North Carolina State ATV Information

North Carolina

State Laws:

No one under age 8 may operate an ATV.
Children under age 12 may only operate an ATV under 70cc.
Children under age 16 may only operate an ATV 90cc or less.
Children under age 16 must be supervised by a person at least age 18.
Passengers may not be carried unless the ATV was designed to carry passengers.
All ATV operators must wear helmet and eye protection.
ATV use on public streets and highways is prohibited except to cross.
No ATV shall be operated without a lighted headlight and taillight from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise.
Effective October 1, 2006, every ATV operator born on or after January 1, 1990, must have an ATV safety certificate.
Persons using ATVs for farming, hunting or trapping are exempt from the law’s provisions.

State Agency that Regulates ATVs: None.

Training: Click here to learn how to enroll in an ATV safety training course near you!

Legislation: To view North Carolina's state ATV laws, click here

State ATV Deaths
Total Reported Deaths (1982-2007): *Data collection for 2005-2007 is incomplete	324
Reported Deaths (1982-2004):	256
Reported Deaths (2005-2007): *Data collection for 2005-2007 is incomplete	68
Reported Deaths (1982-2004): Children under 16	85

"The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is providing the abovementioned information on state laws for your convenience. CPSC is expressing no opinion on any of these various requirements. To ensure full compliance with the laws in your state, CPSC recommends that ATV owners and riders check with their state government or legislative officials for a detailed list of off-road vehicle laws and regulations."