ATV use in City Limits rules changes 2025

I don’t have an ATV, nor do I use them regularly, but I often receive many questions about where you can operate them and if they are “road legal”. Right now I tell people if they want to operate on local roads they need to contact the local government that is in charge of those roads. My local city didn’t even know they were in charge of offering these permits. Some nearby towns that see high use of golf carts and low power vehicles have permits available. I found one House and Senate bill that would change the laws to let ATV operators drive in cities of less than 25000 to get to stores and homes (HF566/SF1128). Are there any other law changes about this currently in the works I don’t really care about hunting rules etc, just local government rules? Ever gotten a ticket for operating on public roads?

Years ago myself and a friend got stopped driving down the main road through crosslake. I didn’t know much at the time about ATV trails and what was allowed but he rode snowmobiles through town and thought it was ok. The cop was nice about it and just explained we couldn’t do that and let us turn around and go back the way we came. I don’t know if things changed up there but around home I see them all the time in town.

I know they are welcome in my town, see them all the time.

Our area has a lot of people who use side by sides like a standard automobile. I don’t know the legalities of quads being used on the roads here…but do know that side by sides must be legal. For us personally, ATVs and side by sides are off-road vehicles – not pavement machines.

I think it’d be annoying to hear that road noise everywhere I traveled and question the safety of these things going 60mph down the highway meeting trucks and such, but to each their own.

Stanley wrote:

Years ago myself and a friend got stopped driving down the main road through crosslake. I didn’t know much at the time about ATV trails and what was allowed but he rode snowmobiles through town and thought it was ok. The cop was nice about it and just explained we couldn’t do that and let us turn around and go back the way we came. I don’t know if things changed up there but around home I see them all the time in town.

The cops and sheriffs are jerks in that area. My dad lived in Pequot and would ride everywhere on his ATV. The only times he had any trouble was around Cross Lake and Jenkins. They would sit and wait for him to come through town because he was a creature of habit then give him a hard time. He never got a ticket and then just decided to avoid those towns all together to avoid the hassle.

The cops and sheriffs are jerks in that area. My dad lived in Pequot and would ride everywhere on his ATV. The only times he had any trouble was around Cross Lake and Jenkins. They would sit and wait for him to come through town because he was a creature of habit then give him a hard time. He never got a ticket and then just decided to avoid those towns all together to avoid the hassle.
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Jerks? Either what he was doing was illegal or it wasn’t. Sounds like they were just doing their job.

its legal to drive ATVs within the city limits of cloquet. I don’t live there but have friends that do and its a weird feel when you drive thru that town and theres ATVs ripping up and down suburban streets. I believe you need to have them registered with the city to be legal but not 100% sure.

Without looking it up – I am pretty sure in Minnesota ATV’s are not allowed on any roads unless just crossing it. They are to be ran in the ditch which there is instructions on which portion of the ditch to use.

Side x Side are to be driven on the shoulder of the road unless there is a local ordinance against it. I believe Highways and Hwy ditches are off limits.

I believe these are state laws and I have never heard of any local ordinance that allowed more access.

Curt wrote:

Jerks? Either what he was doing was illegal or it wasn’t. Sounds like they were just doing their job.

It was perfectly legal where he was riding at the time. They just liked to mess with him. Hence the “he never was ticketed”. I suppose he could have just kept driving then they would have found a reason to ticket him.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

its legal to drive ATVs within the city limits of cloquet. I don’t live there but have friends that do and its a weird feel when you drive thru that town and theres ATVs ripping up and down suburban streets. I believe you need to have them registered with the city to be legal but not 100% sure.

That’s where I’m at. You need to buy a $10 permit from the city and show proof of insurance. I take my side by side to the holiday or Kwik Trip a couple miles away now and again. Plus I plow the city street I live on. I never bought a permit. Couple of my friends are cops in town here. They tell me the only way you are going to get stopped is if you are being stupid and whipping shitties in a parking lot or something.

OG Net_Man wrote:

Without looking it up – I am pretty sure in Minnesota ATV’s are not allowed on any roads unless just crossing it. They are to be ran in the ditch which there is instructions on which portion of the ditch to use.

Side x Side are to be driven on the shoulder of the road unless there is a local ordinance against it. I believe Highways and Hwy ditches are off limits.

I believe these are state laws and I have never heard of any local ordinance that allowed more access.

I can ride my atv on any city streets i want. I cannot run down a county road though, then I have to be on the shoulder or ditch. This is in north branch. Most small towns are going this route now. I know all our surrounding area has.

Sec 84.928 defines the current regulations, that includes road authorities allowing ATV access.

We live in a Golf Cart and Side x Side friendly town, you have to meet certain safety requirements and I don’t think you can be out after dark, even with lights, but it’s a cool thing and doesn’t cause too many problems. Every now and then some kid gets ahold of their dad’s cart and tears through a park or something but it’s rare and it’s dealt with – unusually through Facebook shaming.

My home county you get permit to drive on any roads u want. Need separate one for in town. Can’t go on any state high ways. Very atv friendly. Wound want to hit anything in atv at speead. Airbags and crumple zones save alot of life’s.

I saw it time and time again around home XYZ farmer got some new side by side with full cab and all the heat and air, drove it town for about a month and back to driving the pickup. The cab noise gets old quick . Seem like a death trap to me if in an accident. No issues with them on the road though , to each their own.

Here in SW WI most towns allow it.
Township roads and most county roads are legal also. Speed limits very from 10mph in some towns to 35 or 55 on some county roads.
As far as noise most owners change out the aggressive lug tire to something more highway friendly.

mxskeeter wrote:

55 on some county roads

55 on an ATV is crazy. Especially in sconny where lots of guys are using them to drive to/from the rural bar

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mxskeeter wrote:</div>
55 on some county roads

55 on an ATV is crazy. Especially in sconny where lots of guys are using them to drive to/from the rural bar

You ride atv often. Cruising at 55 isn’t to absurd. My old can am did 86, and my KTM did 80. Lord knows what my cr500 did, I was to scared to get past 70 on that.

I wouldn’t drive an ATV 55 on asphalt/concrete maybe a SxS. I would on a trail though.

Stanley wrote:

Years ago myself and a friend got stopped driving down the main road through crosslake. I didn’t know much at the time about ATV trails and what was allowed but he rode snowmobiles through town and thought it was ok. The cop was nice about it and just explained we couldn’t do that and let us turn around and go back the way we came. I don’t know if things changed up there but around home I see them all the time in town.

They do allow it now.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I wouldn’t drive an ATV 55 on asphalt/concrete maybe a SxS. I would on a trail though.

When I go to buddies houses we ride the wheelers, 55 to 70 is pretty much a every day occurance. My old banshee would do 3rd to 5th gear wheelies somewhere in the 55 to 60 mph zone. I’m not young enough for that anymore. Now my wheelie days are 2nd to 3rd gear no more 4th and 5th

Around here 95% of riders are in SxS.

Northern Wisconsin has really opened up to wheelers. Its easier to list where they cant go. Even many highways have designated sections to connect the secondary roads. But for the most part lettered highways are off limits. Unless you are in the right county! Burnett being one of them.
Not allowing sleds in hwy ditches is one rule they still have that has always bothered me.

If it’s going down roads more than trails or utility purposes….I’d rather buy a late 90’s Jeep Wrangler for half the price and take the doors and top off, then sit in the cab of a side by side listening to tires hum and the sound of those engines at highway speed.

You cant drink beer in the Jeep. I mean not supposed to.

buckybadger wrote:

If it’s going down roads more than trails or utility purposes….I’d rather buy a late 90’s Jeep Wrangler for half the price and take the doors and top off, then sit in the cab of a side by side listening to tires hum and the sound of those engines at highway speed.

As a previous 93 jeep wrangler owner, I’ll be happy to never own one of them again. I’d go with a samurai or tracker over the jeep any day. I’m also not much for a sxs guy. They are only worthwhile when it’s cold and they have a heated cab.

Bearcat89 wrote:

You ride atv often. Cruising at 55 isn’t to absurd. My old can am did 86, and my KTM did 80. Lord knows what my cr500 did, I was to scared to get past 70 on that.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. No matter how much you do it, driving that fast on an ATV is incredibly dangerous, especially considering other drivers on the road and the fact there are zero safety devices in an ATV.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
You ride atv often. Cruising at 55 isn’t to absurd. My old can am did 86, and my KTM did 80. Lord knows what my cr500 did, I was to scared to get past 70 on that.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. No matter how much you do it, driving that fast on an ATV is incredibly dangerous, especially considering other drivers on the road and the fact there are zero safety devices in an ATV.

Shucks. You should have warned me 20 years ago. If it wasn’t dangerous we didn’t do it. Glad i never lived in a bubble. We always chased the thrill. Adrenaline junkie since I was a kid.

To each their own. Making it home to their family is more important to some than others.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

To each their own. Making it home to their family is more important to some than others.

I’ve never not made it home. My family is number one. But they are now the ones riding the wheelies. My dad was the same and his dad was as well.