By Whitney Donohue
Moapa Valley Progress
A new program in the state of Nevada to register off-highway vehicles (OHV) went into effect on July 1 this year. All OHVs newer than 1976 should be registered and display a registration decal in order to be operated legally in the state of Nevada.
OHVs purchased after July 1 must be registered immediately. But OHVs purchased prior to July 1 will have until July 1, 2013 to get registered.
Registration costs $20 per year. At least 70% of the revenues from OHV registration will be used towards developing trails in the state for OHV use.
Partners in Conservation Administrator Elise McAllister of Moapa has been part of the process to set up the new law from the beginning. In 2004 McAllister attended a workshop focused on how to help federal agencies plan trails. This is where the idea of a registration system came to be.
“There was a lot of support from [OHV] users and groups, who already had to buy temporary permits to operate in other states,” McAllister explained.
With a Nevada registration, users will be permitted to operate in other states having a registration program.
Until this year, Nevada was the only western state that didn’t have a registration program, McAllister said.
“The registration program will make it easier to track and find stolen OHVs,” she said. “Until now, police had no way to verify that an OHV was actually stolen.”
The Nevada Legislature started in 2007 with a “foot-in-the-door” bill involving a voluntary decal program. In 2009, more language was added to the bill, and towns could designate OHV friendly roads. In Lincoln and Clark county, all unpaved roads are OHV friendly, provided the OHV is registered. In Mesquite, all side roads are OHV friendly. In 2011 the legislature passed the final bill, requiring a yearly registration.
Arizona has a similar law, which has been in effect for five years. In that state, compliance has been voluntary. The first year there was 10% compliance with the law. In its fifth year, compliance has reached 50%. Nevada’s law is designed with a similar structure.
There is currently no enforcement infrastructure in place for authorities to check compliance until a user has been stopped. Nevada police agencies have the ability to ticket for non-compliance, however, they won’t be going door to door checking for registration. But those that comply will find that registration is a benefit to them, McAllister said. In addition to improved trails and facilities, registration also deters theft and encourages tourism in the state.
The registration program is overseen by the Nevada Commission on Off-Road Vehicles, an 11 member panel appointed by the Governor. They represent a variety of different interests, including OHV owners and users, wildlife management, and the association of counties, among others.
In addition, the Commission will allocate grants for trail improvements, mapping, and education. McAllister expects the Commission to be ready to distribute the first grants next summer.
More information about registration can be found at http://nvohv.com/.
