WA State WATV / OHV Rules and Laws
Wheeled All-Terrain Vehicle (WATV) use in WA state is complex. Just because you have an "on-road" tab doesn't mean you can actually ride on a public road. We have tried to compile some information to make it easier to understand. Please verify all rules and laws for yourself.
Registration
Driving and use
- WATV use of State Highways and Limited Access State Highways
- Guide to ATV and UTV Laws in Washington
Washington State RCWs
- RCW 46.09.442 Wheeled all-terrain vehicles—Metal tags—Off-road, on-road registration, tabs—Exemption.
- RCW 46.09.455 Authorized and prohibited uses for wheeled all-terrain vehicles
Driving on Washington Roads
Can you drive your WATV / SxS on a Washington road?
This is the most popular question out there, and it is a complicated one. Although you can get a restricted place with both on-road and off-road tabs, that does NOT mean you can ride it on all roads. It depends on your county and city. For this qualification, you are required to have on-road tabs as well. Washington State RCW says:
RCW 46.09.455: Authorized and prohibited uses for wheeled all-terrain vehicles. (wa.gov)
"A person may not operate a wheeled all-terrain vehicle on a public roadway within the boundaries of a county, not including nonhighway roads and trails, with a population of fifteen thousand or more unless the county by ordinance has approved the operation of wheeled all-terrain vehicles on county roadways, not including nonhighway roads and trails."
So, here are the generic requirements for driving a WATV on a road:
- On-Road Tabs
- County with less than 15000 people Washington Counties by Population
- County has NOT passed an ordinance restricting WATV on-road use
- Is NOT with the boundaries of a city/town
Otherwise:
- Within the boundaries of a city/town, the city/town must have an ordinance
- Not within the boundaries of a city/town, the county must have an ordinance
Know the Rules before your go!
Check your local state, county, and city ordinances to find out what is legal and allowed. If you are on National Forest or BLM land, the rules might be different as well.
Washington Counties
Spokane County
The Spokane County WATV ordinance 22-0788 was passed on 11-20-2022 and can be found here:
Spokane county has passed an ordinance to allow WATV within the scope of the WA restrictions, for roads 35MPH or less.
City Examples
Spokane and Spokane Valley
The City of Spokane and City of Spokane Valley do not have WATV ordinancse, so you can not legally ride a SxS in the city limits. As per WA law (see RCW above).
Liberty Lake
The City of Liberty lake doe not have WATV ordinance, but does have a gold cart ordinance. This is why you can drive gold carts around, but not WATV. The area around the actual Liberty Lake is county, so south of Sprague is legal, but not into the actual City of Liberty Lake.
Others
Check out other Washington City Municipal Codes here: MRSC - Washington City Codes
