Off-road vehicle safety

On this page

• Wear a safety-approved helmet 
• Wear seatbelts
• Use lights
• Carry ID
• Keeping children safe

To help prevent ORV injuries and death on Crown land, improved safety laws under the Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Act require that operators:

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Wear a safety-approved helmet 

Wear a safety-approved helmet on a ride-astride ORVs

• See section 21, Helmets required for ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles
• See section 22, Standards for Off-Road Helmets

Wear seatbelts

Wear seatbelts if installed by the manufacturer (i.e., in an SUV or truck)

• See section 23, Seatbelts

Use lights

Use lights for low-visibility conditions. If an ORV is not manufactured with lights (e.g., dirt bikes), then bicycle lights affixed to the ORV will suffice (white light in front, red in back)

• See section 24, Lights

Carry ID

ORV operators must carry government-issued photo identification (i.e., a driver's licence or BC Services Card) so an officer can confirm the age of a supervising adult and the child operating the ORV.

• Section 25, Identification Required if 12 years or older
• BC Services Card

Keeping children safe

Measures to better protect children under 16 years include:

• Mandatory adult supervision of children by persons 19 or older who either hold a valid driver’s licence or have completed a certified training course for the class of ORV (see Section 17 of legislation)
• A child can ride an ORV if the child meets the vehicle manufacturer’s minimum age and weight requirements (see section 16 of legislation)
• A child cannot drive an ORV with a passenger (see section 19 of legislation)
• A child cannot drive an on-highway vehicle (see section 16 of legislation)

Some exemptions apply — for example, 14- and 15-year-olds with appropriate training and written permission from their parent or guardian (see section 18 of legislation).

Read about the Off-Road Vehicle Regulation:

• ORV Regulation (on BC Laws)