Rules and Regs for Off-Roading in Texas
Getting out and enjoying the trails on an ATV, UTV, or ROV is a great way to enjoy your weekends and time away from work, and these activities are great for social distancing. During the COVID pandemic, we’ve seen many new customers visiting our dealership, and we’ve had the pleasure of helping many consumers with the purchase of their first new off-road vehicle.
While some people have the luxury of owning enough property to operate their vehicle on, not everyone has that option. Lucky for us, TX is one of the largest States in the nation, and there are plenty of public places where you can enjoy the great outdoors. There are also other private areas that are open to the public, Hidden Falls Adventure Park just outside of Marble Falls comes to mind.
For new owners and operators, it’s important that you learn how to safely operate your new vehicle. Many vehicles now come with engines putting out 100 or more horsepower, and while they can be fun to operate, they also make it easy for inexperienced operators to quickly find themselves in trouble.
The majority of manufacturers have partnered with the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association ROHVA to offer a class that teaches new owners how to safely operate UTVs and Side-by-Sides. For more information on this organization and their training options, check out their website. https://rohva.org/learn-to-drive/
For operators in Texas, Texas Trails, Education And Motorized Management is funded by industry OEMs, State grants, and TX businesses. The training offered by the TXTEAMM focuses on the safe operation of both ATVs (4-wheeled vehicles with handlebars) and OHVs (4-wheelers with steering wheels). These training courses can be optimized for the audience and include classroom and hand-on training.
And finally, if you operating an ATV or OHV on public lands in the State of TX, you are required to purchase and display an Off-Highway Vehicle Program OHV decal on your vehicle. These decals are available online and in select powersports dealerships across the State.
