Recreational off-highway vehicles, operation on highways prohibited, exceptions
A recreational off-highway vehicle (ROV) cannot be driven on public roads in Missouri, with a few exceptions: government workers using one for official business, people using one for farming or industrial work on their property, people riding within three miles of their home, and people with disabilities on secondary roads. Cities and counties can also give out special permits for $15. ROVs generally cannot be driven through streams or rivers, unless the person owns that land, has permission to be there for farming, or is crossing at a normal road crossing. When driving on a road under one of the exceptions, the driver needs a valid driver's license, must wear a seat belt, and the vehicle must have working headlights and tail lights, plus a roll bar or roll cage for safety.
304.033. , operation on s prohibited, s — operation within streams and rivers prohibited, exceptions — required for operation, exception. — 1. No person shall operate a , as defined in section 301.010, upon the highways of this state, except as follows:
(1) Recreational off-highway vehicles owned and operated by a for official use;
(2) Recreational off-highway vehicles operated for agricultural purposes or industrial on- purposes;
(3) Recreational off-highway vehicles operated within three miles of the 's primary residence. The of this shall not authorize the operation of a recreational off-highway vehicle in a unless such operation is by such municipality as provided for in subdivision (5) of this ;
(4) Recreational off-highway vehicles operated by handicapped persons for short distances occasionally only on the state's secondary roads;
(5) Governing bodies of cities may special permits to licensed drivers for special uses of recreational off-highway vehicles on highways within the city limits. Fees of fifteen dollars may be collected and retained by cities for such permits;
(6) Governing bodies of counties may issue special permits to licensed drivers for special uses of recreational off-highway vehicles on county roads within the county. Fees of fifteen dollars may be collected and retained by the counties for such permits.
2. No person shall operate a recreational off-highway vehicle within any stream or river in this state, except that recreational off-highway vehicles may be operated within waterways which flow within the boundaries of land which a recreational off-highway vehicle operator owns, or for agricultural purposes within the boundaries of land which a recreational off-highway vehicle operator owns or has permission to be upon, or for the purpose of such stream or river of this state at such road crossings as are customary or part of the highway system. All law officials or peace officers of this state and its or of agents or department of natural resources park rangers shall the provisions of this subsection within the geographic area of their .
3. A person operating a recreational off-highway vehicle on a highway an exception covered in this section shall have a valid operator's or , except that a handicapped person operating such vehicle pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of this section, but shall not be required to have passed an examination for the operation of a motorcycle. An individual shall not operate a recreational off-highway vehicle upon * a highway in this state without displaying a lighted headlamp and a lighted tail lamp. A person may not operate a recreational off-highway vehicle upon a highway of this state unless such person wears a seat belt. When operated on a highway, a recreational off-highway vehicle shall be equipped with a or construction to reduce the risk of injury to an occupant of the vehicle in case of the vehicle's rollover.
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Source & history notes
(L. 2012 H.B. 1251 merged with H.B. 1402 merged with H.B. 1647 merged with H.B. 1807, et al. merged with S.B. 470 merged with S.B. 480) *Words "upon on" appear here in original rolls of H.B. 1807, et al., 2012.
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.