New Law Legalizes ATV and UTV Road Use in Parts of Kentucky

All-terrain vehicles, UTVs, and others, often known as special-purpose vehicles, are usually banned from public roads due to safety concerns, but a new bill will change that situation in parts of Kentucky. SB 63 was recently passed by the Kentucky General Assembly and will go into effect on June 27.

The bill doesn’t immediately legalize road use and instead lets local governments come up with their own rules. They may allow special-purpose vehicles to operate on roadways with few rules or come up with more restrictive regulations on a case-by-case basis.

Under SB 63, owners will pay a $10 annual registration fee and a $25 inspection fee before titling the vehicle. The vehicles will still be limited under the law and will be banned from interstates and highways where higher speed limits pose safety problems. They will also be prohibited from traveling more than 20 miles on a highway with centerline pavement markings. Farm vehicles and those used primarily for agriculture are exempt from the new rules.

Before hitting the roads, vehicles will be required to have safety equipment, including headlights, taillights, brake lights, reflectors, turn signals, a horn, a muffler, a windshield, a speedometer, and more. They will also be subjected to inspections for tire tread depth and other safety components.

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