In North Dakota, UTVs registered with the state as Off-Highway Vehicles can be driven on paved roads with speed limits of 55 MPH or less, all gravel, dirt, and loose surface roads, and road sections that are part of official OHV trails. However, UTVs cannot be registered as regular street legal vehicles in North Dakota for reasons discussed below.

It is possible to make a UTV street legal in North Dakota 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 North Dakota and beyond.

This page covers street legal UTVs in North Dakota 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.

Rather skip the hassle? Register out of state 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 North Dakota Can’t Register UTVs as Street Legal

To get a UTV registered as a regular street legal vehicle through North Dakota it would need to fit North Dakota’s definition of a street legal vehicle and pass a North Dakota motor vehicle inspection, however the state’s laws do not allow for this.

North Dakota Statutes Chapter 39-29 defines the term Off-Highway Vehicle as “any motorized vehicle not designed for use on a highway and capable of cross-country travel on land, snow, ice, marsh, swampland, or other natural terrain.” While some OHVs can use public roads throughout the state as detailed below, it is not possible to register an OHV as a regular street legal vehicle through North Dakota.

Looking to other vehicle categories, North Dakota law states that motorcycles must have three or fewer wheels, kit cars (Specially Constructed Vehicles) must not have been originally constructed by a “generally recognized manufacturer,” and many other vehicle types, like autocycles, simply do not exist. Additional resources used to reach these conclusions 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 regular 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 North Dakota with an out-of-state registration (see How to Make Your UTV Street Legal).

We imagine you would rather explore the vast beauty of North Dakota than deal with state-issued paperwork. If that’s true, consider letting our expert staff register your UTV on your behalf while you focus on keeping the wind in your hair.

Parts Required to Be Street Legal in North Dakota

When it comes to making a UTV street legal in North Dakota by registering out of state, getting legal does not involve any parts specific to North Dakota. Parts required for road use of other UTVs are listed in a later section below.

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 North Dakota roads without needing any equipment required by North Dakota and without needing to pass a North Dakota 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 North Dakota

Because street legal UTVs are a small niche, local law enforcement may not know that a UTV can be made street legal in North Dakota. 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).

Vehicles licensed in other states can be driven legally in North Dakota thanks to registration reciprocity agreements between states. North Dakota’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 North Dakota from another state because of vehicle type mismatches between states.

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

Helmet laws in North Dakota

• North Dakota does not have specific helmet laws for street legal UTVs

• Occupants younger than 18 are required to wear helmets in OHV areas

North Dakota’s motorcycle helmet law requires riders younger than 18 to wear helmets. If the driver is required to wear a helmet, their passenger must wear one as well regardless of the passenger’s age. However, this law does not apply to “persons riding within an enclosed cab.” For safety reasons, we suggest wearing a helmet whenever you operate a UTV on public roads, especially if your UTV lacks a windshield and rollover protection constituting an enclosed cab as this is what local law enforcement will most likely be expecting.

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 North Dakota’s OHV Areas

Whenever you operate in OHV areas, public lands, and other off-road situations, your UTV will usually be considered an off-highway vehicle even if it is street legal. This can change based on location, so be sure to call ahead to confirm.

Refer to the following resources:

• North Dakota: General OHV Information and Trails (Equipment requirements, trails, and summary of road restrictions)

• North Dakota OHV Permits and Registration

• North Dakota OHV Manual (PDF)

Registration

Whether your UTV is street legal or not, if you plan to operate off-road in North Dakota you must obtain an OHV registration through North Dakota and display the corresponding decal on your UTV.

If your UTV is street legal with an out-of-state registration or if you are not a resident of North Dakota, a valid OHV registration from another state will be honored until the vehicle has been in North Dakota for more than 30 consecutive days. At that time, or if you do not have a registration from another state, you will need to acquire a special out-of-state OHV registration issued by North Dakota.

Equipment

For off-road use, North Dakota only requires OHVs to have at least one headlight, at least one taillight, and a good working muffler that is “a manufacturer-installed or equivalent muffler.” Additionally, all occupants ages 18 and younger must wear helmets. Most OHV areas in the United States require a Forest Service-qualified spark arrester and a maximum exhaust volume of about 80-90 decibels. Individual OHV areas in North Dakota 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.

UTVs that are not registered as street legal can still use many public roads throughout North Dakota.

In North Dakota, UTVs and other off-highway vehicles registered with the state as Off-Highway Vehicles can be driven on:

• Paved roads with speed limits of 55 MPH or less

• Gravel, dirt, and loose surface roads

• Road sections that are part of an official OHV trail

• “The bottom of the ditch or along the outslope” of a road

OHVs are not allowed on shoulders, inner medians, or interstates. Controlled access highways may only be used by OHVs during emergency conditions when automobile use is impractical.

Qualifying criteria

To qualify for public road use:

• Vehicle must be registered as an Off-Highway Vehicle with the state of North Dakota

• To use paved roads, vehicle must be able to travel 30 MPH or faster

• Lights must always remain on

• Driver must have a valid license or permit

• Occupants younger than 18 must wear helmets

The registration process is described in the previous section on OHV areas.

Required equipment

UTVs and other off-highway vehicles must have the following equipment to drive on public roads in North Dakota:

• Engine size of 350cc or more

• At least one headlamp

• At least one taillamp

• At least one brake light

• At least one mirror

• Speedometer

• Odometer

• Muffler

• Brakes

• Horn

Crossing roads

North Dakota law states that OHVs may cross roads at approximately a 90 degree angle to the road after coming to a complete stop and yielding to traffic. Divided highways may only be crossed at the intersection of another public road.

Local jurisdictions

Towns, cities, and other local jurisdictions in North Dakota can set their own rules regarding OHVs by loosening or tightening the statewide restrictions given above. This could include preventing OHVs from crossing certain roads, allowing certain types of OHVs while restricting others, or changing other aspects of the rules. Additionally, OHV areas may have unique rules for roads within their control. Check the local resources of the areas you plan to operate in.

Defining your vehicle

North Dakota law defines three different classes of Off-Highway Vehicles:

• Class I OHV: Most ATVs. Straddle seating and handlebars for steering

• Class II OHV: Most UTVs. 3+ nonhighway tires, width of 50” or less, weight of 1,200 lbs. or less

  • Or: 4+ nonhighway tires, width of 65” or less, weight of 2,000 lbs. or less

• Class III OHV: Specialty vehicles. Non-straddle seating, weight of 8,000 lbs. or less, moves on skis, tracks, runners, or 4+ tires, and is steered by wheel, handlebar, or T setup

Class I OHVs are only required to have lights if riding at night.

Class III OHVs can be operated on roads with speed limits up to 65 MPH.

Special exceptions

OHVs used for certain industrial purposes may qualify for expanded road use exceptions. Contact your licensing authority or local law enforcement to learn more.

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

• North Dakota Department of Transportation

• North Dakota Game and Fish

• North Dakota Parks & Recreation

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.

North Dakota Parks & Recreation

North Dakota: General OHV Information and Trails (Equipment requirements, trails, and summary of road restrictions)

North Dakota OHV Permits and Registration

North Dakota OHV Manual (PDF) (Most recent version we know of, please contact us if this changes)

North Dakota Statutes

North Dakota Statutes Chapter 39-29: Off-Highway Vehicles

North Dakota Statute 39-01-01 (Definitions of vehicle categories, highway)

North Dakota Statute 39-04-18 (North Dakota vehicle registration reciprocity)

North Dakota Statute 39-10.2-06 (North Dakota motorcycle helmet law)

North Dakota Statutes