Mandatory registration for off-road vehicles starting soon

The provincial government's new laws for all-terrain vehicles, side-by-sides, dirt bikes and other types of off-road vehicles are about to come into effect.

Starting Nov. 1, owners must register their ORVs at an ICBC broker before they can be used on Crown land, including resource roads, the provincial government said Thursday.

Riders will also have to wear helmets, use the vehicle's seat belts if they've been installed by the manufacturer and carry identification to help officers better identify reckless riders and establish their age.

"Off-road vehicle registration will help combat vehicle theft and promote responsible use of ORVs," Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations said in a press release. "The new safety standards will help keep ORV users safe in B.C.'s backcountry."

Other measures include requiring ORVs to be equipped with both headlights and taillights that can be used during the day when visibility is poor and when it's dark out - beginning 30 minutes after sunset and ending 30 minutes before sunrise. Temporary lights can be used if lights have not been installed on an ORV by the manufacturer.

And youth, 16 years and younger, riding on Crown land must be supervised and riding an appropriately-sized ORV. There are two exceptions:

- Those 14 to 15 years of age who have written permission from their parent or guardian confirming the child has sufficient training to operate the ORV.

- Those riding in temporary sporting events authorized under an enactment where injury prevention has been addressed.

Also, ORVs designed to be operated by a child 11 years old or younger do not have to be registered.

Voluntary registration has been in place since Nov. 17, 2014, and since then over 35,000 users have registered. An estimated 200,000 off-road vehicles are used in the province.

The registration fee remains at $48 and owners will have the option of attaching a sticker or a licence plate to their vehicles. Owners who have already registered an ORV can exchange their metal plate for a sticker for no charge. After Dec. 31, the cost will be $18.

As for snowmobiles, mandatory registration has been in effect since the 1970s under the Motor Vehicle (All Terrain) Act, but they will now be under the Off-Road Vehicle Act.

With the switch, the snowmobile registry is being moved from a manual system to a computerized database for quicker identification of irresponsible riders and to more easily track down stolen sleds.

More information, including an FAQ, can be found at www.for.gov.bc.ca/mof/orv/.