Outdoors / Off-roading
Texas has rocky Hill Country trails, Panhandle sand dunes, and deep East Texas mud. Whether you ride an ATV, a side-by-side, a dirt bike, or a built 4x4, this guide covers what you need before you load up - the decal, where you can legally ride, the road rules, and the gear.
Know this first
About 95% of Texas is privately owned, so there isn't much public riding land. Most serious off-roading happens at private off-road parks that charge a day fee - you usually can't just find an empty public field and ride.
TPWD Ride Texas ->ATVs, side-by-sides, and dirt bikes generally may not be driven on public streets, shoulders, or the right-of-way. A few narrow exceptions exist (crossing, farm/ranch use, golf-cart use, and city- or county-approved roads), but 'I'll just ride it down the road' is usually illegal.
Transportation Code Ch. 551A ->Who handles what
Send each question to the right place. Here's the map.
The OHV decal (to ride public land)
Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD)
Buy the $16 decal and find legal places to ride on the Ride Texas list.
TPWD OHV Program ->Titling & the OHV license plate
TxDMV / your county tax office
Title your machine at the county tax assessor-collector, and get the limited-use OHV plate there if you want it.
TxDMV Unique Vehicles ->Road rules (can I drive it on a road?)
Texas Transportation Code Ch. 551A + local government
The state sets the narrow road-use exceptions; cities and counties decide which specific roads are OHV-approved.
Transportation Code Ch. 551A ->The ATV safety certificate
Texas Dept. of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR)
TDLR runs the ATV safety-course program (moved from DPS in 2020). The course is the ATV RiderCourse.
TDLR ATV Safety ->National forest trails
U.S. Forest Service
Ride only on roads and trails shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM).
USFS National Forests in Texas ->The whole guide
Four short sections. Start anywhere - each one ends with the official link.
What counts as an OHV, the $16 decal, titling, and the OHV plate.
Get set up ->Public venues, private parks, national forests, and the surprises.
Find a place ->The rules - short version: usually you can't, but here are the exceptions.
Road rules ->Helmets, the safety course, spark arresters, and kids.
Ride safe ->Quirks worth knowing
A few terms you'll see in the rules, in plain language.
Off-highway (or off-road) vehicle - the umbrella term for ATVs, side-by-sides, dirt bikes, and off-road 4x4s.
Texas law uses 'OHV.'
A sticker you put on your machine to ride public land, sold by TPWD.
About $16 a year.
Recreational off-highway vehicle - a side-by-side built for fun.
Four or more tires, side-by-side seats.
A part that keeps the engine from throwing sparks and starting fires.
Required on public land; can't be removed.
The public strip of land alongside a road, including the shoulder.
Off-limits to OHVs by default.
Motor Vehicle Use Map - the Forest Service map of roads and trails you may ride.
Required for national forest riding.
The orange triangle that warns drivers a vehicle is going slow.
Needed on approved roads at 25 mph or less.
Quick answers
Yes - a Texas OHV decal (about $16/year), plus a helmet, eye protection, and (for ATVs) a safety certificate.
No - unless the private park was built or improved with TPWD grant money. Call ahead to be sure.
There's no car-style registration for off-road use, but you must title it at the county tax office.
Usually no. Narrow exceptions exist: crossing a road, farm/ranch and utility use, golf-cart use with an OHV plate, and city- or county-approved roads.
Private parks like Hidden Falls and Barnwell Mountain, the Sam Houston National Forest trail, and the public venues on TPWD's Ride Texas list. The list changes - call ahead.
Almost never. Eisenhower State Park was the rare exception, but its OHV trails appear closed as of 2026 - check first.
No - national parks prohibit OHVs.
Yes, on public land - plus eye protection, and a seat belt if the machine has one.
Riders under 14 must have adult supervision by law. Parks also match machine size to age - match the machine to the rider and follow the park's rules.
No. Buy the Texas OHV decal for public land.
No cross-country riding on public land - unless you have a disabled placard to reach your hunting spot on TPWD-managed land.
Official sources
Off-roading rules come from several agencies. Texas Porch points you to the right one; they decide. Confirm fees, venues, and local road approvals before you go.
Caution: Fees, the riding-venue list, and which roads are OHV-approved all change, and road approval is local. The official agency pages are the final word.
