New video explains how to license and register motorbikes, ATVs in Idaho

Do you need a registration sticker and a license plate for your motorbike and ATV to ride legally in Idaho? Or do you just need a sticker? Or just a plate? What's the deal?

There has been some confusion about those questions, so the Idaho Off-Highway Vehicle Public Outreach Campaign produced a step-by-step video that explains the process for registering and licensing OHVs in Idaho.



The short answer to the questions above is that if you ride strictly on OHV trails, and you do not ride on city or county roads, then you only need a $12 registration sticker. Any type of OHV in Idaho, including specialty OHVs like Dune Buggies, needs a registration sticker.

But if you like to ride long loops, which may involve riding on city or county roads to connect to singletrack trails, you need to license your trail machine as well. The nice thing about getting a restricted license plate for a motorbike or ATV is that they aren't very expensive -- they cost only $3, and they are valid for seven years.

As Rich Gummersall from the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation points out in the video, if you do like to ride long loops, and maybe like to avoid having to shuttle a vehicle to the end of your trailhead, you can license your trail machine and ride on the roads to complete your ride.

"It's a small price for peace of mind," Gummersall says.

OHV riders should know that the $2 increase in registration fees in 2010 allows you to devote $1 from the fee toward law enforcement efforts in the county of your choice, and another $1 will be set aside to develop more trail opportunities on state lands managed by the Idaho Department of Lands.

If you have any questions about licensing and registration of your OHV, please contact the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, 208-334-4199.