MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT
Amending the vehicle and traffic law to exempt from registration all-terrain vehicles used solely on lands owned by or leased to the vehicle owner.
The NYSCC believes all-terrain vehicles should be treated like other motorized vehicles. The owner of an ATV should not be required to register the vehicle when it is used exclusively on his or her own property. This change would give ATVs the same exemption from registration requirements enjoyed by snowmobiles when used solely on land owned or occupied by the vehicle owner.
Registration is not required for conventional motor vehicles that are never operated on a public highway (e.g., lot trucks on farms). The V&T Law already provides an exemption for farm use and snowmobiles. ATVs are the only motorized vehicles that are required to be registered when used exclusively on the owner’s property.
Landowners use ATVs in much the same manner as golf carts to get around their property. This is particularly true of individuals with disabilities or limited mobility.
ATVs are often used as utility equipment or maintenance vehicles, much the same as tractors or utility carts. This includes hauling, towing, mowing and “moving dirt.” It is more appropriate to treat equipment employed in this manner as a power tool than as a motor vehicle.
There is no justifiable reason for the state to collect a motor vehicle registration fee for a vehicle which literally never leaves the parking lot.