Iowa Code § 321.234A — IA Code / Title VIII / Chapter 321 / Section 321.234A
All-terrain vehicles — highway use.
Status: in_force

(1) All-terrain vehicles shall not be operated on a highway unless one or more of the following conditions apply:

(1) (a) The operation is between sunrise and sunset and is incidental to the vehicle’s use for agricultural purposes. For purposes of this paragraph, “incidental to the vehicle’s use for agricultural purposes” includes stopping in the course of agricultural use to obtain fuel for the all-terrain vehicle or to obtain food or a nonalcoholic beverage for the operator.

(1) (b) The operation is incidental to the vehicle’s use for the purpose of surveying by a licensed engineer or land surveyor.

(1) (c) The all-terrain vehicle is operated by an employee or agent of a political subdivision or public utility for the purpose of construction or maintenance on or adjacent to the highway.

(1) (d) The all-terrain vehicle is operated by an employee or agent of a public agency as defined in section 34.1 for the purpose of providing emergency services or rescue.

(1) (e) The all-terrain vehicle is operated for the purpose of mowing, installing approved trail signs, or providing maintenance on a snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle trail designated by the department of natural resources.

(1) (f) The all-terrain vehicle is operated on a primary highway in accordance with section 321I.10, subsection 2, a secondary road in accordance with section 321I.10, subsection 4, or a city street in accordance with section 321I.10, subsection 5.

(1) (g) The all-terrain vehicle is crossing the highway pursuant to section 321I.10, subsection 7.

(2) A person operating an all-terrain vehicle on a highway shall have a valid driver’s license and operate the vehicle at speeds of thirty-five miles per hour or less. In addition, a person operating an all-terrain vehicle on a highway pursuant to subsection 1, paragraphs “b” through “g”, shall be at least eighteen years of age and have financial liability coverage in effect for the vehicle and carry proof of such financial liability coverage in accordance with section 321.20B.

(3) As provided in section 321.1, an all-terrain vehicle is a motor vehicle for purposes of this chapter. Therefore, an all-terrain vehicle operated on a highway shall be equipped with the parts, lamps, and other equipment in proper condition and adjustment as required under this chapter for motor vehicles, including but not limited to the parts, lamps, and equipment required under sections 321.386, 321.387, 321.404, 321.432, and 321.437.

(4) An all-terrain vehicle that is owned by the owner of land adjacent to a highway, other than an interstate road, may be operated by the owner of the all-terrain vehicle, or by a member of the owner’s family, on the portion of the highway right-of-way that is between the shoulder of the roadway, or at least five feet from the edge of the roadway, and the owner’s property line. A person operating an all-terrain vehicle within the highway right-of-way under this subsection shall comply with the registration, safety, and age requirements under chapter 321I.

(5) A person convicted of a violation of this section is guilty of a simple misdemeanor punishable as a scheduled violation under section 805.8A, subsection 3.

85 Acts, ch 35, §3; 90 Acts, ch 1230, §65; 98 Acts, ch 1073, §9; 99 Acts, ch 108, §4; 2000 Acts, ch 1203, §9; 2001 Acts, ch 137, §5; 2002 Acts, ch 1001, §1; 2004 Acts, ch 1132, §81; 2006 Acts, ch 1036, §1; 2007 Acts, ch 141, §1; 2010 Acts, ch 1186, §4, 5; 2010 Acts, ch 1190, §45; 2017 Acts, ch 32, §1; 2022 Acts, ch 1105, §1 – 3