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MorrowCounty.net | ||
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| On July 1, 2009 a law change affecting “all purpose vehicles” (APV’s) went into effect. According to the new law, an APV is “any self-propelled vehicle designed primarily for cross-country travel on land and water, or on more than one type of terrain, and steered by wheels or caterpillar treads, or any combination thereof, including vehicles that operate on a cushion of air, vehicles commonly known as all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s), all-season vehicles, mini-bikes, and trail bikes.” The definition of ATV does not include golf carts or utility vehicles that are designed to transport materials or cargo. Before the new law, registration of APVs, snowmobiles and off-highway motorcycles, with a few exceptions was required. The new law changes the exceptions that apply to APVs in two ways. First, the new law removes the registration exception for APVs operated exclusively upon lands owned by the owner or on lands to which the owner has a contractual right. Second, the law creates a new registration exception for APVs. This exempts owners of ATV’s that are used primarily on a farm as a farm implement from the registration requirement. The law also increases the penalties for operating an unregistered APV, snowmobile or off-highway motorcycle to no less than $50 and no more than $100. The new law requires operators of registered APVs to display a license plate and validation sticker rather than a registration number after July 1, 2010. An owner must display the license plate so that it is "distinctly visible" and in accordance with rules to be adopted by the Board of Motor Vehicles (BMV). After an owner obtains a license plate, the BMV will issue a new validation sticker to display on the license plate for each three-year registration period. Again, since farm use APV’s are exempt from registration, they will be exempt from licensing requirements. Information from the State Bureau of Motor Vehicles was not available to provide additional detail at this time. Check with your local BMV after July 1, 2010 for additional guidelines and rules. | ||
| MorrowCounty.net |