Anyone under 16 years of age who operates an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on public land must be under adult supervision and have proof of having completed a Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) safety course. An ATV owned by a Florida resident must have the title, and the transfer of title must be delivered with the sale of a vehicle. To obtain the title, you must prove your ownership by submitting an executed sales invoice along with your application, a statement of origin from the manufacturer, and other supporting documents that the department accepts. You will receive a validation sticker along with your title that you will have to place on your ATV as proof of the issuance of the title.
To be able to use them, your ATV must be properly titled and equipped with certain devices that are factory-installed on all off-road vehicles, such as silencers, fenders, brakes and new lights. If you are 12 years old or older, you must have successfully completed the snowmobile or off-highway recreational vehicle (OHRV) training program, or have a license to drive a vehicle. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle, including off-road vehicles, on the beaches and sand dunes of the Gulf of Mexico, except on private property with permission. No one between the ages of 8 and 15 can operate an ATV unless they are in the field of their parents or guardians, or the person has participated in an ATV safety training course and has a safety certificate, or if they are under the direct supervision of a certified ATV safety instructor during the course.
All-terrain vehicles must have at least one headlight and two rear lights, which must be on every time the vehicle is in operation. However, if you plan to use it on any public road designated for use and you are a resident of Florida, the ATV must bear the title. A person cannot operate an ATV on any road or public road or on the right of way of any public road or roadway. Or, anyone at least 12 years old who has successfully completed an approved snowmobile or OHRV training program, who operates an OHRV on the busy part of a public road, when allowed, who does not have a driver's license, will be accompanied at all times by a person who has a driver's license and who is at least 18 years of age.
A person cannot operate an ATV at a speed that cannot be controlled in the manner necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle, or other means of transportation. When conditions such as darkness limit visibility to five hundred feet or less, all-terrain vehicles must have one or more headlights sufficient to illuminate objects at a distance of one hundred and fifty feet and at least one rear light of sufficient intensity to show a red or amber light at a distance of two hundred feet in normal weather conditions. It is illegal to drive or drive a snowmobile or ATV with any bow, arrow, or firearm in your possession, unless it is off the hook or unloaded, or to drive or chase any type of hunting or wildlife with a snowmobile or ATV. No person under the age of sixteen may operate an ATV except on land that is owned or leased by their parents or guardians, unless it is under the general supervision of a person eighteen years of age or older or of a person age sixteen or older who holds an ATV safety certificate. This means that public land is prohibited for off-road vehicles, but state and federal agencies can designate marked trails for off-road vehicles.
No person under 16 and a half years of age may drive a snow vehicle or recreational vehicle on or on a public road, unless the operator has a valid license or the right to operate a motor vehicle or is directly supervised by a person 18 years of age or older. A person under 12 years of age cannot drive an ATV unless they are taking a prescribed educational training course and the operation is under the direct supervision of a certified ATV educational instructor, or the operation is under the direct supervision of a parent or responsible guardian who is at least eighteen years old, has experience operating off-road vehicles and has a valid driver's license. No person may operate a snowmobile or ATV on state property, except on clearly marked and pre-designated routes or as expressly permitted by the Commonwealth.
