It is possible to make a UTV street-legal in Minnesota by registering it in another state. The resulting title, registration, and license plate will allow you to drive your side-by-side on roads, highways, and city streets in Minnesota and beyond.
This page covers street-legal UTVs in Minnesota from top to bottom including relevant laws, details about OHV areas, and times when a UTV not registered as street-legal can be driven on local roads. Review the following resources to learn more.
Ready to roll? Register out of state now with the help of our expert team.
Why You Must Register Out of State
In order to register a UTV as a regular street-legal vehicle through the Minnesota DMV, it would need to fit Minnesota’s definition of a street-legal vehicle and pass a Minnesota motor vehicle inspection, but Minnesota’s laws do not appear to allow that.
Within the context of roadgoing registrations, Minnesota law states that the term “vehicle” does not apply to machines that were “not originally constructed primarily for use on public roads and highways.” This means a UTV cannot be registered as street-legal through the Minnesota DMV, even with street-legal parts installed. Confirming this notion, none of the state’s vehicle registration categories accommodate UTVs: motorcycles are defined as straddle-seated vehicles with three or fewer wheels, and autocycles must have three wheels.
Want to see the laws for yourself? The resources we used to reach this conclusion are linked in the Laws, Codes, and Other Resources section below.
How to Get Street-Legal
In states like Montana and South Dakota, the vehicle code allows UTVs to be registered as street-legal vehicles. You can register your UTV in those states without ever leaving your home. Once registration is complete and the required equipment is installed, your UTV will be street-legal in the state of Minnesota with an out-of-state registration (see How to Make Your UTV Street-Legal).
From local gems like Meeker County OHV Park to the famous woodlands of Iron Range and Saint Croix, a street-legal UTV could get you wherever you want to go without a truck and trailer holding you back. Our team of experts can complete the paperwork on your behalf, giving you more time to explore Minnesota’s vast natural beauty rather than dealing with the DMV.
Parts Required to Be Street-Legal in Minnesota
Because the only way to make a UTV street-legal in Minnesota is to register it in another state, getting street-legal does not involve any parts specific to Minnesota.
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 Minnesota roads without needing any equipment required by Minnesota and without needing to pass a Minnesota inspection.
Driving a Street-Legal UTV on Public Roads in Minnesota
Because street-legal UTVs are a small niche, local law enforcement may not know that a UTV can be made street-legal in Minnesota. 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.
Vehicles licensed in other states can be driven in Minnesota thanks to registration reciprocity agreements between states. Minnesota’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 Minnesota from another state because of vehicle type mismatches between states.
Keep in mind that street-legal UTVs in Minnesota need to observe all laws and rules of the road just as a car would.
Helmet Laws in Minnesota
Minnesota does not have specific helmet laws for street-legal UTVs
Occupants younger than 18 are required to wear a helmet in Minnesota OHV areas
Minnesota does require motorcycle riders younger than 18 to wear helmets and all motorcycle riders must wear eye protection like glasses, goggles, or transparent face shields. Although a UTV does not fit Minnesota’s definition of a motorcycle, it follows that if you are under 18, you should wear a helmet while operating a street-legal UTV as this is what local law enforcement will be most familiar with. For safety reasons, we suggest wearing a helmet whenever you operate 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 Minnesota’s OHV Areas
Registration
Whether your UTV is street-legal or not, if you plan to operate as an off-highway vehicle in Minnesota (in OHV areas, public lands, etc.) you must obtain an OHV registration through the Minnesota DMV and display proof of it on your UTV.
If your UTV is street-legal with an out-of-state registration, or if you are not a resident of Minnesota, you will need a Minnesota Nonresident Trail Pass if the vehicle remains in Minnesota for more than 30 days.
Registrations can be obtained over the phone, in person, or online, as detailed in the Minnesota DNR OHV Registration Guide
Equipment
Any UTV operated as an OHV in Minnesota is required to have a Forest Service-qualified spark arrester along with other basic equipment, like working lights and brakes, as detailed in the resources below. Some OHV areas may have their requirements regarding equipment, helmet use, engine size restrictions by rider age, or other factors, so be sure to check ahead when you plan to travel.
Helmet Use
When we could not find a statewide law requiring helmet use off-road, we contacted the Minnesota DNR and several OHV areas in the state and they each confirmed that occupants younger than 18 are required to wear helmets in off-road situations. This will apply whether your UTV is street-legal or not.
When a Normal UTV Can Be Driven on Minnesota Roads
This section is about UTVs that have not been made street-legal through the means described above.
This section is about vehicles that are not registered as street-legal, as described above.
Minnesota allows UTVs and other off-highway vehicles to be driven on the right shoulder of county roads or the extreme right-hand side of the road surface in the absence of a shoulder. OHVs may only drive on the road surface when approved through local ordinances, for crossing purposes, or during emergency weather conditions.
Driving on the shoulders of other roads is only allowed for special purposes like farming and government work.
Driving on freeways and interstate highways is never allowed.
Driving on the median, ditch, or bank of a roadway, including highways, is only allowed on an approved OHV trail.
When driving under these exceptions, the vehicle’s speed is limited to what is “reasonable and proper” for the conditions.
Learn more with the Minnesota DNR OHV Regulations Handbook (PDF).
Local Jurisdictions
Towns, cities, and other local jurisdictions in Minnesota can make their own rules regarding OHVs. They can choose to loosen or tighten the statewide restrictions on OHVs by allowing them to drive on certain roads, preventing crossings, restricting only certain types of OHVs, or changing other aspects of the law. Be sure to check the local resources of the areas you plan to operate in.
Crossing Roads
Minnesota law states that UTVs and other OHVs may cross public roads at approximately a 90-degree angle after coming to a complete stop and yielding to traffic. If an OHV can drive on a given road, left-hand turns can be made from the road.
If the road is divided, the crossing must occur at the point of intersection with another road. Bridges may be utilized to cross roads or avoid obstacles providing the vehicle enters the roadway within 100 feet of the bridge. Freeways and interstates cannot be driven on even for crossing purposes.
Required Registration
Off-highway vehicles driving under these conditions need to be registered with Minnesota as described in the previous section on OHV areas.
Required Equipment
Any UTV that is not street-legal must have the following equipment to drive on public roads in Minnesota:
At least one headlight
At least one taillight
At least one brake light
Working brakes
Rear view mirror
Rollover protection
Seat belts
Valid OHV permit
Operator must have a valid driver’s license
Vehicle must be insured
As of July 2021, drivers with suspended or cancelled licenses due to a DWI violation and drivers with an ignition interlock device cannot operate off-highway vehicles in Minnesota. Helmets are not required statewide, but may be required locally and in OHV areas.
How Minnesota defines a UTV
Minnesota has several off-highway vehicle classifications:
Utility Task Vehicle: “a side-by-side, four-wheel drive, off-road vehicle that has four wheels, is propelled by an internal combustion engine with a piston displacement capacity of 1,200 cubic centimeters or less, and has a total dry weight of 1,800 but less than 2,600 pounds.”
All-Terrain Vehicle: “a motorized vehicle with: (1) not less than three, but not more than six low pressure or non-pneumatic tires; (2) a total dry weight of 2,000 pounds or less; and (3) a total width from outside of tire rim to outside of tire rim that is 65 inches or less.”
Class 1 ATV: total width of 50 inches or less when measured in the same manner
Class 2 ATV: total width between 50 and 65 inches when measured in the same manner
Smaller UTVs may be considered Class I ATVs and may be subject to different road use rules than the ones we covered here.
Special Exceptions
Vehicles used for farming may qualify for expanded privileges like driving on the shoulder of other roads. Contact your local DMV or local authorities to learn more.
Laws, Codes, and Other Resources
For questions outside the scope of this guide, try contacting:
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.
Note: The resources below sometimes use the phrases UTV, ATV, OHV, and ORV interchangeably.
Minnesota DNR OHV Nonresident Trail Pass
Minnesota DNR OHV Registration Guide
Minnesota DNR OHV Regulations Handbook (PDF)
Operating as an OHV
Minnesota DNR OHV Definitions and Helmet Requirements
Minnesota Statute 88.195 (Spark arrestor required)
Minnesota Statute 84.922 (Registration requirements)
Road Use of OHVs Not Registered as Street-Legal
Minnesota Statute 84.92 (Definitions of ATV, Class 1, Class 2)
Minnesota Statute 84.928 (Public road use)
Minnesota Statute 169.045 (Local jurisdictions and other requirements, defines UTV)
Other Resources
Isanti-Chisago County Star: Ask a Trooper (2016 discussion of ATV laws)
Minnesota Statute 168.01 (Defines a registerable vehicle)
Minnesota Statute 168.181 (Minnesota vehicle registration reciprocity)
Minnesota Statute 169.011 (Definitions of autocycle, motorcycle, highway, etc.)
Minnesota Statute 169.974 (Minnesota motorcycle helmet law)
