Ok - rather than bury this in another thread I thought it might be a good idea to start a new thread, so it's available to any other newbs in the dark like myself -

What do I need to do/have/readily available to ride legally?

Here's what I've gathered so far:
If riding in the Dunes - have a Season/Weekend ISDRA Pass for primary vehicle, and whip properly affixed to the bike.
OHV Sticker (right now I have CA out of state, but sounds like starting Jan. I will need the AZ OHV sticker)
Make sure a VIN is visible on my bike
Carry Registration and Drivers License (can I at least only carry a copy of the Reg? - hate to have something happen to the original)

Is there anything else I am missing?

Although I've never seen it enforced, I think you are required to have a spark arrestor on your exhaust on a two wheeler/quad . . .

OK - with all the new rules and what-not I'm going to need some more help.

So I no longer need the out-of-state CA OHV sticker - only the AZ sticker?
I need to have my plate actually affixed to my bike - is this in every state I ride? (I ride in UT, AZ and CA)
Spark arrestor - Tony says that should already be on my stock 250f, can someone confirm that?

Lena I was told that it should be stamped into the end of the pipe... I forgot to look at my quads to see if thats true..

Correct, as long as your vehicle is under 1,800lbs and designed primarily for off road travel you can get the AZ sticker. You must already have the AZ plate to get the sticker. But as long as you have the AZ plate/sticker you're covered.



Not much point in having a plate if it's not affixed to the vehicle. Remember, if you ride at night you'll also need a light on the plate.



As already mentioned it should be stamped in the end...but I'm not aware of any bikes that don't qualify in stock form.

RECREATION PERMIT. A permit is required for all primary vehicles; a primary vehicle is a street legal vehicle used for transportation to the recreation site. Permits must be purchased on arrival and visibly displayed in the windshield of the primary vehicle with the date side facing out.

SAFETY FLAGS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES IN THE IMPERIAL SAND DUNES RECREATION AREA (This includes two-wheeled motorcycles.) All vehicles shall be equipped with a whip mast and a 6x12 inch red/orange flag. Flags may be of pennant, triangle, square, or rectangular shape. Masts must be securely mounted on the vehicle and extend 8 feet from the ground to the mast tip. Safety flags must be attached within 10 inches of the tip of the whip mast with club or other flags mounted below safety flag or on another whip.

A 15 MPH SPEED RULE EXISTS ON THE SAND HIGHWAYS. No person shall operate an OHV in excess of 15 mph on public lands within 500 feet of Highway 78, Grays Well Road, Gecko Road and access roads within the Gecko and Roadrunner recreation sites.

FIRES The burning of potentially hazardous materials e.g.(but not limited to) gas, oil, plastic and magnesium is prohibited.

NO GLASS BEVERAGE CONTAINERS ARE ALLOWED. Possession or use of any glass, cup or bottle, empty or not, used for carrying any liquid for drinking purposes is prohibited. Persons may pick up glass beverage containers discarded by others to remove for deposit in approved trash receptacles.

NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED WHILE RIDING ON BLM LANDS. No person shall drink an alcoholic beverage, have in their possession or on their person any open container that contains an alcoholic beverage while operating in or on a motor vehicle or OHV on public lands administered by BLM within California. NO PERSON UNDER AGE 21 SHALL BE IN POSSESSION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.

USE OF AUDIO DEVICES. No person shall operate or use any audio, such as a radio, television, musical instrument, or other noise producing device or motorized equipment between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am in a manner that makes unreasonable noise that disturbs other visitors; or operate or use a public address system without written authorization from BLM.

PUBLIC NUDITY. Public nudity is prohibited in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.

UNAUTHORIZED ORGANIZED EVENT. No person shall participate in or sponsor an unauthorized organized event (Example bands, videos, movies etc ).

RIDING IN PICKUP BEDS AND OTHER UNSAFE ACTIVITIES. No person shall ride in the bed of a pick up truck or any part of a motor vehicle not designed for passengers on or off road.

Reserving of camping spaces is prohibited; sites are allocated on a first come/first serve basis.

Taking off or landing of aircraft, including ultralights, is prohibited within 1 mile of Gecko Road.

Dumping of sewage and gray water is prohibited.

A 14 day camping limit is in effect in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.

No parking or camping within 10 feet of pavement on Gecko Road.

Shooting is prohibited within 1/2 mile of formal campgrounds and should be conducted well away from other concentrations of people and property.

Animals must be kept on a leash not longer than six feet and secured to a fixed object or under the control of a person, or otherwise physically restricted at all times. (43 CFR 87365.2-1{c})

BLM supplementary rules reestablished under authority of 43 CFR 8365.1-6. Violations of the rules are punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 and/or imprisonment not to exceed 12 months (43 CFR 8360.0-7). Also, all OHVs must be operated in accordance with State laws and regulations relating to use, registration, operation, and inspection of OHVs(43 CFR 8341.1{d}).


For more information, visit these sites:
BLM El Centro Ofc - ISDRA
Imperial County Sheriffs Office - OHVEST
California State Parks - Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreational Division

KX/CRF/YZ/RM 250/450fs are considered race bikes for closed course competition use. No spark arrestors when stock.


CRF 250/450X WR250/450, KLX450 (all have headlights if you don't know what they look like) are off road bikes and come with them . . .

Thanks for the responses - trying not to ride dirty

I'm going to have to purchase a plate mount for my bike this weekend then. I used to just keep it on me but I suppose I need to just get over myself and actually stick it on.

and yeah....Lena...you gotta have mad skills.