Vigo County ordinance pertaining to the operation of off-road vehicles

Whereas, a number of citizens of Vigo County, Indiana are desirous of operating off-road vehicles on and along county highways; and

Whereas, it is in the public interest to establish reasonable rules for the operation of such vehicles on and along county highways;

Therefore, be it ordained by the Board of Commissioners of Vigo County, Indiana, as follows, to wit:

Section 1: Short title

This Ordinance shall be known as the Off-Road Vehicle Ordinance.

Section 2: Definitions

As used in this ordinance these terms have the following meaning:

  1. "Operator" means any person at least eighteen (18) years old, holding a valid Indiana Driver's License to operate a motor vehicle, or a valid license to operate a motor vehicle from another state.
  2. "Off Road Vehicle" means a motor driven vehicle capable of cross county travel without benefit of a road or trail, on or immediately over land, water, snow, ice, marsh, swampland or other natural terrain. It includes, but is not limited to, a multi-wheel drive or low pressure tire vehicle, amphibious machine, ground effect air cushion vehicle or other means of transportation deriving motor power from a source other than muscle or wind. It does not include a farm vehicle being used for farming or a vehicle used for military or law enforcement purposes, a construction, mining, or their industrial related vehicle used in performance of its common function, a snowmobile, or a registered aircraft and does not include any other vehicle properly registered by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and any watercraft which is registered pursuant to Indiana Statutes.
  3. "Highway, Road or Right of Way" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way maintained by and within the jurisdiction of Vigo County, Indiana when any part thereof is open to the use of the pubic for purpose of vehicular travel. Nothing in this ordinance permits the operation of Off Road Vehicles within the limit of the City of Terre Haute, Indiana or on any road over which the City of Terre Haute exercised jurisdiction.
  4. "Operate" means to ride in or on and to be in actual physical control of the operation of an off-road vehicle.

Section 3: Purposes

The purpose of this Ordinance is:

  1. To authorize persons holding valid Indiana Driver's License (or a valid motor vehicle license from another state) to operate off-road vehicles registered with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources over and upon Vigo County Roads.