All Purpose Vehicles
All purpose vehicles have become a great tool for today’s farmers. Unfortunately, the same vehicles providing a service to
farmers, create problems when used to trespass on farmland.
ATVs and other all purpose vehicles
(APVs) are any vehicle “designed for
cross-country travel on land and water,
or on more than one type of terrain,
and steered by wheels or caterpillar
treads… including vehicles that operate
on a cushion of air, and those commonly
known as all-terrain vehicles, all-season
vehicles, mini-bikes and trail bikes.”221
However, the definition of “all purpose
vehicle” does not include golf carts or
utility vehicles, such as a gator, mule or
other vehicle with a bed designed and
used to transport cargo.222
Registration and Exceptions APV
owners who primarily use their vehicle
on their farm, where the owner qualifies
for Current Agricultural Use Valuation
(CAUV), are not required to register
their APV for use on the farm or between
221
222
ORC 4519.01(B)
ORC 4519.01(B), ORC 4501.01(VV)
farms.223
Any other non-farm APVs are
required to be registered with the state.224
There is no longer a simple exception
from registration for an APV that is
operated exclusively on land owned by
the owner of the APV or land to which
the APV owner has a contractual right.
Such an exception to registration remains
in place for snowmobile and off-highway
motorcycle owners operating only on
their own land.225
Farm use APVs may also be legally
operated without registration on a public
road, or road right-of-way to travel from
one farm field to another so long as the
local jurisdiction allows for it and/or the
terrain of the right of way safely permits
APV travel.226
223
224
225
226
44
ORC 4519.02(B)(2), (3)
ORC 4519.02
ORC 4519.02(B)(1)
ORC 4519.02(B)(2), (3)