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OHV Park law knowledge question

AnotherKat750

AnotherKat750

Member
Joined
May 19, 2003
Location
San Jose, CA
Moto(s)
Too difficult to keep track, changes frequently.
Name
Ayan
Can a kid ride a plated Honda Monkey in an OHV park like Metcalf and Carnegie? AFAIK, unless the license is suspended, the rider does not need a license to ride a vehicle that meets the park requirements like green sticker or DMV registration.
 
No person under the age of 18 years shall operate an all-terrain vehicle on public lands of this state unless the person satisfies one of the following conditions:

(a) The person is taking a prescribed safety training course under the direct supervision of a certified all-terrain vehicle safety instructor.
(b) The person is under the direct supervision of an adult who has in their possession an appropriate safety certificate issued by this state, or issued under the authority of another state.
(c) The person has in possession an appropriate safety certificate issued by this state or issued under the authority of another state (CVC 38503).
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ohv.parks.ca.gov

California State Parks

California State Parks, State of California
ohv.parks.ca.gov ohv.parks.ca.gov
 
ohv.parks.ca.gov

California State Parks

California State Parks, State of California
ohv.parks.ca.gov ohv.parks.ca.gov

"A driver’s license is not required to operate a vehicle off-highway, but if your driving privilege is suspended or revoked, you cannot operate any vehicle either on or off-highway in California."
 
I never heard of the safety cert for youths.

I guess living in the day where your parents just say get out and going riding was a blessing :laughing
 
I guess CA State Parks are different than federal/BLM riding areas. I've ridden for years with my kids and interacted with LEO plenty in that time and have never been asked for a safety certificate (or my DL status). In my experience in these areas, a plate is the same as OHV registration and there isn't an age requirement to ride OHV.

As a side note, we live in the golden era of Dual Sport bikes. A plated 500 EXC is license to ride just about anywhere from tight single track to hwy 1 (granted it prefers trail, but still amazing!)
 
I think ATV's have different youth rules than MC's; I'll ask my Metcalf pals. Cause, ya'know, Quads are way more dangerous than motos.
 
Butch said:
I think ATV's have different youth rules than MC's; I'll ask my Metcalf pals. Cause, ya'know, Quads are way more dangerous than motos.
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Please do. It was a Mercalf ranger who was explaining this BS that kids need license to operate a plated bike in OHV park.
 
I presume it is all in the vehicle code; it just takes time to find it. Ill ask Ryan.
 
Called Hollister and Carnegie and they said kid doesn’t need license to operate inside the park. The Metcalf ranger needs to be educated on this. In his infinite wisdom he also said I should sell the Monkey and buy the kid a dirt bike. 🤣
 
When I sold ATVs there were age limits for certain displacements. Its hard to say how they were enforced but we were instructed to make the customer aware of the age limits in the event they went to OHV parks.

I don't have any idea how a Honda Monkey could be considered an ATV. Thats a bit of a head scratcher.

The ATV community has done a lot of this to themselves. Parents wrongly assume ATVs are safer than motorcycles. A 300 lb ATV rolls over on a kid or the kid and injuries result where a rider could have just bailed off a small dirt bike. I would not be surprised if ATV regulations had become more restrictive due to difficulties in managing ATV users.
 
Map8 said:
When I sold ATVs there were age limits for certain displacements. Its hard to say how they were enforced but we were instructed to make the customer aware of the age limits in the event they went to OHV parks.

I don't have any idea how a Honda Monkey could be considered an ATV. Thats a bit of a head scratcher.

The ATV community has done a lot of this to themselves. Parents wrongly assume ATVs are safer than motorcycles. A 300 lb ATV rolls over on a kid or the kid and injuries result where a rider could have just bailed off a small dirt bike. I would not be surprised if ATV regulations had become more restrictive due to difficulties in managing ATV users.
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I think ATVs are not relevant in Honda Monkey case. I think it's more of a single ranger's knowledge update question. Carnegie and Hollister clearly and easily said kids riding plated bike is fine.
 
3. Persons under age 18 operating an ATV/ATC must be in possession of a current ATV Training Certificate. Other regulations apply for riders under age 14 and for riders between the ages of 14 and 17. For more information, contact the park office.
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ATC = All Terrain Cycle

In our free Junior Ranger OHV program at Metcalf Motorcycle Park, certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) coaches will teach basic riding skills and discuss safety equipment, rider etiquette and trail conservation.
Participants must be ages 9-12 and own a motorcycle.
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Maybe older kids have to pay?
 
ohv.parks.ca.gov

California State Parks

California State Parks, State of California
ohv.parks.ca.gov ohv.parks.ca.gov

"Registration: All vehicles operated off-highway on public lands in California are required to be street-licensed or registered as an OHV through the Department of Motor Vehicles and display a current green or red sticker. "

"A driver’s license is not required to operate a vehicle off-highway, but if your driving privilege is suspended or revoked, you cannot operate any vehicle either on or off-highway in California. "
 
ctwo said:

ATC = All Terrain Cycle




Maybe older kids have to pay?
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ATC is a 3-wheeled ATV.
www.slashgear.com

What's The Difference Between An ATC & ATV? - SlashGear

Small off-road vehicles are typically called ATVs -- All-Terrain Vehicles. But you might also encounter something called ATCs. What are those?
www.slashgear.com www.slashgear.com
 
AnotherKat750 said:
Called Hollister and Carnegie and they said kid doesn’t need license to operate inside the park. The Metcalf ranger needs to be educated on this. In his infinite wisdom he also said I should sell the Monkey and buy the kid a dirt bike. 🤣
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He is right about buying the dirt bike
 
Yeah, I think the fed gov referred them as 3-wheeled ATV when banned them like 30 years ago.

As pointed out, there are a lot of bat-s crazy rules of law.

I think requiring a certified safety credential for 4-wheel ATV youth operation and not 2-wheeled cycles is a liability concern, and it's illogical. Naturally, both should be null, but that's not how they roll.

I leave it up to you to educate the rangers, or just participate in the safety program (you did see the Free dirt bike training brochure with the seal of the MSF, right?)...
 
AnotherKat750 said:
Called Hollister and Carnegie and they said kid doesn’t need license to operate inside the park. The Metcalf ranger needs to be educated on this. In his infinite wisdom he also said I should sell the Monkey and buy the kid a dirt bike. 🤣
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Confusion and misinformation. Apparently the issue was the 14 year old was riding the Monkey on the street. 14 year old without a driver's license. Fine for them to be riding IN the Motorcycle County Park.
 
Butch said:
Confusion and misinformation. Apparently the issue was the 14 year old was riding the Monkey on the street. 14 year old without a driver's license. Fine for them to be riding IN the Motorcycle County Park.
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Correction: The point of contention is specifically about "Can a kid ride a plated bike IN the park?".
 
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