A California OHV Red Sticker identifies an off-highway motorcycle or ATV from model years 2003 through 2021 that did not meet the California Air Resources Board’s exhaust emissions standards for year-round use. Since January 1, 2025, seasonal riding restrictions on these vehicles have been eliminated: a current Red Sticker registration is now valid year-round on every public land area open to OHV recreation, the same as a Green Sticker. The classification still exists on your registration, and it still matters for understanding what your vehicle is and how it differs from newer competition models that can’t get any sticker at all.
What the Red Sticker Actually Means
CARB created the Red Sticker category through California Code of Regulations, Title 13, Section 2412. The rule let higher-emission competition and racing bikes be registered with the DMV under a restricted class instead of being banned outright from public lands.1Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 13 Section 2412 – Emission Standards and Test Procedures Green Sticker vehicles met the stricter emissions limits from the start and always had year-round access. Red Sticker vehicles didn’t, and until 2025 they could only ride during designated fall-to-spring windows.
The DMV sorts vehicles into the two categories based on the Vehicle Identification Number stamped on the frame or steering head. The eighth character of the 17-digit VIN is the tell: a “3” or “C” in that position typically marks the engine as a competition model without a certificate of conformity for year-round emissions compliance. When an owner registers or renews with one of those VIN markers, the system assigns the Red Sticker automatically. You can also look for a federal EPA “Vehicle Emission Control Information” label, usually under the seat or on the frame, to see whether the engine carries standard emissions certification.2U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Locating the Vehicle Emissions Label
Year-Round Riding Since January 1, 2025
The seasonal restriction in Section 2412 contained its own expiration. The regulation applied only “until January 1, 2025,” and once that date arrived the riding-season framework simply stopped applying to registered Red Sticker vehicles.1Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 13 Section 2412 – Emission Standards and Test Procedures The OHMVR Division confirmed the change in Information Bulletin 24-3, stating that Red Sticker and Green Sticker registrations are “equally valid year-round in all public areas designated for OHV recreation.” The bulletin also directed law enforcement to treat all off-highway vehicles with current Red Sticker registration as valid regardless of model year, so long as the registration matches the VIN.3California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Information Bulletin 24-3 – OHV Red Sticker Program Changes
If you own a 2003–2021 Red Sticker bike or ATV with current registration, you can ride it at any State Vehicular Recreation Area, BLM site, or Forest Service trail open to motorized use at any time of year. No permit upgrade, no sticker swap. Old riding-season calendars posted at trailheads or on outdated websites are no longer in force.
Where a Red Sticker Vehicle Can Ride
With the seasonal window gone, a registered Red Sticker vehicle has the same public-land access as a Green Sticker one. That covers every California SVRA (Hollister Hills, Prairie City, Carnegie, Ocotillo Wells, Hungry Valley, and the rest) plus BLM and Forest Service trails open to motorized recreation. Federal land managers follow their own trail plans, but they coordinate with CARB and the state, so a current California OHV registration satisfies the identification requirement across state and federal riding areas within California.
Staff at SVRA entry gates still check that your registration is current and matches the VIN. Keep the sticker up to date and the plate readable.
Private Property and Closed-Course Racing
You don’t need any OHV sticker to ride on your own property or on private land with the owner’s permission. That applies to every off-highway vehicle regardless of model year or emissions status.4California State Parks. OHMVR Frequently Asked Questions5California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 38010
Equipment Rules That Still Apply
Year-round access doesn’t waive the equipment rules. Two catch riders most often.
Spark Arresters
California Vehicle Code Section 38366 requires every OHV operating on forest-covered, brush-covered, or grass-covered land to carry a spark arrester in effective working order. The device must trap or break down exhaust particles larger than 0.0232 inches, or carry a U.S. Forest Service qualification rating, and it must be mounted so exhaust heat or flames can’t ignite nearby material.6California State Parks. Spark Arrester Law A qualified arrester carries permanent markings with the manufacturer’s name and model number. No markings, no compliance. Aftermarket exhausts sold as “race only” almost never qualify.7USDA Forest Service. Spark Arrester Guide The requirement is lifted only during sanctioned closed-course racing.
Sound Limits
California enforces two sound standards. At registration, the DMV won’t identify a new OHV built on or after January 1, 1986, that exceeds 82 dBA measured at 50 feet. On the trail, the stationary test caps competition vehicles built on or after January 1, 1998, at 96 dBA measured at 20 inches from the exhaust outlet. Pre-1998 vehicles get a 101 dBA ceiling.8California State Parks. OHV Sound Regulations Rangers run sound checks at gates and on trails, and a failed test means the vehicle stays parked until the exhaust is fixed.
Registration and Fees
OHV registration renews every two years. The biennial total is $54: a $33 registration fee, a $10 CHP fee, a $7 service fee, and a $4 license fee. Late renewals add a $27 penalty.9California Department of Motor Vehicles. Registration Fees The fees feed the Off-Highway Vehicle Trust Fund, which pays for trail maintenance and OHMVR Division operations.
All OHVs used on public lands must display a DMV-issued identification plate or device unless they qualify for a specific exemption such as government ownership, implements of husbandry, or valid nonresident registration.5California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 38010 Covered vehicle types include motorcycles, ATVs, sand buggies, recreational off-highway vehicles, and off-highway electric motorcycles.10California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 38012
The Boundary: 2022 and Newer Competition Bikes
The year-round access that Red Sticker owners gained does not extend to newer competition vehicles. Starting with model year 2022, motorcycles and ATVs that fail to meet CARB emissions standards are ineligible for a Green Sticker or a Red Sticker.11California State Parks. OHV Registration Without OHV registration, these vehicles cannot legally run on public lands open to general motorized recreation and are limited to closed courses and sanctioned competition events. The OHMVR Division states plainly that the Red Sticker registration program for emissions-non-compliant OHVs “has been eliminated,” and with no replacement, “there is no mechanism to register these vehicles” for general public land use.12California State Parks. Legislation Updates – OHMVR Division
Buyers of a new competition-labeled dirt bike should know this before purchase. You can’t take a 2022-or-newer non-compliant machine to Hollister Hills or Glamis for a weekend ride the way you could with an older Red Sticker bike. Beginning January 1, 2026, California residents who own such a bike and want to race it on public lands must buy a Sanctioned Event Permit for each motorcycle. The permit costs $30, is valid from purchase through December 31 of that year, and must be displayed on the left side of the motorcycle where inspectors can see it.13California State Parks. SB 708 Sanctioned Event Permit It authorizes participation in an approved competition event under Vehicle Code Section 38087.7, not casual trail riding.14California State Parks. SB 708 Sanctioned Event Permit FAQs