Fla. Stat. § 261.20 — Florida Code / Title XVIII / Chapter 261 / Section 261.20
261.20 Operations of off-highway vehicles on public lands; restrictions; safety courses; required equipment; prohibited acts; penalties.
Status: in_force

(1) This section applies only to the operation of off-highway vehicles on public lands.

(2) Any person operating an off-highway vehicle as permitted in this section who has not attained 16 years of age must be supervised by an adult while operating the off-highway vehicle.

(3) While operating an off-highway vehicle, a person who has not attained 16 years of age must have in his or her possession a certificate evidencing the satisfactory completion of an approved off-highway vehicle safety course in this state or another jurisdiction. A nonresident who has not attained 16 years of age and who is in this state temporarily for a period not to exceed 30 days is exempt from this subsection. Nothing contained in this chapter shall prohibit an agency from requiring additional safety-education courses for all operators.

(4)(a) The department shall approve all off-highway vehicle public safety-education programs required by this chapter as a condition for operating on public lands. (b) An off-highway vehicle must be equipped with a spark arrester that is approved by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, a braking system, and a muffler, all in operating condition. (c) Off-highway vehicles, when operating pursuant to this chapter, shall be equipped with a silencer or other device which limits sound emissions. Exhaust noise must not exceed 96 decibels in the A-weighting scale for vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1986, or 99 decibels in the A-weighting scale for vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1986, when measured from a distance of 20 inches using test procedures established by the Society of Automotive Engineers under Standard J-1287. Off-highway vehicle manufacturers or their agents prior to the sale to the general public in this state of any new off-highway vehicle model manufactured after January 1, 2008, shall provide to the department revolutions-per-minute data needed to conduct the J-1287 test, where applicable. (d) An off-highway vehicle that is operated between sunset and sunrise, or when visibility is reduced because of rain, smoke, or smog, must display a lighted headlamp and taillamp unless the use of such lights is prohibited by other laws, such as a prohibition on the use of lights when hunting at night. (e) An off-highway vehicle that is used in certain organized and sanctioned competitive events being held on a closed course may be exempted by departmental rule from any equipment requirement in this subsection.

(5) It is a violation of this section: (a) To carry more passengers on an off-highway vehicle than the machine is specifically designed by the manufacturer to carry. (b) To operate an off-highway vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or any prescription or over-the-counter drug that impairs vision or motor condition. (c) For a person who has not attained 16 years of age, to operate an off-highway vehicle without wearing eye protection, over-the-ankle boots, and a safety helmet that is approved by the United States Department of Transportation or Snell Memorial Foundation. (d) To operate an off-highway vehicle in a careless or reckless manner that endangers or causes injury or damage to another person or property.

(6) Any person who violates this section commits a noncriminal infraction and is subject to a fine of not less than $100 and may have his or her privilege to operate an off-highway vehicle on public lands revoked. However, a person who commits such acts with intent to defraud, or who commits a second or subsequent violation, is subject to a fine of not less than $500 and may have his or her privilege to operate an off-highway vehicle on public lands revoked.

(7) Public land managing agencies, through the course of their management activities, are exempt from the provisions of paragraph (5)(a).

History: s. 4, ch. 2006-290; s. 2, ch. 2014-187; s. 23, ch. 2018-110.