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Vermont

What Vermont law says about riding an electric dirt bike, question by question. 6 of 6 answered from official text. Where the state has no rule on a question, the page says "No statewide rule found" and what the law does cover.

Published

Reviewed . Sources: 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1); 23 V.S.A. § 3502(a)(1), (e); 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1); 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(4); 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(5), (b)(16)(A)-(B); 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1); 23 V.S.A. § 1256; 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(2)(D)-(E), (b)(5), (e)(1)-(3); 23 V.S.A. § 3518; 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1); 23 V.S.A. § 301(e); 23 V.S.A. § 4(21); 23 V.S.A. § 4(46)(A).

The answers

Is an electric dirt bike an off-highway vehicle?

Vermont's All-Terrain Vehicles chapter (Title 23, chapter 31) defines the "all-terrain vehicle" or "ATV" as any nonhighway recreational vehicle, except snowmobiles, having not less than two low pressure tires (10 pounds per square inch, or less), not wider than 72 inches, with two-wheel ATVs having permanent, full-time power to both wheels, and having a dry weight of less than 2,500 pounds, when used for cross-country travel on trails or on land, water, snow, ice, marsh, swampland or natural terrain. An ATV does not include an electric personal assistive mobility device, a motor-assisted bicycle or an electric bicycle.

23 V.S.A. § 3501(1), checked . Official text for Vermont, 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1), external site

What it needs to ride public off-road land

No statewide rule found

No statewide registration or decal rule for a two-wheeled machine driven by one wheel found. The cited section is written for the "ATV", defined as a nonhighway recreational vehicle with two-wheel ATVs having permanent, full-time power to both wheels: except as otherwise provided in that section, an ATV must be registered (a nonresident's ATV counts as registered if registered where its owner resides) and display a valid VASA Trail Access Decal on the VASA Trail System, on State land designated by the Secretary, or along any highway not adjacent to the operator's property, and an ATV may not be operated on any State lands unless designated by the Secretary for use by ATVs.

That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.

What we read: 23 V.S.A. § 3502(a)(1), (e); 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1); 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(4), checked . Official text for Vermont, 23 V.S.A. § 3502(a)(1), (e); 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1); 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(4), external site

Helmet rule off-road

No statewide rule found

No statewide off-road helmet rule for a two-wheeled machine driven by one wheel found. Section 3506 is written for the "ATV" (defined with two-wheel ATVs having permanent, full-time power to both wheels): an individual under 12 years of age may not operate one unless wearing protective headgear of a type approved by the Commissioner, and at locations where the ATV must be registered under section 3502 the operator and all passengers must wear properly secured protective headgear conforming to 49 C.F.R. § 571.218, or to ASTM International or National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment standards if the ATV has manufacturer-installed rollover protection and safety belts. Section 1256 requires headgear conforming to 49 C.F.R. § 571.218 on a motorcycle upon a highway.

That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.

What we read: 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(5), (b)(16)(A)-(B); 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1); 23 V.S.A. § 1256, checked . Official text for Vermont, 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(5), (b)(16)(A)-(B); 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1); 23 V.S.A. § 1256, external site

Age and supervision rules for young riders

No statewide rule found

No statewide age rule for a two-wheeled off-road machine driven by one wheel found. Section 3506 is written for the "ATV" (defined with two-wheel ATVs having permanent, full-time power to both wheels): an individual under 12 may not operate one unless wearing approved headgear and either on land owned by parents, family or guardian, with written permission of the landowner or lessee, or under the direct supervision of an individual 18 or older whose license is not suspended; the conditions for crossing a public highway include that the operator is 12 or older and, if under 16, under such supervision. An operator under 18 must be on property owned or leased by the operator or his or her parents or guardian, taking a prescribed safety course under a certified ATV safety instructor, or holding a safety education certificate; section 3518 says that provision shall not apply to any two-wheeled vehicles.

That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.

What we read: 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(2)(D)-(E), (b)(5), (e)(1)-(3); 23 V.S.A. § 3518; 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1), checked . Official text for Vermont, 23 V.S.A. § 3506(b)(2)(D)-(E), (b)(5), (e)(1)-(3); 23 V.S.A. § 3518; 23 V.S.A. § 3501(1), external site

Riding it on public roads

An individual must not operate a motor vehicle on any highway unless the vehicle is registered as provided in the registration chapter. "Motor vehicle" includes all vehicles propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power, except farm tractors, vehicles running only upon stationary rails or tracks, motorized highway building equipment, road making appliances, snowmobiles, tracked vehicles, motor-assisted bicycles, electric bicycles and electric personal assistive mobility devices.

23 V.S.A. § 301(e); 23 V.S.A. § 4(21), checked . Official text for Vermont, 23 V.S.A. § 301(e); 23 V.S.A. § 4(21), external site

Where the e-bike definition stops

An electric bicycle is a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals, a saddle or seat for the rider, and an electric motor of less than 750 watts that meets one of three classes. Class 1 and Class 3 motors assist only when the rider is pedaling and cease to assist at 20 and 28 miles per hour respectively; a Class 2 motor may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches 20 miles per hour.

23 V.S.A. § 4(46)(A), checked . Official text for Vermont, 23 V.S.A. § 4(46)(A), external site

Before you ride

This page restates state law in plain words and links the text it came from. It is not legal advice. Cities, counties and the agencies that manage federal land (the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service) add rules of their own, so check with whoever manages the ground you plan to ride.

For a young rider, the before-you-ride checker puts the helmet and age rules first.

Official riding areas and the permits Vermont asks for: where to ride in Vermont.

Statutes change. Each answer carries the date it was checked; the page is re-checked at least every 180 days and says "Review due" if that slips.

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