Registrations trickling in for off-road vehicles

The deadline has passed, but required registration papers keep trickling in for Nevadans who own off-road vehicles.

As of Monday, the state had processed 14,720 applications, according to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. That’s up more than 2,000 since mid-June. The requirement has been in place since July 2012, but the state allowed a grace period that ended July 1 of this year.

But the registration count is still a drop in the bucket — less than 1 percent — of the estimated 260,000 state-designated off-highway vehicles such as dirt bikes, dune buggies, four-wheelers and snowmobiles.

Officers of the law can always use their discretion in deciding whether to write a ticket. But Lincoln County Sheriff Kerry Lee said trail riders shouldn’t worry much about seeing $100 fines for not registering just yet.

“This is going to be new for a lot of people,” said Lee, who represents the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association on the state Commission on Off-Highway Vehicles.

For the next year, Lee said, law enforcement will focus on educating the public.

Las Vegas police have no specific enforcement plans for OHV registration, spokeswoman Laura Meltzer said, but would consider citations if they respond to a specific complaint.

All-terrain vehicle owner Daniel Bettencourt recently moved to Las Vegas from Oregon and is just learning the rules for his outdoor toys. On Monday he went to Carter Powersports on South Decatur Boulevard to have the service department find VIN numbers on two quads and to file his application with Carson City.

The state authorized dealerships that sell ATVs to handle paperwork for vehicle owners. The DMV processes the applications and collects the $20 registration fees, then mails decals to vehicle owners.

Bettencourt said he follows the law, but that doesn’t make it fun.

“Anytime there’s change that’s going to cost you money, it’s kind of hard to say, ‘Oh yeah, it’s a great idea,” Bettencourt said. “I’m sure that the overall idea is to earn more, to gain revenue.”

Most OHV owners who have stopped by Carter Powersports lately have responded that way, service adviser Shawn Taylor said. But some perk up when they hear the money the state collects will be used for trail upkeep, expansion and improvements. That’s something the could eventually help Nellis Dunes, northeast of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where there are no restrooms or lights.

Whatever the reason, the deadline seems to have created more interest in registration, Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Kevin Malone said.

“Anecdotally we’ve seen an increase in the number of phone calls on applications coming in,” Malone said. “We’re processing them as fast as we can.”

Another positive, Lee said, is that now police and sheriff’s deputies can help return stolen OHVs to rightful owners. Before the state tracked equipment identification numbers, there was no easy way of knowing who had legally bought the vehicles.

“I don’t think that it’s just another way for the government to get in your pocketbook,” Lee said.

Gary Lambert, who represents OHV owners and users on the state commission, said he hopes the board will direct money toward better marketing of the sport, including building a database of GPS trail maps.

Most people think Burning Man, the offbeat art and music festival held near Gerlach, is the biggest thing going on in the Nevada desert, Lambert said.

More Nevadans get off-road than many may realize, Lambert, of Reno, said.

“I’ve had a couple of laughs in private because OHV is so much bigger.”

The commission expects about 100,000 OHV registrations by year’s end.

Contact reporter Adam Kealoha Causey at acausey@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0361.