ATV – Nevada Bill Proposes Registration Program

All Nevada off-road motorcycles and ATVs will be required to have a new “Certificate of Operation” sticker to legally operate on most Nevada roads and trails under a bill recently proposed by state OHV organizations.
The state of Nevada is one of the few states that does not have an off-road motorcycle/ATV registration program, the taxes from which help fund off-highway programs. Plus, dealers in the state of Nevada charge 7% sales tax on vehicles while dealers in some neighboring states do not.
The Off-Road Business Association (ORBA), quoting sales data, says this has resulted in between 35% to 40% of all sales to Nevada residents being transacted out of state.
While Nevada state law already requires that residents pay a sales tax upon bringing a new out-of-state vehicle into Nevada, with no registration program, there has been no mechanism to enforce this law. At the same time, again because of no registration program, there is no state funding available for enhancing or protecting OHV recreation opportunities. Because of these issues, legislation has been introduced in each of the last three bi-annual sessions, but no progress has been made until this year.
ORBA says previous bills introduced were not crafted in a manner that addressed the issues of lost sales and sales tax collection or the creation of a good OHV registration program. The result was fierce opposition and an eventual stalemate.
Last year, a two-day meeting was held with various Nevada OHV groups to try and hammer out a consensus bill for motorcycle and ATV registration. The result was forwarded to the Nevada legislature but, during the drafting phase, several changes were made. Then, during the hearings, new proposals surfaced that were not acceptable to the OHV organizations and also had opposition from several state agencies and the Governor’s office.
ORBA says the result was a much watered-down proposal enacted this session, with a commitment from all involved to work on a new bill for the next legislative session that will be better for everyone.
ORBA Land Use Director Bill Dart has been involved with this issue for the past five year. Dart points to successful programs in Idaho and Utah, and says his goal is to make sure any legislation passed is fair to Nevada dealers and beneficial to the state’s OHV community.
The stickers necessary through the proposed bill will be issued at no charge by Nevada dealers upon request of the owners. For all dirt bikes and ATV’s purchased from licensed dealers after Jan. 1, 2006, the owners will have to show proof of payment of Nevada sales tax. So the required payment of sales taxes will now have an enforcement mechanism.
The other key provision of the bill will allow rural counties and cities to designate all county roads, including paved roads and state highways, as legal for OHV use for up to two miles to connect trails and allow access to services, such as gas, food and lodging.