North AB Trails

Alberta off-highway vehicle rules

The provincial basics for ATVs and side-by-sides in Alberta: registration, insurance, plates, lights, helmets, young riders, water crossings and where OHVs are not allowed.

Alberta's rules for quads, side-by-sides and other off-highway vehicles (OHVs) come from two places: the province, and the town, county or municipal district you're riding in. This page covers the provincial basics. Town and county rules for our area are on Where to ride in northern Alberta.

What your machine needs on public land

The Government of Alberta's motorized recreation on public land page says every OHV used off-road must have:

  • valid insurance and registration
  • a valid licence plate, attached where it can be seen
  • working head and tail lights
  • a proper muffler and spark arrestor, with no changes that make it louder

Helmets

Since May 15, 2017, anyone driving, riding in or being towed by an OHV on public land must wear a helmet that meets one of the listed motorcycle helmet standards. That includes Crown land and road and highway rights-of-way. There are exemptions. Examples are your own property, a machine with factory rollover protection and seat belts that are being worn, and some farm work. Read the full list on Alberta's OHV helmet law page.

Most side-by-sides come with a rollover structure and seat belts, but the exemption only applies if both are factory-installed, unmodified and actually being worn. If you're unsure, wear the helmet.

Young riders

On public land, the driver must be at least 14 unless an adult aged 18 or older closely supervises them. Alberta also tells riders to follow the manufacturer's minimum age and passenger limits for the vehicle. Town bylaws can be stricter. High Level's bylaw, for example, bars anyone under 14 from operating an OHV in a public place.

Where OHVs can't go

  • Roads, highways and ditches, unless the province has given written permission or your municipality has a bylaw that allows it. The only provincial Ministerial Order lets four-wheel ATVs use three-digit highways in daylight for farming or emergencies.
  • Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves and Willmore Wilderness Park.
  • Most provincial parks. Some Wildland Provincial Parks and Provincial Recreation Areas allow OHVs on designated trails only.
  • Streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and their beds and shores, unless you're on a designated crossing or have authorization.
  • Private or leased land without the owner's or leaseholder's permission.
  • Areas closed for fire hazard, overuse or poor ground. Check Alberta's public land closures before you go.

Riding impaired or dangerously is illegal anywhere in Alberta.

The law itself

These rules come from the Traffic Safety Act and the Off-highway Vehicle Regulation. Officers enforce the law, not summaries like this one. If the exact wording matters, read the regulation.

Checked against Government of Alberta pages on October 25, 2026. Rules change, so confirm before you ride.

Guides in this section