A new riding season has begun and if you plan on taking your ORV off of private property and unto a public road or trail, you should be aware of the new sticker rules this year. Gone is the single $16 sticker that allowed you to ride the side of the road and go onto designated trails.
This year there are two stickers to consider. The first is the ORV sticker, $26.25. This allows you to ride your two wheel, or four wheel, or six wheel, or hovercraft along the far right of designated county roads at 25 mph or less. If your ORV is street legal and you have it registered you don’t need this sticker, unless you want to go off road on designated trails. Then you need the ORV Trail sticker, $10.
However, the ORV Trail sticker by itself isn’t good for anything, regardless if your ORV is licensed or not, you must buy both stickers to be able to ride designated trails.
Unless you want to ride trails in the National Forest, then you must be state licensed and registered to ride any two track or the Michigan Cross Country Cycle Trail. The Forest Service has an excellent and free map that shows what is open and what is required to ride where. They have the power to impound your vehicle so it’s worth the time to get the map.
If you’re still not confused keep in mind that if your ORV is licensed you are free to ride any road at the posted speed with out a helmet. If you’re going by stickers alone you must where a helmet and stay below 25 mph. But always ride safe and be considerate, how people treat you is a reflection on the last rider to pass that way.