All-terrain vehicles: registration, licensing and safety
This factsheet explains the registration and licensing requirements for ATVs, and provides some guidelines on using ATVs safely.
What is an ATV?
All terrain vehicles (ATVs) are special purpose vehicles that are principally designed for off-road use.
They have three or more wheels, an engine capacity exceeding 50 ml and a gross weight of less than 1,000 kilograms (gross weight - the entire weight of the ATV, plus the load it is carrying, including any accessories or equipment attached). ATVs are commonly referred to as quad bikes, or sometimes four-wheelers.
There are more than 100,000 ATVs in New Zealand, mostly used on farms.
Do ATVs have to be registered and licensed?
Before we look at the options for ATV registration and licensing, we need to be clear about what motor vehicle licensing and registration are.
Do ATVs have to be licensed continuously?
No. All vehicles, including ATVs, must be licensed while in use on roads. However, unlike most vehicles, ATVs aren't required to be licensed continuously. Their vehicle licences date from the day the fee is paid, not the date due.
If you don't pay your ATV's licence fee for two years, its registration will be cancelled. If there's any chance you'll want to use the ATV on the road again, we recommend you request an exemption from licensing before this happens. (Getting a vehicle registered again after its registration has been cancelled is expensive.) (See Factsheet 49, Vehicle licensing for more information on vehicle licensing.)
Options for registering and licensing ATVs
You should first consider how you will use your ATV. The way you will use it will fall into one of the five categories below. Each category has different registration and licensing requirements, and different rules governing the ATV's use. (The registration and licensing requirements will depend largely on how much you expect to use your ATV on public roads and whether you intend to use it commercially.)
Read the five categories for registering and licensing ATVs.
What type of driver licence do I need to ride an ATV on the road?
The minimum class of driver licence you must have to ride an ATV on the road (again using the broad definition of road) is a class 1 (car) or class 6 (motorcycle) learner licence. If you don't have a driver licence, you can't ride on land that could be called a road.
Riding safely on an ATV
Helmets and other safety equipment
About a quarter of all injuries sustained in ATV crashes are to the head, yet very few riders wear helmets. Wearing an approved helmet is the best way to prevent serious head injury.
The Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 states that if an ATV is being used on a road, the rider or driver has to wear an approved helmet. The Rule provides an exception to the requirement to wear a helmet for farmers if they're travelling slower than 30km/h, from one part of their farm to another or to an adjoining farm.
For off-road use, there's a design standard specifically for ATV helmets (NZS 8600:2002) and purpose-built ATV helmets are available.
An ATV helmet should provide enough protection if you're travelling under 30km/h. If you're going to be riding faster than this, you need a more substantial helmet (eg a motorcycle helmet).
When quad bikes are being used for work purposes (on or off-road), the Health and Safety in Employment Act also applies. The Department of Labour advises that wearing a helmet is a practicable step under this Act.
The NZTA also strongly recommends that you wear other safety equipment, such as strong footwear, gloves, protective pants and eye protection.
ATVs on sealed roads
ATVs behave very differently on sealed roads from other vehicles. They're off-road vehicles, and aren't designed to be ridden on hard surfaces. Most ATVs have wide, low-pressure tyres – ideal for minimising damage to crops, but not good for road handling.
Many ATVs are four-wheel-drive vehicles. 4WDs have different steering characteristics on and off the road. Unless they undergo major modification, it is strongly recommended that you don't travel faster than 30 km/h on sealed roads.
Rider training
While you can ride an ATV on the road if you have a learner's motorcycle licence, many motorcycle techniques are unsafe when used on an ATV. Most ATV accidents are caused by rider error. The best way to learn the skills necessary to ride an ATV safely and avoid accidents is to attend a specialised training course. These courses are offered by a number of organisations, including motorcycle clubs.
The Accident Compensation Corporation publishes excellent information on ATVs.
Make sure you read the owner's manual of your ATV before attempting to ride it.
Children and ATVs
Full size ATVs are heavy, powerful machines, and many injuries occur when child riders lose control. Fatal ATV accidents in New Zealand have involved riders as young as six years old.
Full-sized ATVs carry labels from the manufacturer specifying that no one under 16 years of age rides the ATV.
Several factors prevent a child from riding an ATV with the same control as an adult. ATVs demand an active riding technique, where rider movement, strength and weight shifting are necessary to ensure stability and control. Children often lack the strength or weight to effectively handle an ATV. Some have trouble reaching the controls. In addition, children don't have the motor skills, co-ordination and perception necessary to safely operate an ATV of any size.
Carrying passengers on ATVs
ATVs are equipped with large seats to allow the rider to shift weight to control the vehicle – not to carry other people. Passengers restrict the rider's mobility and add weight to an ATV, making it harder to control and more prone to tipping over.
Passengers should only be carried on quad bikes that have been specifically designed for this purpose. These bikes come fitted with a special passenger seat.
Towing with an ATV
You need to take special care when towing trailers and other equipment with ATVs. Refer to the owner's manual to find the safe ratio between the maximum weight of a load and the unladen weight of the ATV.
Towing an ATV
You must not tow an ATV unless it is mechanically disabled (unable to be ridden).
Where you can find out more
Contact the NZTA:
- Email us: info@nzta.govt.nz.
- Phone our motor registration contact centre: 0800 108 809.
- Write to us: NZ Transport Agency, Palmerston North Office, Private Bag 11777, Palmerston North 4442.
