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

However, it is possible to make a UTV street legal in Connecticut 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 Connecticut and beyond.

This page covers street legal UTVs in Connecticut from top to bottom including relevant laws, details about OHV areas, and times when a UTV not registered as street legal can be driven on local roads. Review the following resources to learn more.

Ready to make your UTV street legal now? Get started 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 Connecticut Can’t Register UTVs as Street Legal

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

For registration purposes, Connecticut defines an All-Terrain Vehicle as “a self-propelled vehicle designed to travel over unimproved terrain that has been determined by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to be unsuitable for operation on the public highways and is not eligible for registration.” This term is used by Connecticut to refer to anything from a conventional ATV or quad to UTVs and side-by-sides. It is important to note that the term “highway” in this context means any public road.

This classification system makes it impossible to register a UTV as street legal through the Connecticut DMV. Consequently, none of the vehicle categories found in the Connecticut Motor Vehicle Code are conducive to registering a UTV as a regular road vehicle. Of the possible candidates:

• Motorcycles cannot have more than three wheels

• Autocycles must have three wheels and must meet federal motorcycle safety standards (49 CFR 571)

• Motor Vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.) do not include vehicles found unsuitable for public road use, like All-Terrain Vehicles

Additional resources 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 the state of Connecticut with an out-of-state registration (see How to Make Your UTV Street Legal).

Outsiders might have no clue what Cockaponset and Nassahegon mean, let alone Nipmuck or Shenipsit, but locals know these are some of the best wilderness locations in the entire Northeast. And with Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and New York a stone’s throw away, you’ve got an incredible number of off-roading trails within a day’s drive of home.

Whether you’re looking forward to a leisurely hike, a blitz down an OHV trail, or just going down to Dunkin for some hard-earned sweet relief, a street legal UTV means you can leave the truck and trailer at home and feel the wind in your hair on public roads. Better yet, our team of experts can register your UTV as street legal on your behalf while you’re out enjoying nature. How neat is that?

Parts Required to Be Street Legal in Connecticut

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

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 Connecticut roads without needing any equipment required by Connecticut and without needing to pass a Connecticut 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 Connecticut

Vehicles licensed in other states can be driven legally in Connecticut thanks to registration reciprocity agreements between states. Connecticut’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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut. 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 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

Helmet laws in Connecticut

Connecticut does not have any helmet laws for street legal UTVs, though you might be required to wear a helmet in OHV areas.

The state does require motorcycle riders under age 18 to wear helmets, though it is also worth noting that autocycles (like the Polaris Slingshot) are exempt from helmet requirements. For safety reasons, we suggest wearing a helmet whenever you operate a UTV on public roads.

Driving a Street Legal UTV in Connecticut’s OHV Areas

Registration

Whether your UTV is street legal or not, if you plan to operate as an off-highway vehicle in Connecticut (in OHV areas, public lands, etc.) you must obtain an OHV registration through Connecticut. The corresponding plate must be affixed to the rear of the vehicle and the registration number must be displayed “on each side of [the vehicle’s] front section, midway between the top and bottom of the front section, in letters or numbers at least three inches high and made of reflective material.” Registration must be always carried aboard the vehicle.

If your UTV is street legal with an out-of-state registration, or if you are not a resident of Connecticut, you will still need a Connecticut registration unless your vehicle is registered as an OHV in one of the four states Connecticut has reciprocity with:

• Florida

• New York

• Pennsylvania

• Vermont

Registration is not required for competitions or use on a person’s own land.

In terms of obtaining a registration, according to the Connecticut DMV, new vehicle registrations can only be obtained through in-person DMV appointments. Use this page to make, edit, or cancel an appointment.

Learn more about registering off-highway vehicles in Connecticut (which the state refers to using the blanket term ATVs) with the Connecticut DMV OHV registration guide.

Equipment

Any UTV operated as an OHV in Connecticut is required to have the following equipment:

• Front and rear lights

• Front and rear reflectors

• Functioning muffler

• Properly operating brakes

Lights and reflectors must be “sufficient and adequate.” OHVs 90cc or less are not required to have lights but also cannot be operated after dark in Connecticut.

Many OHV areas in the United States require a Forest Service-qualified spark arrester and a good working muffler with a maximum volume of about 80-90 decibels in addition to basic parts like working lights and brakes. Individual areas may have their own requirements regarding equipment, helmet use, engine size restrictions by rider age, or other factors, so be sure to check ahead when you plan to travel.

Exhaust noise

Off-highway vehicles in Connecticut cannot be operated in such a way that the exhaust “makes an excessive or unusual noise.”

In Connecticut, UTVs and other off-highway vehicles that have not been made street legal can only be driven on public roads for crossing purposes. OHVs can also be driven within the rights-of-way of abandoned and disused railroads.

Crossing roads

Crossings must occur at a safe location, at about a 90-degree angle to the road, after coming to a complete stop and yielding to traffic. Limited-access highways cannot be crossed. The driver must have a valid driver’s license and the vehicle must be registered and equipped as described in the previous section on OHV areas.

Local municipalities

In Connecticut, municipalities can set specific rules for OHVs operated in their jurisdiction. This includes deciding how, when, and if OHVs are allowed on frozen bodies of water, restricting road crossings in certain locations, and restricting OHV use to certain hours. These rules should be understood by the staff at local OHV areas, but it could be worth checking with local law enforcement, especially if you want to drive along a disused railroad or on a frozen body of water as those rules are rarely posted onsite. Learn more in Connecticut Statutes Chapter 255 on All-Terrain Vehicles.

Vehicles registered to minors

Additional steps are required for ATVs registered to minors in Connecticut (ages 16 and 17). Call your local DMV to learn more.

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

• Connecticut State Parks by e-mail at deep.stateparks@ct.gov or by phone at 860-424-3200

• Connecticut DMV using the phone numbers and email form 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 be happy to address it.

Note: Connecticut refers to ATVs, UTVs, and most other off-highway vehicles using the blanket term All-Terrain Vehicle.

Connecticut DEEP: Off-Road Vehicle Uses

Connecticut DMV OHV registration guide

Connecticut DMV: Make, Edit, or Cancel an Appointment

Connecticut DMV: Vehicle Registration Services

Operating as an OHV

Connecticut Statutes Chapter 255 (All-Terrain Vehicles)

Connecticut Statute 14-380 (Registration required for public use)

Connecticut Statute 14-387 (Equipment requirements)

Road use of OHVs not registered as street legal

Connecticut Statute 14-1 (Definitions of vehicle categories, highway)

Connecticut Statute 14-379 (Definition of All-Terrain Vehicle)

Connecticut Statute 14-387 (Road use exceptions and equipment requirements)

Other resources

49 CFR 571 (Federal motorcycle safety standards)

Connecticut Statute 14-34 and 14-39 (Connecticut vehicle registration reciprocity)

Connecticut Statute 14-289g (Connecticut motorcycle helmet law)

General Statutes of Connecticut

Connecticut DMV