Motor Vehicle Prohibitions

Under the Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation of the provincial Wildlife Act, motor vehicle use on crown land in B.C. may be prohibited or restricted.

The content on this page is a summary of the Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulations. It is not legal advice and does not provide an interpretation of the law. In the event of any conflict or difference between this webpage and the regulations, the regulations are correct and legal and must be followed.  Regulations are subject to change from time to time, and it is the responsibility of an individual to be informed of the current regulations.

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Motor Vehicle Prohibitions regulations

Motor Vehicle Prohibitions (MVP) are put in place for a variety of reasons. MVPs can be used to:

  • protect habitat
  • reduce disturbance and displacement of wildlife
  • provide areas for hunters on foot, bike or horseback to hunt without motorized vehicles present
  • reduce hunter harvest while maintaining hunting opportunity

Motor vehicles include but are not limited to:

  • vehicles
  • ATVs/UTVs
  • snowmobiles
  • motorcycles
  • electric bikes

Unless specifically exempted, all motor vehicle prohibitions include private land.

For full definitions and detailed regulations, visit Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulations.

Under the Forest and Range Practices Act, it is illegal for individuals to cause environmental damage including any change to soil that adversely alters an ecosystem. While travelling on a Forest Service Road, operators of Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) are required to hold a valid driver’s licence and carry a minimum of $200,000 third-party liability insurance. For more information, visit Off-Road Vehicles.

Conservation Officers are responsible for enforcement of these laws and regulations.

Types of motor vehicle restrictions

There are 2 types of motor vehicle restrictions under the Wildlife Act, and all types can be seasonal or year-round. For full definitions and detailed regulations, visit Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulations.

  1. Motor Vehicle Closed Area (formerly referred to as Access Management Areas (AMAs): Prohibits the use or operation of a motor vehicle and e-bike. These prohibitions can be for all motor vehicles, or specific to ATVs/e-bikes or snowmobiles.
  2. Motor Vehicle Hunting Closed Area: The operation of motor vehicles and e-bikes to hunt, transport wildlife, transport equipment and supplies which are intended for or in support of hunting, or transport hunters to and from the location of wildlife is prohibited. These prohibitions can apply to all motor vehicles, or be specific to ATVs/e-bikes or snowmobiles.

Signage

If Vehicle Use Prohibited signs are present, respect them and do not drive into these trails and roads for the purpose of hunting. Before going into a closed or restricted area, it is your responsibility to research maps or regulations and not become dependent on signs. It is an offence under the Wildlife Act Section 83(2) to remove, damage, alter or destroy any sign legally posted in support of access management.

To learn more about closure areas, please refer to the Wildlife Act's Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation.

Motor vehicle prohibition and restriction maps

The majority of MVP maps can be found in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis (PDF, 12MB). Some more detailed, georeferenced PDF maps can be found below. All MVP maps will be located here at a future date.

These maps are intended for general information purposes only. Where there is a discrepancy between these maps and the Regulations, the Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulations are the final authority.

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Region 3: Thompson

 

Region 4: Kootenay

 

Region 6: Skeena

Netalzul Mountain Seasonal Motor Vehicle Closed Area (MU 6-8) (PDF, 1.3MB)

Motorized Vehicle Use - Unsafe Conditions:

  • Klappan Rail Grade (PDF, 810KB), including the Klappan bridge, is closed and unsafe for any vehicle use.
    • Multiple erosion events have been confirmed on the Klappan rail grade, including the Klappan Bridge
    • Please plan accordingly and refrain from any motorized travel on the rail grade.
    • For more information, contact the District Engineering Officer for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Skeena Stikine District Office at (250) 876-6886.
 

Region 7B:  Peace

 

Motor vehicle prohibitions related to wildfires

Motor Vehicle Closed Areas were established in the Thompson, Okanagan, and Kootenay regions in response to the 2021 wildfire season. Several of the original closures have been either modified or rescinded as a result of wildfire recovery.

Within the closed areas the following apply:

  • All roads that are used as the boundary of a closure are open year round.
  • The operation of motor vehicles and electric bicycles is prohibited off of existing roads and trails in the Thomas Creek, July Mountain, McKay Creek closures.
  • Sparks Lake and Tremont Creek:
    • Area outlined in red: Operation of motor vehicles and electric bicycles is prohibited off of existing roads and trails.
    • Area shown in hatched purple:
      • Nov 1-Mar 31 operation of motor vehicles and electric bicycles prohibited except on roads shown highlighted in green.
      • Apr 1-Oct 31 operation of motor vehicles and electric bicycles is prohibited off of existing roads and trails.
  • Lytton Creek/George Road:
    • Area outlined in red: Operation of motor vehicles and electric bicycles is prohibited off of existing roads and trails.
    • Area shown in hatched purple: operation of motor vehicles and electric bicycles prohibited except on roads shown highlighted in green.
  • White Rock Lake: Operation of motor vehicles and electric bicycles is prohibited except:
    • All Industrial Roads, including Forest Service Roads, are closed unless the road is used to access private property or is highlighted in green and designated as open year round.
    • Highways, or roads maintained by the Ministry of Transportation, remain open year round. Generally, these roads can be identified if they are numbered highways, are paved, or are in place to access communities.
  • Access for commercial activities, other than hunting, may continue.

For additional information, review Frequently Asked Questions - Thompson Okanagan Wildfire Motorized Vehicle Restrictions (PDF, 188KB)

The following georeferenced pdf maps show areas where motor vehicles are prohibited due to wildfire burns. They are organized by region and management unit (MU).

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Region 3: Thompson

 

Region 4: Kootenay

 

Region 8: Okanagan

Snowmobile closures

The B.C. government has closed areas to snowmobile use across the Mountain Caribou range in order to support population recovery. The maps below show the areas closed to snowmobiling under the Wildlife Act. Maps are georeferenced PDFs so they can be used in mobile applications to determine your location relative to boundaries, open riding areas and trails.

A provincial map showing the existing closures and the northern rockies snowmobile closures.