Are Side by Sides Street Legal in Indiana? Everything You Need to Know

Parts Required to Be Street-Legal in Indiana

Because the only way to make a UTV street-legal in Indiana is to register in another state, getting street-legal does not involve any parts specific to Indiana.

Thanks to reciprocity agreements between states, a vehicle only needs to have the parts required by the state where it is registered. That means a UTV with an out-of-state registration can be driven on Indiana roads without needing any equipment required by Indiana and without needing to pass an Indiana inspection.

Driving a Street-Legal UTV on Public Roads in Indiana

Vehicles licensed in other states can be driven in Indiana thanks to registration reciprocity agreements between states. Indiana’s registration reciprocity statute is linked in the resources below. You should not need to worry about title transfer windows if you maintain residency in another state or your UTV is registered to an LLC in another state. In some cases, it might not be possible to transfer your registration to Indiana from another state because of vehicle type mismatches between states.

Because street-legal UTVs are a small niche, local law enforcement may not know that a UTV can be made street-legal in Indiana. While we are not attorneys, we suggest carrying physical copies of your UTV’s registration and insurance proofs and being knowledgeable about the ways your vehicle is ready for road use.

Keep in mind that street-legal UTVs in Indiana need to observe all laws and rules of the road just as a car would.

Helmet Laws in Indiana

• Indiana does not have specific helmet laws for street-legal UTVs

• Occupants 18 and younger are required to wear DOT helmets in OHV areas

• Occupants 18 and younger should wear helmets on public roads as explained below

It is worth considering that Indiana requires all motorcycle riders younger than 18 to wear helmets. Eye protection is also required if the helmet lacks a face shield. Given that, it is possible that local law enforcement would expect the same from a street-legal UTV. For safety reasons, we suggest all occupants wear helmets when driving a UTV on public roads.

Keep in mind that helmet laws need to be followed on a state-by-state basis. Before you travel, learn the helmet situation in any state you plan to drive in.

Driving a Street-Legal UTV in Indiana’s OHV Areas

Registration: Indiana Residents

Whether your UTV is street-legal or not, if you plan to operate as an off-highway vehicle in Indiana (in OHV areas, public lands, etc.), you must obtain an Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) registration through the state of Indiana. The corresponding decals must be placed on both sides of the forward half of the vehicle, and the Certificate of Registration must be carried in the vehicle. The only exception is for Indiana residents who have a bill of sale proving the vehicle was purchased within the last 45 days.

• Registrations can be obtained online after creating an account at MyBMV.in.gov or from one of the BMV branch offices located throughout the state.

• Some private OHV areas might waive the registration requirement– call ahead to confirm.

• More information can be found in the IN.gov Off-Road Vehicles FAQ.

Registration: Non-Residents

If your UTV is street-legal with an out-of-state registration, or if you are not a resident of Indiana, you are exempt from registration requirements if your UTV has a valid OHV registration from another state and is not operated in Indiana for more than 20 calendar days. Otherwise, you will need one of two registrations for your UTV:

• Motorized Non-Resident DNR ORV Permit if you want to use designated DNR riding locations

• Indiana ORV Registration if you want to ride outside those locations

Indiana offers reciprocity for states that issue vehicle-specific statewide OHV registrations. Residents of states that do not have OHV registrations (including 3 of Indiana’s border states: Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan) do not qualify for exemption.

Additionally, Indiana does not accept registrations from states where OHV permits are tied to the vehicle’s owner instead of an individual vehicle, and they also do not honor localized permits that are not for statewide use, like those issued by towns and counties.

Equipment

Indiana requires UTVs and other off-highway vehicles to have the following equipment:

• Brakes capable of slowing a vehicle at 14 feet per second on level ground at 20 MPH

• Muffler is in good working condition

• If operated at night, at least one headlight and at least one taillight

Keep in mind that many OHV areas in the United States require a Forest Service-qualified spark arrester and a maximum exhaust volume of about 80-90 decibels. Specific areas within Indiana may have their requirements, including age restrictions, so be sure to check ahead before you travel.

As of July 1, 2017, occupants 18 and younger must wear DOT helmets in OHV areas.

This section is about vehicles that do not have street-legal registrations.

It is prohibited to operate UTVs and other off-highway vehicles on public roads in Indiana unless a city or county ordinance allows you to. As long as traffic is not obstructed, OHVs can be driven alongside public roads statewide by driving in the maintained section of the right-of-way adjacent to all public roads except controlled-access highways.

Indiana also allows OHVs to cross all public roads except controlled-access highways at a 90-degree angle to the roadway after coming to a complete stop and yielding to traffic.

All other rules are set by local jurisdictions.

Registration and Equipment

OHVs must be registered and equipped as described in the previous section on OHV areas to drive on public roads in Indiana. The driver must have a valid driver’s license. Review Indiana Statute 14-16-1-20 and the subsequent statutes before driving on public roads.

Driving Restrictions

Various statewide restrictions apply to UTVs and other OHVs using approved roads, including maintaining a maximum speed that is reasonable for conditions, not operating between 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise, and ensuring the vehicle has a working muffler and is free from “excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke.”

Local Jurisdictions

Our research into this guide involved contacting the Indiana DMV and DNR directly. We were told that counties, cities, and towns in Indiana are responsible for every aspect of OHV road use restrictions, from whether you need a helmet to what equipment you need and which roads you can drive and when. What’s more, individual towns and cities might have rules that differ from the county ordinances.

• Currently, about 70% of Indiana counties allow OHVs to be driven on county roads by the general public.

• The other 30% only allow OHVs for special purposes, like agriculture or official government work, or they do not allow OHVs on their roads at all.

Unfortunately, there is no resource outlining the requirements of each county, let alone each city and town in Indiana. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources maintains a map of counties where OHVs can drive on public roads, but does not give any other details. Our best advice is to call the local DMV or local law enforcement in the area you plan to operate in and ask what would be required of you and your vehicle.

For questions outside the scope of this guide, try contacting:

• Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles

• Indiana Department of Natural Resources

These are the sources we used to create this guide. If you find any inaccurate or outdated information, please contact us, and we will be happy to address it.

General Resources

Indiana OHV Guide: Registration, Laws, and More

Indiana OHV Registration FAQ

Operating as an OHV

Indiana Statute 9-18.1-14-1 (OHV registration and decal requirements)

Indiana Statute 9-18.1-14-11 (OHV helmet requirement)

Indiana Statute 14-16-1-32 (OHV trail use tags)

Road Use of OHVs Not Registered as Street-Legal

Indiana OHV Road Use Counties Map

Indiana Statute 9-21-1-3, 9-21-1-3.3, 14-16-1-22 (Local jurisdictions)

Indiana Statute 9-24-1-7 (Age requirement)

Indiana Statute 14-16-1-20 (Operation on highways and roads)

Indiana Statute 14-16-1-23 (Restrictions on OHV operation)

Mini-Trucks

Indiana BMV: Mini-Truck FAQ

Indiana BMV: Mini-Truck Registration Checklist

Indiana Statute 9-21-8-46 (Mini-trucks cannot operate on interstates)

Other resources

Indiana Statute 9-13-2 (Definitions of Off-Road Vehicles, other vehicle categories, highways)

Indiana Statute 9-18.1-2-5 (Indiana vehicle registration reciprocity)

Indiana Statute 9-19-7-1 (Indiana motorcycle helmet law)

Indiana Statutes

Indiana Administrative Code

Indiana BMV (DMV)