[ArcticCatDaddy]

To My Fellow UTV Enthusiasts,
I am a Texas dealer of ATV’s & UTV’s.
One of the most frequent questions that I get from customers who come in looking for a UTV is; can I make it street legal?
At this point in time, my only answer to them is “I’m not sure why, but NO”.
I am at a point where I am looking for an ally or allies to challenge this.
A UTV can easily be outfitted with turn signals, rearview mirrors, lighted license plate holders, etc.
Considering everything from motorcycles, to some of the tiny little “green” three wheeled death-traps that are being licensed daily, I can see absolutely no reason why they cannot be made street legal.
As a dealer, I can easily provide & create a UTV that fulfills every safety requirement that the State of Texas requires for a car. If I can find an ally (lawyer?), I will provide the vehicle and more, if you might be willing to take this issue up with me.
Case in point- In the early days of the HOV lanes for Houston freeways, two passengers was the law. A local attorney set out to deliberately be ticketed in order to form a basis for a challenge, based upon a little known federal law. He pushed the matter through the courts, and succeeded in opening these lanes to single rider motorcyclists, since the bikes are registered vehicles, and meet all legal and safety requirements.
I am in the process of researching the “catch” that makes a DMV clerk say no. I believe that I have it narrowed down, at least partially, and it is simply a trivial little bit of wording in the DMV code.


If anyone can help with information and/or guidance, please feel free to contact me.

Jeff Weimer
281-342-1806- Shop
832-744-8388- Cell

 

[carnivore]

Jeff, check your private messages.

 

[dunny96]

The sole reason in Texas is that they are sold as off road vehicles. Other states will let a person retrofit to make it street legal, not Texas.

 

[dlineman1]

Thats a bunch of BS for us in Texas because they allow cities,gov't agency,pd,fd,utilities etc. to use them.Look at how much money the state could gain by allowing us to registering them.
dlineman1 prc9756 sxs480

 

[Pops]

Several year ago on PRC I seen a Ranger with Texas Plates and inspection sticker. The Ranger was sitting in front of the Polaris dealer in Jasper, TX. Since I had a hunting lease up there and been to the dealership a few times next trip I stopped and asked. The person a the dealership told me that the Ranger did get tags adn was inspected. Both were underhanded and found loopholes in the DMV rules. I tried following the same setup and even pointed out the loophole to the office in Liberty County and they flatly told me NO, the Ranger is designed to run more than 25 MPH, since I have a 500 Ranger I even had the key to restrict the speed to 25 MPH but they continued to deny my application. I finally gave up.

I have family in Arizona and I was going to tag and retitle my RZR in AZ as a motorcycle, after a year I was going to transfer it back to Virginia where I live now. The DMV in Virginia told me they didn't care what it was titled in Arizona, in Virginia it will be classified as what the original design was and it would go back to an "OFFROAD USE ONLY" as it was listed on the "Certificate of Manufactor".

I know this don't help much, but I still own property in Texas and take the Ranger back all the time, I would love to have it street legal for a change.