Can You Drive a Side-by-Side on the Road in Minnesota?

You can drive a side-by-side on the road in Minnesota, but only in specific places and only if the machine is registered and equipped for it. Statewide, you’re limited to the shoulders, banks, and ditches of most county roads. Beyond that, individual cities, counties, and townships can open designated streets to side-by-side traffic through a local ordinance and permit. Interstate highways are always off-limits, and the travel lanes of state and county highways generally are too.

Where You Can Ride Without a Local Permit

Section 84.928 sets the statewide baseline. A Class 2 all-terrain vehicle, which is what most full-size side-by-sides are, can operate on the right shoulder or the extreme right-hand side of a county state-aid highway or county highway.¹ Left turns are allowed from any part of the road when it’s safe to make them.

You can also ride in the bank, slope, or ditch of a trunk highway, county state-aid highway, or county highway, but only to reach a business or to connect to a trail. That’s not general riding along the highway; it’s a limited access route.

Interstate highways are off-limits at all times. On state trunk highways, you’re confined to the bank and ditch for business and trail access, not the roadway itself. And on any county road where you’re allowed on the shoulder, you’re on the shoulder, not the driving lane.

Local Ordinances That Open Designated Streets

The second legal pathway is Section 169.045. Any county, city, or town in Minnesota can pass an ordinance authorizing side-by-sides and ATVs on specific designated roadways, and operators must have a permit issued under that ordinance.² This is how smaller communities let residents drive side-by-sides on their streets. Whether it exists where you live depends entirely on whether your local government has opted in, and the specific streets and conditions vary by municipality.

Under a local permit, you follow the same traffic laws as a car, with a couple of exceptions written into the statute. You don’t need a driver’s license to operate a side-by-side on a designated roadway under this permit system, and you can cross any street or highway that intersects the designated road.²

Visibility rules apply no matter what the local ordinance says. You can’t operate in fog, smoke, inclement weather, or any condition where you can’t see people and vehicles at 500 feet. Riding is limited to sunrise-to-sunset hours unless your machine has factory-installed headlights, taillights, and brake lights.²

The two pathways are independent. Section 84.928 gives you baseline shoulder and ditch access on county roads statewide. Section 169.045 covers whatever streets your local government has designated. One doesn’t limit the other.

How Minnesota Defines Your Machine

Two definitions matter. Section 84.92 defines a Class 2 all-terrain vehicle as a motorized vehicle with three to six low-pressure tires, a dry weight of 2,000 pounds or less, and a total width between 50 and 65 inches measured outside tire rim to outside tire rim.³ Most full-size side-by-sides fall here, and this is the definition that governs DNR registration, trail access, and the 84.928 road-right-of-way rules.

Section 169.045 uses a separate definition for local permit programs. A “utility task vehicle” is a side-by-side, four-wheel-drive, off-road vehicle with four wheels, an engine displacement of 1,200 cubic centimeters or less, and a dry weight between 1,800 and 2,600 pounds.² The weight ceiling is higher than the Class 2 ATV definition, so a heavier machine that doesn’t qualify as a Class 2 ATV can still qualify for a local road permit. If your side-by-side weighs more than 2,000 pounds, check which definition applies to the access you want.

Registration and Equipment

Every side-by-side operated on public land, trails, or road rights-of-way in Minnesota must be registered with the Department of Natural Resources. Registration is $60 for three calendar years, plus an issuing fee of $8.50 for new registrations or $6.00 for renewals.⁴ Transfers between owners are $4.00 plus the issuing fee.

For a Class 1 ATV with a steering wheel to operate on a county road right-of-way, the vehicle must come equipped with seat belts for the operator and passengers and a roll-over protective structure.¹ Class 2 side-by-sides on road rights-of-way are limited to designated Class 2 ATV trails on road banks and ditches, or to county road shoulders.

Night riding requires original-equipment headlights, taillights, and rear-facing brake lights, all working. Without them, sunrise-to-sunset only.² A functioning muffler or exhaust system is also required on public lands.

Who Can Legally Drive

No one under 15 can operate a Class 2 all-terrain vehicle at all.⁵ Because most full-size side-by-sides are Class 2 machines, this bars younger teens from driving them anywhere, including on roads.

For smaller side-by-sides that qualify as Class 1 with side-by-side seating:

Under 10 cannot operate on public lands or cross public roads.
Ages 10 and 11 can operate a Class 1 side-by-side with an engine up to 170cc on public lands, but only when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Ages 12 through 15 can cross public roads and ride on public lands or state trails with a valid ATV safety certificate and an adult 18 or older with a valid driver’s license along.

The certificate requires completing a DNR-approved course with a riding component. Children can start the course at 10, but the certificate doesn’t become valid until they turn 12.⁶ Riders 16 and older can complete the training entirely online.

Any operator under 16 must also be able to reach and control the steering wheel and foot controls while sitting upright with the seat belt fully engaged.⁵ If the machine is too big for the rider, it’s illegal to operate regardless of age or certification.

A regular Minnesota driver’s license is not required to operate a side-by-side on a designated roadway under a local 169.045 permit.

Passengers

Minnesota limits ATVs to one rider, with exceptions for vehicles specifically designed to carry passengers. A side-by-side with manufacturer-installed passenger seating can carry as many occupants as it was built for.¹ The cargo bed doesn’t count, and neither does standing on a running board. This applies on trails, public land, and road rights-of-way.

Insurance for Road Use

Minnesota’s no-fault law under Section 65B.48 requires insurance for every motor vehicle required to be registered or licensed in the state, and DNR-registered side-by-sides fall under that when operated on public roads. Minimum coverage is $30,000 for bodily injury per person, $60,000 per accident, and $10,000 for property damage.⁷

Standard auto policies generally do not cover side-by-sides. You’ll likely need a separate ATV or off-road vehicle policy. The Minnesota Department of Commerce notes that most carriers offer liability limits starting at $15,000 for these vehicles, so confirm your policy meets the state minimums before you ride on any public road. Insurance is not legally required for riding only on private land.

DWI Applies on a Side-by-Side

Minnesota’s driving-while-impaired law applies to off-highway vehicles the same as it does to cars. The blood-alcohol limit is 0.08, and you can be arrested at lower levels if an officer observes impairment. Cannabis and other substances carry the same penalties even though no numerical limit exists for them.⁸

A first-offense DWI is a misdemeanor with potential license loss of up to a year, thousands of dollars in costs, and possible jail time. A DWI on a side-by-side affects your regular driver’s license, not just your off-road privileges.⁸ Most other road-use violations, including riding without registration or on a prohibited road, are misdemeanors carrying up to 90 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines.

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.928
2
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 169.045
3
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.92
4
Minnesota DNR. Off-Highway Vehicle Registrations and Fees
5
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.9256
6
Minnesota DNR. ATV Safety Training Requirements
7
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 65B
8
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Impaired Driving Laws