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I was going to include snowmobiles, but the snowmobile market just isn't that big, I wouldn't think, in Texas. Besides, I think OHV kind of includes them anyway.

Ok, so lets just forget about the entire riding them on the road deal and focus on the main issue of being able to carry while riding... anywhere on an atv. How about if I am riding (theoretically) someplace public where it is legal to ride one. I think that the motorist protection act should cover atv riders on Texas trails the same as the Guillen and Flynn house bills propose that boaters should be able to carry a sidearm while on Texas waterways.

The law may not say anything about it now, but with enough emails to senators and representatives, it could easily happen.

By the way, my CHL is in the mail now, so I am not necessarily doing this for myself. I am doing this to stand up for others second amendment rights.

I just got a letter back from Flynn and an email from Guillen over the weekend. Most of it was the standard form letter response, but they did read the letter enough to respond to certain parts of it. I have posted this on a couple of ATV web sites, but I have not gotten as much response back as I would like.

Looking at the bills, they are simply amendments to the Motorist protection act to include boats on Texas waterways. It seems like it would be simple enough to add ATV's and OHV's to this amendment.

Hopefully, more people will write in encouraging them to add this. I have done my part.

I did see a post a while back that said in Texas, you could get around not driving on the street by carrying a chainsaw and mounting a triangle orange flag, either on a six foot pole or as a triangle reflector on the back. I never wanted to test it, but again I have never really had a need to.

I wonder if I mounted the flag and put a chainsaw on the back, would that make me legal to carry? Loophole maybe?

It would be an interesting test case, but I don't have the money or the time to be it, but I will start carrying a hatchet. That way if I do for some reason get pulled over, I can have an out.

WildBill wrote: Do you realize that by doing this you would have to pay to register your ATV, buy license plates, have annual safety inspections and pay insurance?

You would only have to pay if you are going to drive it on a street. Just like if you have a truck that never leaves your farm or is only transported on a trailer does not require a license, neither would an ATV.

The biggest thing that is missing is that it has to be titled as a motor vehicle in Texas. Without that, you will get nowhere.

You will also need insurance, turn signals, horn, d.o.t. approved tires and be able to pass inspection. Part of the inspection process for all 96' ( I think it is 96 anyway) and newer vehicles is to connect to the odbii computer for emissions testign. I know for certain that my quad does not have an odbii connector. I have never seen one on an atv either. There is a sensor on the exhaust that the odbii checks, but since ATV's have an open loop system, there is no sensor. Therfore, an ATV cannot pass emissions testing.

As of right now, the only 2 states that will let you legally ride an atv on the street are Arizona and Utah.

As far as where I ride, the roads we ride on are not paved roads. They are caliche rock at best. Many of them are not even passable by anything except an atv or 4wd truck with large tires. While they are county roads on a map, they are not maintained or patrolled. The police in the area don't really care about atv's. We have passed them on a few occasions and they just wave at us. As long as we are not trespassing, drinking or causing problems, they don't bother us. We have even stopped and talked to them on a few occasions as well. The most they have ever said to us is "Stay out of trouble".


I did just write into my State reps and let them know that I support the 2 bills mentioned above as well as posted to a couple of ATV sites I frequent urging people there to write in as well.

Very interesting. I think I will write and express my interest in adding ATV's to this bill. I am also going to post on a couple of ATV forums to see if I can get some more support in the form of letter writing. Do you know if there is already an initiative for this?

Would I write to my State Senator or State Representative, or both for this?

Aren't stereotypes fun.

If a biker and a golfer went toe to toe, I would put my money on the biker any day of the week, lol.

Already took the class and applied over a month ago. On hold with Austin right now actually checking the status. I have been told that my background check came back last week, but the "tech" processing it has not gotten to it yet. I am waiting on hold for her now to see what the status is or if there is a problem.

Yes, I completely agree that the line "designed for use on a highway" would exclude ATV's. We are going on a day long expedition this weekend and I was wanting to know if I could carry. Some of the areas we ride are public land, but nearby residents consider it their own since it is not maintained by the state.

ATV's cannot be made street legal in Texas, period. Already seen that discussed in ATV forums numerous times.

Thank you

I am just wondering if the motorist protection act would cover a person riding an atv. This would be in a very rural area and would include riding on some county roads as well as public trails.