The Hawai‘i Police Department will issue citations to anyone who operates a dirt bike or all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on any public road on Hawai‘i Island. This includes state and county roads, as well as private roads open to the public. Police have identified areas they will be regularly patrolling.

Motorcycles and ATVs should only be operated where it is legal.  ATVs should not be used on public beaches or on private lands without the landowner’s permission.

All drivers must be licensed and all motor vehicles must be properly registered to travel in the roadways in Hawaiʻi County. If officers observe those violations they will stop and issue traffic citations to anyone not following the traffic laws. Persons operating an ATV on a public road or highway are subject to a number of citations, including no valid license plates, no safety check, no weight tax sticker, and no no-fault insurance. If certain traffic violations are observed the vehicles may be impounded or towed from the scene.  Operating these vehicles recklessly is dangerous and a violation of HRS 291-2 “Reckless Driving,”

Hawaiʻi County Police are asking the public to report a dirt bike, motorcycle or ATV they may see traveling illegally on the road by calling (808) 935-3311.

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