WA State OHV Permits

egecko · 05-04-2007, 03:37 PM

Has anyone attempted to obtain a Washington State OHV permit? I searched, but found nothing regarding to this. Just curious as it seems no one knows what I'm talking about. I called Olympia and they directed me to my local DMV office with number and all. I called there to inquire about OHV permits and they told me that they don't do that there and that I would have to call the WA Parks and Req office and they proceeded to give me their number. I called there and I was told they no longer handle the OHV permits for the last 3+ years and it's issued through the DMV as you get a plaque (license tag) and a registration sticker. So since I know you can get the Oregon OHV permits at GI Joe's (now called Joe's), I went to the one in WA since I was down the street to find out more information and they told me that I would have to go to the DMV as well.

I proceeded to go to the DMV and told the counter lady what I was needing and she gave me a ticket. When they called my number, the lady had no idea what I was referring to and when I told her it's to take my vehicle on/off road she was still thinking I was referring to an atv or moto and said but the plate# you gave me is a car...... I told her I know, and it's to take the vehicle OFF road on trails and stuff to comply with the WA laws, rule and regulations. She had to ask someone else and luckily the lady next to her knew what I was wanting. Well I had to go back out to the truck as you need to have your registration with you and I had to get back in line.

Now when I went back in to get it done, I had to get another # for the tab renewal area and wait in line all over again. The second lady, who knew what I was wanting finished up and called me up and got me all squared away with what I needed. Basically you need to turn in your current registration and they issue you a new one with the OHV tags associated to your name and vehicle. You get 4 tags total which 2 look like plates and 2 are registration tags to go in the front and rear of the vehicle. It doesn't state where they need to go or how they need to be applied, but they have to go somewhere.

I'm posting this so that others will know how and where to obtain the proper OHV permits for those wanting to hit the trails.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: ATVs Out of State Permits/Reciprocity

Quote:

Out of State Permits/Reciprocity
Oregon Laws and Rules relating to out of state permits

Oregon Revised Statute
821.195

Operation of all-terrain vehicle without permit and decal; exemption; penalty.
(1) A person commits the offense of operating an all-terrain vehicle without a permit and a decal if the person operates an all-terrain vehicle without a permit and a decal in an area or on a trail designated by the appropriate authority as open to all-terrain vehicles only if they have permits and decals.

(2) This section does not apply to:
(a) An all-terrain vehicle owned and operated by a resident of another state if the other state grants a similar exemption for all-terrain vehicles owned and operated by residents of Oregon and if the vehicle has not been operated in this state for more than 60 consecutive days; or
(b) An all-terrain vehicle owned and operated by the United States, this state or any other state or any political subdivision of the United States or of a state.

(3) The offense described in this section, operating an all-terrain vehicle without a permit and a decal, is a Class C traffic violation. [Formerly 821.175; 1999 c.977 §35]

Oregon Administrative Rule
736-004-0070

Reciprocity for Out-of-State Permits
An ATV operating permit that is issued in another state shall be honored in the State of Oregon if the issuing state also honors an Oregon ATV operating permit.
(1) The ATV must have a resident state ATV operating permit or a State of Oregon ATV operating permit to operate the ATV on designated ATV areas.
(a) A State of Oregon ATV operating permit may be issued for all terrain vehicles owned by a resident of another state.
(b) An ATV operating permit is valid in those areas designated for ATV use.
Stat. Auth.: ORS 390.180
Stats. Implemented: ORS 390.180
Hist.: PRD 8-2000, f. & cert. ef. 6-2-00

Oregon will honor off road permits from the following states:

Alaska
California
Colorado
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Missouri
Montana
North Dakota
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Utah
Vermont
Washington *
Wisconsin

* Anyone riding in Oregon is required to have an off road permit/decal for off road areas. This is a state law. Reciprocity is granted to those individuals who have a valid off road permit/decal. This is the only permit which we accept in our reciprocity agreement with other states. Within Washington's laws, they offer reciprocity to other states under two directions, ORV permit or vehicle license. Only one is similar to our program and that is the ATV Permit/Decal. Dual sport motorcycles with license plates do not qualify under the reciprocity agreement.

Note: Not every state has replied to our request for information. If your homestate is not listed, please contact the agency in charge of off road vehicles to find out if they have a similar permit system and if they honor Oregon permits. If you are an out of state agency and would like your homestate added to this page, please contact atv.info@state.or.us

chewey46 · 05-04-2007, 04:04 PM

What is the right verbage to get the person to know what you are talking about??

Or should I just bag it, since the DMV is clueless???

egecko · 05-04-2007, 05:16 PM

Quote:

chewey46 previously said:

What is the right verbage to get the person to know what you are talking about??

Or should I just bag it, since the DMV is clueless???

Make sure you take your vehicle registration, drivers license and $48.75 in there with you and go to the Tab Renewal Line at a one of the larger DMV offices. The one I went to as at Mill Plain and 136th. Tell them you want to register your vehicle as an OHV/ORV on-road/off-road vehicle. They will take your registration and you will have to sign it at the counter and they will issue you a new one with the tags that are associated with it. The plate tag is approx 4"x2" with large numbers/letters on it and the smaller tag is just like the registration stickers you get for your regular license plate.

If all else fails, call Olympia and ask them for the nearest location that issues OHV/ORV permits. Don't call the place, just go there as they will not know what you're talking about.

tnegiet · 05-04-2007, 05:33 PM

Check and see if your DOL office sells Idaho ORV tags. The also are valid in Washington and Oregon and they only cost $10. Idaho will also mail the renewal notice to your address at the start of the year so you never have to go back the DOL to renew.

BDFJ · 05-04-2007, 05:59 PM

Quote:

egecko previously said:

Make sure you take your vehicle registration, drivers license and $48.75 in there with you and go to the Tab Renewal Line at a one of the larger DMV offices. The one I went to as at Mill Plain and 136th. Tell them you want to register your vehicle as an OHV/ORV on-road/off-road vehicle. They will take your registration and you will have to sign it at the counter and they will issue you a new one with the tags that are associated with it. The plate tag is approx 4"x2" with large numbers/letters on it and the smaller tag is just like the registration stickers you get for your regular license plate.

If all else fails, call Olympia and ask them for the nearest location that issues OHV/ORV permits. Don't call the place, just go there as they will not know what you're talking about.

Interesting. We went to that office several months ago and NO ONE had ANY CLUE what the hell I was talking about. So, I went to GI Joes (only in Oregon now) and got an Oregon tag. GI Joes also said that I didn't need tags in Wa State...

The DMV was VERY INSISTENT that I did NOT need to register my FJ UNLESS it was an ATV or off-road motorcycle.

And at Horn Rapids OHV Park, they do not require OHV tags. Just some insurance form of some sort.

Weird.

In the meantime, my Oregon ORV tag works quite well...

egecko · 05-04-2007, 06:17 PM

Quote:

tnegiet previously said:

Check and see if your DOL office sells Idaho ORV tags. The also are valid in Washington and Oregon and they only cost $10. Idaho will aslo mail the renewal notice to your address at the start of the year so you never have to go back the DOL to renew.

DOL only sells the state ones you're located in. For WA, you need to get them in WA, for ID, you would need to get them in Idaho.

Quote:

BDFJ previously said:

Interesting. We went to that office several months ago and NO ONE had ANY CLUE what the hell I was talking about. So, I went to GI Joes (only in Oregon now) and got an Oregon tag. GI Joes also said that I didn't need tags in Wa State...

The DMV was VERY INSISTENT that I did NOT need to register my FJ UNLESS it was an ATV or off-road motorcycle.

And at Horn Rapids OHV Park, they do not require OHV tags. Just some insurance form of some sort.

Weird.

In the meantime, my Oregon ORV tag works quite well...

HAHA sounds like you went through the same steps I went through. Not having a OHV Permit is a Class C Traffic Violation if you get caught. I would rather have the appropriate permits and not chance not getting caught without or the wrong permits. While not knowing what the cost of the ticket will run, I would rather just pay for the permit. If someone wants to see what it looks like, I'll take a picture of it and post it here.

tnegiet · 05-04-2007, 06:31 PM

Quote:

egecko previously said:

DOL only sells the state ones you're located in. For WA, you need to get them in WA, for ID, you would need to get them in Idaho.

Actually NO. I have bought many at Wa DOL offices. If you would like their telephone numbers I can send them your way. They sell watercraft ones too.

Also, you do not need an ORV tag in Washington for a licensed vehicle. If it has a license plate you are good to go. ORV tags are for off-road vehicles only that choose to use Washington ORV parks.

Here's a couple resources:

Off-Road Motorcycle Licensing

WA GOV

WA DOL

BDFJ · 05-04-2007, 10:12 PM

Quote:

tnegiet previously said:

Also, you do not need an ORV tag in Washington for a licensed vehicle. If it has a license plate you are good to go. ORV tags are for off-road vehicles only that choose to use Washington ORV parks.

That's what I finally figured out what the WA DMV was trying to tell me. This thread confirmed it.

However, if you insist, they (WA DMV) will happily let you pay it and give you some whacky stickers.

swamp thing · 05-04-2007, 11:14 PM

Is the ORV sticker for driving in state parks? Is it also needed for federal park land? Do you need that for driving on oregon beaches? Never heard of registering an auto for offroad use.

BDFJ · 05-05-2007, 09:57 AM

ORV stickers are for ORV parks. Doesn't have anything to do with federal/state parks. And for WA: You do not need to register a on-road vehicle (FJ Cruiser for example) for off-road use. Only ATV's and non-street legal vehicles need that type of licensing in WA state.

Sorry Ed, but I think the DMV screwed the pooch on that one buddy.