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Are side-by-sides street legal in Missouri?

Missouri's law on side-by-sides and ATVs on public roads, quoted from its own page, with the conditions, equipment and plate rule.

The law in Missouri

  • Side-by-side (UTV): On some roads. Missouri allows a side-by-side on certain public roads, under the conditions below.

    "1. No person shall operate a recreational off-highway vehicle, as defined in section 301.010 , upon the highways of this state, except as follows: ... (3) Recreational off-highway vehicles operated within three miles of the operator's primary residence. The provisions of this subdivision shall not authorize the operation of a recreational off-highway vehicle in a municipality unless such operation is authorized by such municipality as provided for in subdivision (5) of this subsection;"

  • ATV (quad): Only where it is allowed locally. In Missouri, an ATV may use a public road only where a city, county or road authority opens it.

    "1. No person shall operate an all-terrain vehicle, as defined in section 301.010 , upon the highways of this state, except as follows: ... (6) Municipalities may by resolution or ordinance allow all-terrain vehicle operation on streets or highways under the governing body's jurisdiction. Any person operating an all-terrain vehicle pursuant to a municipal resolution or ordinance shall maintain proof of financial responsibility in accordance with section 303.160 or maintain any other insurance policy providing equivalent liability coverage for an all-terrain vehicle."

  • Dirt bike: Yes, with a plate. Missouri lets you register a dirt bike for public roads if it meets the state's rules.

    "However, a dirt bike may not be registered for highway use, unless it is modified to meet all safety requirements and passes a safety inspection."

RSMo Section 304.033. Recreational off-highway vehicles, operation on highways prohibited, exceptions, checked November 2026.

Street Legal UTV Check
What do you ride?

Side-by-side (UTV) · Missouri. On some roads. Missouri allows a side-by-side on certain public roads, under the conditions below.

Side-by-side (UTV) · Missouri

Some roads

On some roads. Missouri allows a side-by-side on certain public roads, under the conditions below.

"1. No person shall operate a recreational off-highway vehicle, as defined in section 301.010 , upon the highways of this state, except as follows: ... (3) Recreational off-highway vehicles operated within three miles of the operator's primary residence. The provisions of this subdivision shall not authorize the operation of a recreational off-highway vehicle in a municipality unless such operation is authorized by such municipality as provided for in subdivision (5) of this subsection;"

Conditions

  • "within three miles of the operator's primary residence"
  • "(5) Governing bodies of cities may issue special permits to licensed drivers for special uses of recreational off-highway vehicles on highways within the city limits. Fees of fifteen dollars may be collected and retained by cities for such permits;"
  • "(6) Governing bodies of counties may issue special permits to licensed drivers for special uses of recreational off-highway vehicles on county roads within the county. Fees of fifteen dollars may be collected and retained by the counties for such permits."
  • "An individual shall not operate a recreational off-highway vehicle upon * a highway in this state without displaying a lighted headlamp and a lighted tail lamp. A person may not operate a recreational off-highway vehicle upon a highway of this state unless such person wears a seat belt."
  • "Municipalities may by resolution or ordinance allow utility vehicle operation on streets or highways under the governing body's jurisdiction."
Required equipment (2)
  • An individual shall not operate a recreational off-highway vehicle upon * a highway in this state without displaying a lighted headlamp and a lighted tail lamp.
  • When operated on a highway, a recreational off-highway vehicle shall be equipped with a roll bar or roll cage construction to reduce the risk of injury to an occupant of the vehicle in case of the vehicle's rollover.

Driver's license

"A person operating a recreational off-highway vehicle on a highway pursuant to an exception covered in this section shall have a valid operator's or chauffeur's license, except that a handicapped person operating such vehicle pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection 1 of this section, but shall not be required to have passed an examination for the operation of a motorcycle."
More from Missouri's law
""Recreational off-highway vehicle" , any motorized vehicle manufactured and used exclusively for off-highway use which is more than fifty inches but no more than eighty inches in width, measured from outside of tire rim to outside of tire rim, with an unladen dry weight of three thousand five hundred pounds or less, traveling on four or more nonhighway tires and which may have access to ATV trails;"
""Utility vehicle" , any motorized vehicle manufactured and used exclusively for off-highway use which is more than fifty inches but no more than eighty inches in width, measured from outside of tire rim to outside of tire rim, with an unladen dry weight of three thousand five hundred pounds or less, traveling on four or six wheels, to be used primarily for landscaping, lawn care, or maintenance purposes;"
""All-terrain vehicle" , any motorized vehicle manufactured and used exclusively for off-highway use, with an unladen dry weight of one thousand five hundred pounds or less, traveling on three, four or more nonhighway tires"

Source: RSMo Section 304.033. Recreational off-highway vehicles, operation on highways prohibited, exceptions, checked November 2026.

Also read on: RSMo Section 304.013. All-terrain vehicles, prohibited on highways, rivers or streams of this state, exceptions · RSMo Section 304.032. Utility vehicles, operation on highway and in streams or rivers prohibited, exceptions · RSMo Section 301.010. Definitions

Find off-road parks to ride without the road questionRiding a dirt bike? Check its road law

A guide to each state's published law, not legal advice. City and county ordinances and posted signs decide which roads are open; the linked law is the authority.

  • Each state's own law, quoted
  • Side-by-side or ATV
  • Conditions, equipment and plates

Riding in Missouri

45 off-road parks listed in Missouri. National forest roads open to your vehicle today.

See Missouri off-road parks

Other states

Side-by-side and ATV road laws in other states

Compare every state's law

Common questions

Street legal UTV questions

On some roads. Missouri allows a side-by-side on certain public roads, under the conditions below. Source: RSMo Section 304.033. Recreational off-highway vehicles, operation on highways prohibited, exceptions.

Only where it is allowed locally. In Missouri, an ATV may use a public road only where a city, county or road authority opens it. Source: RSMo Section 304.033. Recreational off-highway vehicles, operation on highways prohibited, exceptions.

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