# ? on ATV



## MichiganHunter1971 (Jan 30, 2007)

OK I have a ? I am getting many different answers from, from people that I know. Ok I have a 2005 Polaris 500 HO right now, I know they are illegal to ride on state and federal lands unless they are posted open.. They are also within the dnr's 50"or less to be considered a ATV.. Ok here is my ?, I am thinking of selling my sportsman and was wanting to get a Arctic Cat prowler or the polaris ranger. Now these are way over the 50" wide mark so they are not considered ATV's right? So are these legal to take down 2 tracks and the shoulder of public roads like lets say up North in the cadillac are? I have heard as long as they use the Triangle(farmers use for slow moving machinery) they are legal........ Ok help me out PLEASE!


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

That's a very good question with a very blurry answer......

I personally have asked that same question to a DNR officer and a county LEO.............both of them stated that as far as "they" know that the "UTV's" are still considered as an ATV thus can't be driven on 2 tracks or sides of roads...........BUT each one gave a somewhat blurry answer as to it also being a county issue and some counties allow it and others don't. Neither one could/would state which counties are open.........

I personally believe that they are not allowed "BUT"?????????


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## Z15 (Sep 8, 2007)

I suggest you contact county law enforcement or maybe the DNR in the county you plan ride in. Not all counties allow you the use the ROW.

This site will not let post a link to where I got this info. Says I have to have 15 post to by allowed to do it so you will have to cut and paste this into you browsers address bar and you might have to add the www

offroad-ed.com/mi/handbook/



> What Is an Off-Road Vehicle (ORV)?
> 
> Michigan law defines an ORV as any motor vehicle that can be operated cross-country (without benefit of a road or trail) over land, snow, and other natural terrain. This includes: multi-track or multi-wheeled vehicles; all-terrain vehicles (ATVs); motorcycles or related multi-wheeled vehicles; amphibious machines (water-to-land and back); hovercraft; and other vehicles that use mechanical power including 2- or 4-wheel-drive vehicles that are highway registered but operated off highways or off roads.
> 
> The following are not considered ORVs by Michigan law: registered snowmobiles; farm, construction, or logging vehicles when being used in usual work practices; and military, fire, emergency, and law enforcement vehicles.





> It's the Law&#8212;Land Use Rules
> ORV Operation on Other Lands
> 
> Roads, streets, and highways maintained for year-round automobile travel are closed to ORV operation, including the shoulder and right-of-way. (That is, the entire width between boundary lines of public ways maintained for vehicular travel is closed to ORVs.) However, ORVs registered as motor vehicles by the Secretary of State may be operated on the roadway.
> ...





> ORV Operation on State-Owned Lands
> State Forest Lands
> 
> Areas generally administered by the Forest Mineral and Fire Management Division; boundaries are not normally marked.
> ...


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

Slap an ORV sticker on that the ranger and go for it. Just make sure you have a windshield or goggles on. No helmet required but I suggest it. 

I have talked to DNR officers about this up in the UP near my mom. They said if it is a forest road, or logging trail or 2 track that is legal for travel, then yes the ranger is legal as long as you have an ORV sticker that is valid.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

I know for a fact that Newaygo county will get you a ticket if you do this.....friend of mine got one for the exact same thing. This was on a two track that is not plowed in the winter according to the signs......


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

easiest is to call the SOS and get the info you need to make it legal. . it doesnt take a whole lot for one of those UTV's to be registered and made road legal, then you can obviously still slap an ORV sticker on it if needed.


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## glockman55 (Mar 9, 2006)

For road use, get a slow moving vehicle sign, as long as it goes no more than 25 mph.. Trails as long as it is open to traffic.


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

glockman55 said:


> For road use, get a slow moving vehicle sign, as long as it goes no more than 25 mph.. Trails as long as it is open to traffic.


This has been discussed on another forum I belong to. Unless you are doing agricultural work the slow moving sign laws do not apply to ATV's.


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## trailwart (Mar 20, 2004)

its not worth the headacke to make it legal. the only way to get atv/utv road legal, you need turn signals,headlights,tail lights with working brake lights, windsheild, dot tires, and the biggest hurdle of all is an open differential. most atv/utvs have live axle wich the state wont accept. if its so easy to get legal, i think we would see some on the roads with plates. and as for the triangle idea, unless it is related to farming and such, i think its a bad idea to tey to pull that one off. orv rules in the up are different than in the lower. infact the up rules have recently changed. it use to be in the national forest you could run the roads unless posted closed. now its closed unless posted open. i suggest you contact the co where you plan on riding and see what they think of it. it might save ya some money.


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## glockman55 (Mar 9, 2006)

This has been discussed on another forum I belong to. Unless you are doing agricultural work the slow moving sign laws do not apply to ATV's.
__________________
I know first hand, Been stopped driving my UTV on the road, No Ticket.


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

trailwart said:


> its not worth the headacke to make it legal. the only way to get atv/utv road legal, you need turn signals,headlights,tail lights with working brake lights, windsheild, dot tires, and the biggest hurdle of all is an open differential. most atv/utvs have live axle wich the state wont accept. if its so easy to get legal, i think we would see some on the roads with plates. and as for the triangle idea, unless it is related to farming and such, i think its a bad idea to tey to pull that one off. orv rules in the up are different than in the lower. infact the up rules have recently changed. it use to be in the national forest you could run the roads unless posted closed. now its closed unless posted open. i suggest you contact the co where you plan on riding and see what they think of it. it might save ya some money.


 
I hate to be like this but some of your info is incorrect. A windshield is not required to be road legal. If your vehicle is not equiped with a windshield then goggles or some other form of eye protection must be used.

Most Atv's come with working brake lights now from the factory, all you would have to do is add turn signals. 

Open diffs are not an issue being motorcycles have open differentials if you want to get technical. Also you can install open diffs on a trucks and cars, they are reffered to as spooled rear ends now adays. If you are talking about the fact that atv's are chain driven, well majority of your 4x4 atv's are now shaft driven with lsd rear ends and front ends with optional electric lockers. So that is also a weak arguement as well. 

Your statement about trail rules is incorrect also. The same rules apply to the trails in this state no matter of location. This is done to prevent confusion. How ever the National forest trails are changing there labeling. Now the trails in national forests are closed unless marked open.


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

bigcountrysg said:


> I hate to be like this but some of your info is incorrect. A windshield is not required to be road legal. If your vehicle is not equiped with a windshield then goggles or some other form of eye protection must be used.
> 
> Most Atv's come with working brake lights now from the factory, all you would have to do is add turn signals.
> 
> ...


yup, seen a few road legal and its not that much money or time to do it, biggest thing is turn signals to put on really. . other than that a lot of it is alreayd dont for ya!


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## trailwart (Mar 20, 2004)

ya the roads in the national forest is what i was referring to on the up. not trails, but i did state the rules for the roads in the national forest. my bad. when i checked on getting my atv street legal, the biggest hurdle they told me is the solid axle in the rear, i refer to that as a live axle- maybe im wrong on that. i didnt say anything about chain drive did i?? open diff i was refering to a rear end with 2 seperate axles with a differential, to where the axles could turn at different rates. i know they told me that they dont plate anything with a live axle. and a motorcycle is one rear wheel, the explanation i was given on the axle for a quad is that when you are taking a sharp corner, both wheels turning at the same rate, one rear will tend to lift and cause instability= rollover potential. thats not an argument at all, that was a fact given to me from sos. if you have a utility with a differential then there is a possibility it might happen. i still to this day have not seen a ute or any quad with a plate hanging off the back. doesnt mean i cant be done thou. my chevell had a spool welded in the differential which tied the 2 axles together, which caused the inside rear wheel on a turn to jump because it was trying to turn at the same speed as the outside wheel. if i remeber right, i think they told me i needed a speedometer also.


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

i think speedometer is needed also. . ive seen a couple around here with plates. . one is a guy i know. .


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## Z15 (Sep 8, 2007)

> yup, seen a few road legal and its not that much money or time to do it, biggest thing is turn signals to put on really. . other than that a lot of it is alreayd dont for ya!


Who, in their right mind would drive one of these on the highway? If you tangle with a car/truck, you are going to lose. But I know that does not stop some from riding their ATV's down the road though, I see it just about every day up here in Da UP. A relative got slammed by one this summer, came out and hit the front of here Blazer. She said, it happened so fast, all of a sudden this young kid was on the hood. She was only going about 10 mph at the time in a residential area.


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

Z15 said:


> Who, in their right mind would drive one of these on the highway? If you tangle with a car/truck, you are going to lose. But I know that does not stop some from riding their ATV's down the road though, I see it just about every day up here in Da UP. A relative got slammed by one this summer, came out and hit the front of here Blazer. She said, it happened so fast, all of a sudden this young kid was on the hood. She was only going about 10 mph at the time in a residential area.


the 2 that i seen were both used on dirt roads, used for visiting people on the roads around, or just to run up the road to go to a hunting spot or something. . not to use just as a regular travel to town or something, but having properties that are 5-10 miles apart and get bored and dont wanna drive a truck, the option is there. .


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## eddiejohn4 (Dec 23, 2005)

ATV are not set up to ride on concrete. the tires are for off road.I think most realize this. down dirt roads would be great.


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

no and even on asphalt though, you could still ride the shoulder in the gravel if ya wanted,(obv as long as its plated), but no i wouldnt wanna run asphalt on one.


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

The biggest exspence or hurdle to plating a utv or golf cart is the insurance, also you must have dot approved tires.


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## trailwart (Mar 20, 2004)

here is the form for what you need to get a 4 wheeled motor vehicle plated. as you can see, you do need a windsheild, and wipers. and a differential.....

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/TR-54_38480_7.pdf


if you can get all the requirements done and checked off, go get your plate.


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