To register your ATV and/or Off highway vehicle in California, you only need to follow a few simple steps. Your ATV/OHV needs to be registered at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the renewal fee is due on June 30th of each year. There is a 50% penalty on your renewal for failing to register or renew your registration with the Department of Motor Vehicles by this date.
The benefits of having a valid registration for your ATV/OHV are many. You will able to operate your ATV/OHV on any public or private riding facility without the threat of getting a ticket. All federally managed riding areas (such as state parks and national forests) will require state registration and to carry proof of such when you ride your ATV/OHV on these lands.
The ATV/OHV license plate is green and blue and shows the month and year of expiration in the center of the plate. If your OHV is a motorcycle that you use solely in organized racing or competitive events on a closed course, you may obtain a permit (from a DMV field office) that allows transportation of the vehicle to and from course events without registration. The permit is a reflectorized red and white numbered sticker that should be mounted on the vehicle in a clearly visible location. This transportation permit remains valid until the vehicle is sold or otherwise dismantled.
In order to register your ATV/OHV you will need the following documentation : an application for registration of new vehicle, payment for applicable ATV/OHV fees, the title to your vehicle, and the manufacture's Certificate of Origin endorsed to the nonlicensed dealer and any bills of sale needed to establish a complete chain of ownership to the applicant.
If you ride your ATV/OHV in California, be sure to get your vehicle registered with the State, it will save you a lot of unnecessary hassles and insure you get to keep a good day of riding, just that- a good day!
