✓An off-highway vehicle gets a DMV identification (a plate/sticker), not license plates, renewed every two years — for machines operated exclusively off-highway: dirt bikes, ATVs and quads, UTVs/side-by-sides, dune buggies, sandrails, and snowmobiles.
✓The fee is $54 for the two-year term; you apply with a REG 343.
✓There are three sticker tiers — green (year-round, all public OHV lands), red (seasonal), and tan (model-year 2022+ noncompliant "competition" vehicles).
✓As of January 1, 2026, a tan-sticker vehicle needs a sanctioned-event permit to ride at an event (SB 708).
✓OHVs are outside the standard smog program. Going on-highway is possible only for dual-use models — not ATVs, and not red-sticker vehicles.
IdentificationOHV plate/sticker — not license plates
Fee$54two-year term
RenewalEvery 2 years
Core formREG 343
Sticker tiersGreen · Red · Tan
SmogOutside the smog program
An off-highway vehicle (OHV) registers with the California DMV — but not the way a car does. Instead of license plates, it carries an off-highway identification and an emissions sticker, on a two-year cycle. This guide covers what qualifies, the green/red/tan sticker tiers, the fee, and the narrow path to making one street-legal.
This is the vehicle-as-registration side. If your machine is street-legal, it registers the ordinary way — see new registration.
What counts as an OHV
An off-highway vehicle is one operated exclusively off public roads (Vehicle Code §§38010–38012). In practice that’s:
Dirt bikes (off-road motorcycles)
ATVs and quads
UTVs and side-by-sides
Dune buggies and sandrails
Snowmobiles
California registers these through the DMV, but the credential is an OHV identification — a plate or sticker valid for two years — rather than the annual license plates a street vehicle carries. Electric off-road motorcycles (Sur-Ron, Talaria, and the like) are OHVs too, not e-bikes or mopeds.
The three sticker tiers
California issues OHV identification with one of three sticker colors, set by the vehicle’s emissions compliance:
Green sticker — CARB-compliant machines, anything from before 2003, or a 50-state-certified vehicle. Valid year-round on all public OHV lands.
Red sticker — motorcycles and ATVs of model years 2003–2021 that don’t meet California’s off-road emission standards. Subject to seasonal riding restrictions at many state OHV areas.
Tan sticker — model-year 2022 and newer noncompliant “competition” vehicles (DMV Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures §15.120, issued at DMV headquarters). These are otherwise limited to closed courses and sanctioned events, and under SB 708, effective January 1, 2026, a tan-sticker vehicle needs a sanctioned-event permit from the Department of Parks and Recreation to ride at an event.
Most write-ups mention only green and red — the tan tier is the newer one, and it carries the SB 708 permit rule.
Going on-highway
An OHV can be registered for street use only if it was manufactured for both on- and off-highway use — it has to carry the CARB emissions label and meet the on-highway equipment requirements (for post-1978 motorcycles, 50cc or more). Two hard limits: ATVs cannot be converted to on-highway use, and a red-sticker OHV cannot be registered for the highway. A machine that wasn’t built for dual use stays off-highway.
Cost
OHV identification (two-year term)
Covers the full two-year registration period
$54
The $54 is the DMV off-highway identification fee for the two-year term (the "$50" figure still circulating is out of date). A spark arrester and other charges may apply separately — the current fee detail is on the DMV OHV registration page.
How to apply — step by step
An OHV registers with the DMV like other vehicles, but carries its own identification and emissions sticker.
1
Confirm it's an OHV
The vehicle is operated exclusively off-highway — a dirt bike, ATV/quad, UTV/side-by-side, dune buggy, sandrail, or snowmobile. Street-legal vehicles register the ordinary way; see new registration.
The identification fee is $54 for the two-year term.
4
Get your OHV identification and sticker
The DMV issues the OHV identification (plate/sticker) plus the emissions sticker your vehicle qualifies for — green, red, or tan (see below).
5
Renew every two years
OHV identification runs on a two-year cycle, not the annual on-highway schedule.
Special cases
SB 708 — tan-sticker event permit (2026)
Effective January 1, 2026, SB 708 requires a tan-sticker OHV to carry a sanctioned-event permit from the California Department of Parks and Recreation to ride at a sanctioned event. Tan-sticker vehicles are otherwise limited to closed courses and sanctioned events.
A spark arrester is required on wildland
An OHV operated on forest, brush, or grass-covered land must have a qualified spark arrester. It's a separate legal requirement from registration, enforced on public lands.
Electric off-road motorcycles are OHVs
A Sur-Ron, Talaria, or similar electric off-road motorcycle is an OHV — it takes a green OHV sticker. It is not an e-bike or a moped, and can't be registered as one.
Visiting from out of state
A nonresident bringing an OHV to California can buy a nonresident OHV use permit for a limited period rather than registering the vehicle in California.
Frequently asked questions
Does an off-highway vehicle use license plates in California?
No. An OHV carries a DMV off-highway identification — a plate or sticker — on a two-year term, not the ordinary annual license plates. It's registered through the DMV like other vehicles, but with its own identification.
How much is OHV registration in California?
$54 for the two-year identification term, filed on a REG 343. The older "$50" figure is out of date; the current amount is on the DMV OHV registration page.
What's the difference between the green, red, and tan OHV stickers?
Green goes to CARB-compliant machines, anything before 2003, or 50-state-certified vehicles — usable year-round on all public OHV lands. Red goes to motorcycles and ATVs of model years 2003–2021 that don't meet California's off-road emission standards — subject to seasonal restrictions. Tan goes to model-year 2022 and newer noncompliant "competition" vehicles (DMV VIRP §15.120), which are limited to closed courses and sanctioned events and, under SB 708, need an event permit from 2026.
Can I make my dirt bike or ATV street-legal?
Only if it was manufactured for both on- and off-highway use — it must carry the CARB emissions label and meet on-highway equipment rules (for post-1978 motorcycles of 50cc or more). ATVs cannot be converted, and a red-sticker vehicle cannot be registered for the highway.
Is a Sur-Ron or Talaria an OHV?
Yes — an electric off-road motorcycle is an off-highway vehicle and takes a green OHV sticker. It is not classed as an e-bike or a moped.
Do OHVs need a smog check?
No — off-highway vehicles are outside the standard smog-check program. Their emissions status is handled through the green/red/tan sticker tiers instead. See smog check exemptions.