Forest to less-traveled trails like Buckhorn near Devil’s Den, Arkansas boasts some of the best off-road trails in the country. It also has some of the country’s best roads. Say the words Pig Trail, Push Mountain, or Mount Magazine and any local gearhead will know exactly what you mean. With a street legal UTV, you can enjoy the best of Arkansas – on road and off – without having to drag out the truck and trailer. Hit the road, hit the trail, or hit the town: when you’re street legal, the choice is yours.

If you’re too busy having fun to bother with DMV paperwork, consider letting our team of experts register your UTV as street legal on your behalf while you’re out riding.

Parts Required to Be Street Legal in Arkansas

Because the only way to make a UTV street legal in Arkansas is to register in another state, getting legal does not involve any parts specific to Arkansas.

Thanks to reciprocity agreements between states, a vehicle only needs to have the parts required by the state where it is registered. That means a UTV with an out-of-state registration can be driven on Arkansas roads without needing any equipment required by Arkansas and without needing to pass an Arkansas inspection.

• Here is what is legally required for registrations in Montana and South Dakota (other states)

• These are the minimum parts we suggest having on any street legal UTV

There are also some parts we suggest leaving off which are rarely allowed on street legal vehicles in any state.

Driving a Street Legal UTV on Public Roads in Arkansas

Vehicles licensed in other states can be driven legally in Arkansas thanks to registration reciprocity agreements between states. Arkansas’s registration reciprocity statute is linked in the resources below. You should not need to worry about title transfer windows if you maintain residency in another state or your UTV is registered to an LLC in another state. In some cases, it might not be possible to transfer your registration to Arkansas from another state because of vehicle type mismatches between states.

Because street legal UTVs are a small niche, local law enforcement may not know that a UTV can be made street legal in Arkansas. While we are not attorneys, we suggest carrying physical copies of your UTV’s registration and insurance proofs and being knowledgeable about the ways your vehicle is legal for road use (see Knowing Your Legality).

Keep in mind that street legal UTVs in Arkansas need to observe all laws and rules of the road just as a car would.

Helmet laws in Arkansas

• Arkansas does not have helmet laws for UTVs, street legal or otherwise

• Occupants younger than 21 should wear helmets on public roads

• All occupants should wear eye protection on public roads

• Some OHV areas might require helmets

Arkansas requires motorcycle riders younger than 21 to wear helmets and all motorcycle riders must wear “protective glasses, goggles, or transparent face shields.” We could imagine an officer applying these laws to UTVs as well, especially those without windshields, since there are no UTV helmet laws in Arkansas. For these reasons and for safety reasons, when driving on public roads in Arkansas all occupants younger than 21 should wear a helmet and all occupants should wear eye protection as this is what local law enforcement will most likely expect.

Keep in mind that helmet laws need to be followed on a state-by-state basis. Before you travel, learn the helmet situation in any state you plan to drive in. See other states

Driving a Street Legal UTV in Arkansas’s OHV Areas

Registration

Whether your UTV is street legal or not, if it is driven or kept in Arkansas you must obtain an OHV registration through Arkansas and display the corresponding decal on the left front side of the vehicle. This is required for any off-road driving (in OHV areas, public lands, or similar spaces) and also for use strictly on private property as every UTV in Arkansas is required to be registered with the state regardless of where it is used.

It is unclear what happens if you are a nonresident or your UTV is street legal with an out-of-state registration. We called the Arkansas DMV and a few OHV areas and got several different answers. We suggest contacting any OHV area you plan to travel to and asking what registration your vehicle would need, if any, and if an out-of-state OHV registration would suffice. Help us improve this section! Please contact us if you have any insight into Arkansas Nonresident OHV Registrations.

Equipment

Any UTV operated as an OHV in Arkansas is required to have a Forest Service-qualified spark arrester and a good working muffler with no cutouts, bypasses, or similar modifications. Some OHV areas may require other parts or enforce decibel limits, engine size restrictions by rider age, helmet requirements, or other rules, so be sure to check ahead when you plan to travel.

When a Normal UTV Can Be Driven on Roads in Arkansas

In Arkansas, UTVs and other off-highway vehicles that have not been made street legal can still use public roads when traveling between OHV trails or between the user’s private property and a trail. There are several rules that go along with this.

• The roads must be non-interstate and cannot be located within the limits of any city or town

• Using public roads must be “the most reasonable route of access available”

• Speed is limited to what is “reasonable and proper” for conditions

• No concessions are given for any stops along the way

• Multiple OHVs must operate in single file line

• Helmets are not required but age restrictions apply

In this context, the user’s private property is defined as any property the person owns, leases, resides at, or is staying at for a specific period of time including a vacation resort, timeshare, or rental cabin.

Special exceptions

Qualifying vehicles used for farming and hunting purposes can use public roads to travel between related properties. Additional exceptions are made for law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, utilities workers, Parks Department workers, and persons with certain disabilities. Contact local law enforcement to learn more.

Crossing roads

In Arkansas, UTVs and other OHVs can cross roads at a 90-degree angle after coming to a complete stop and yielding to traffic. Divided highways may only be crossed at intersections with other roads. Front and rear lights must be on during crossings made between ½-hour after sunset and ½-hour before sunrise.

Required registration and equipment

OHVs in Arkansas must have the following parts to use public roads:

• At least one headlight

• At least one taillight

• A Forest Service-qualified spark arrester

• A working muffler with no cutouts, bypasses, or similar modifications

State-level registration is required as described in the previous section on OHV areas.

How Arkansas defines a UTV

Arkansas defines a Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle as one which:

• Has four or six wheels

• Is 75″ or less in width

• Rides on nonhighway tires

• Is designed primarily for off-road recreational use, and

• Has a maximum engine displacement of 1,000 cc

Smaller vehicles are often classified as All-Terrain Vehicles, though they generally follow the same rules described in this guide.

For questions outside the scope of this guide, try contacting:

• Arkansas Department of Motor Vehicles using the contact methods on this page

• Arkansas Game and Fish Commission using the contact methods on this page

These are the sources we used to create this guide. If you find any inaccurate or outdated information, please contact us and we will happily address it.

Note: The Arkansas State Legislature does not have an official hosting of the Arkansas Code, instead linking directly to the Arkansas Code on LexisNexis. To ensure ease of access, we have provided Justia links below using the most recent versions at the time of publication.

Operating as an OHV

USDA: Ozark National Forest OHV Information and Travel Guide (PDF)

Arkansas Statutes Title 27 Subtitle 2 Chapter 20 Subchapter 2: Operation of All-Terrain Vehicles

Arkansas Statute 27-20-201 (Penalty for not registering within 30 days)

Arkansas Statute 27-20-202 (Registration and proof of ownership required)

Arkansas Statute 27-20-206 (Decal placement)

Arkansas Statute 27-20-207 (No renewals needed)

Arkansas Statute 27-21-108 (Required equipment)

Road use of OHVs not registered as street legal

Arkansas Statutes Title 27 Subtitle 2 Chapter 21: All-Terrain Vehicles

Arkansas Statute 27-21-102 (Definition of recreational off-highway vehicles)

Arkansas Statute 27-21-103 (Registration not required)

Arkansas Statute 27-21-106 and 27-21-109 (Road use exceptions and defensible uses)

Arkansas Statute 27-21-107 (Operation by minors)

Arkansas Statute 27-21-108 (Required equipment)

Other resources

Arkansas Statute 23-112-103 (Definitions of Class 1 and Class 2 all-terrain vehicles, low-speed vehicles)

Arkansas Statute 27-14-704 (Arkansas vehicle registration reciprocity)

Arkansas Statute 27-14-726 (Definition of mini-trucks)

Arkansas Statute 27-20-104 (Arkansas motorcycle helmet law and equipment)

Arkansas Statute 27-20-303 (Definition of autocycle)

Arkansas Statute 27-49-114 (Definitions of motorcycle, highway)

Arkansas DMV