Off-roading / Safety & gear
Safety and gear.
These rules apply when you ride on public OHV land or a beach. On your own private land they're recommendations, not law - but still smart.
The safety course
The ATV safety certificate
To operate an ATV on public land or a beach, you must do one of these:
- Hold a safety certificate, earned by passing the ATV RiderCourse (a hands-on safety class).
- Be taking the course right then, under a certified instructor.
- Be under the direct supervision of an adult who holds a safety certificate.
The program is run by the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR), which took it over from DPS in 2020. A certificate from another state counts too.
By law, riders under 14 must be under direct adult supervision. The safety course is not required at private OHV parks - only on public land and beaches. Many private parks ask for a signed waiver instead.
What your machine needs (on public land)
- Working brakes.
- A headlight and taillight - used from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, and any time visibility is low.
- An effective muffler - no cutouts, bypasses, or modified exhaust.
- A U.S. Forest Service-qualified spark arrester (a part that keeps the engine from throwing sparks and starting fires) - it can't be removed or modified.
- The TPWD OHV decal, mounted on the machine.
Kids & machine size
Texas law only requires that riders under 14 be under direct adult supervision. Beyond that, parks and safety groups use age guidelines to match a rider to the right size machine. These are recommendations, not statute, and parks may set their own:
- Ages 6-11: engines under 70cc.
- Ages 12-15: 70cc to 90cc.
- Age 16 and up: over 90cc.
TPWD publishes these guidelines; some parks use slightly different ages. Putting a young child on an adult-size machine is unsafe and is not allowed at public riding areas. Match the machine to the rider and follow the park's rules.
Operating rules
- No reckless or careless riding that endangers people or property.
- No passengers unless the machine was built by the maker to carry one (no 'riding double' on a single-rider ATV).
- Obey posted speed limits at parks (often 15 mph on access roads).
- Drinking and riding: a DWI on an OHV carries the same penalties as in a car.
Keep going
Official sources
Safety and equipment rules come from the Texas Transportation Code and TPWD; the ATV safety course is run by TDLR using the ATV Safety Institute's RiderCourse.
- Data vintage:
- Built on the 2025-2026 decal year
- Last reviewed:
- June 15, 2026
- Transportation Code Ch. 663 (OHV safety & age rules)
- TPWD Responsible Use of OHVs
- TDLR ATV Safety / instructor info - The state ATV safety-course program
- ATV Safety Institute (ATV RiderCourse)
Caution: Engine-size age guidelines are safety recommendations, not statute, and parks may set stricter rules. The official pages are the final word.