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

However, it is possible to make a UTV street legal in Mississippi by registering it 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 Mississippi and beyond.

This page covers street legal UTVs in Mississippi 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.

Want to register out of state? Take the first step toward making your UTV street legal in Mississippi today 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 You Must Register Out of State

For a UTV to be registered as a regular street legal vehicle through the Mississippi DMV, it would need to fit Mississippi’s definition of a street legal vehicle and pass a Mississippi motor vehicle inspection, however Mississippi’s laws do not allow for this.

Within Mississippi law, the term “ATV” is used to cover a wide variety of off-road vehicles that are “manufactured and designed exclusively for off-road use.” Conventional UTVs and side-by-sides fall into this category. Subsequently, Mississippi Statute 63-7-7 forbids road use of any vehicle that fails to meet Mississippi’s inspection standards for roadgoing vehicles which a UTV, by definition, cannot meet. Not only is it impossible for anything classified as an ATV in Mississippi to be registered as a regular passenger vehicle, UTVs will not fit into any other category in the Mississippi Vehicle Code. Of the possible candidates, a motorcycle in Mississippi cannot have more than three wheels and autocycles must have three wheels.

In 2020, a staffer from Mississippi State University took a close look at the statutes surrounding ATV use in Mississippi and concluded that “No ATVs may be used on public roads or highways in Mississippi. There is no way to make an ATV street legal.”

Not through Mississippi, that is.

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 Mississippi with an out-of-state registration (see How to Make Your UTV Street Legal).

Imagine riding to Mudslangers or Rattlesnake Bay without needing a truck and trailer to get you there. You could head into Tennessee and ride at Windrock Park or drive into Arkansas for some twisty roads in the Ozarks, all in your street legal UTV. Best of all, our team of experts can complete the registration on your behalf, giving you more time to figure out where you’ll drive it first.

Parts Required to Be Street Legal in Mississippi

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

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

Vehicles licensed in other states can be driven legally in Mississippi thanks to registration reciprocity agreements between states. Mississippi’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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi. While we are not attorneys, we always 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 Mississippi need to observe all laws and rules of the road just as a car would.

Helmet laws in Mississippi

• Mississippi does not have specific helmet laws for street legal UTVs

• Occupants younger than 16 should wear helmets on public roads

• Helmets may be required in OHV areas

Mississippi has a universal motorcycle helmet requiring all riders and passengers to wear helmets. While a UTV does not fit Mississippi’s legal definition of a motorcycle, it seems reasonable that local law enforcement might expect occupants to wear helmets in a street legal UTV because of the universal motorcycle helmet law in Mississippi. For this reason and for safety reasons, we suggest wearing a helmet whenever you operate a UTV on public roads in Mississippi.

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 Mississippi’s OHV Areas

Registration

Mississippi does not require a state-level registration for driving within OHV areas, public lands, and other similar spaces, though individual areas often have their own permits.

Equipment

Mississippi does not require any specific equipment for OHVs operated off-road. 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 components like working lights and brakes. Specific areas within Mississippi may have their own requirements, including rules for helmet use and restrictions by rider age, so be sure to check ahead when you travel.

This section is about vehicles that do not have out-of-state street legal registrations.

It is illegal to use UTVs and other off-highway vehicles on public roads in Mississippi unless their use is approved through local ordinance by a town, city, or county.

Approved roads

In Mississippi, towns, cities, and counties determine what roads, if any, off-highway vehicles can be driven on. Local ordinances determine which roads are open for OHVs along with additional requirements like helmets, special equipment, crossing guidelines, and allowed hours of operation. Contact your local DMV or local law enforcement to see what is legal in your area.

When we spoke with various OHV areas throughout Mississippi, we learned that many rural areas are accepting of off-highway vehicles driving to and from OHV areas on public roads even if the law does not necessarily allow them to, and that urban areas generally prohibit OHVs altogether.

Requirements

No person may operate an off-highway vehicle on approved public roads without a valid driver’s license and a passing certificate from an off-road vehicle safety course like the one offered through the Mississippi 4-H.

Special exceptions

Depending on your location, some road use exceptions might exist for vehicles used in farming, agriculture, and other industries and for official government purposes. Contact your DMV or local law enforcement to learn more.

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

• Mississippi Department of Public Safety (includes DMV) at 601-987-1212

• Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks at 601-432-2400

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: The Mississippi Secretary of State website links directly to the LexisNexis hosting of the Mississippi State Code. To ensure ease of access, we have provided Justia links below using the most recent versions at the time of publication.

Mississippi 4-H: Safety Courses

Mississippi Statute 27-19-143 (Mississippi vehicle registration reciprocity)

Mississippi Statute 63-3-103 (Definitions of other vehicle types including Autocycle and Motorcycle)

Mississippi Statute 63-3-125 (Definition of street or highway)

Mississippi Statute 63-7-7 (Operation of illegal vehicles)

Mississippi Statute 63-7-64 (Mississippi motorcycle helmet law)

Mississippi Statute 63-31-3 (OHV requirements; license; helmets; defines ATV)

Mississippi State University: ATV Laws in Mississippi

Mississippi DOR Titling FAQ

Mississippi DMV