§ 33-14.5-112. Off-Highway Use Permit – Fees – Applications – Requirements – Exemptions – Rules

1. 1. No later than January 1, 1990, the division of parks and recreation shall devise a plan for implementation of the off-highway use permit program.
   2. On and after January 1, 1991, the owner of every vehicle required to be registered pursuant to article 3 of title 42, C.R.S., and the owner or operator of every motor vehicle and off-highway vehicle from another state or country, when such vehicle is being used for recreational travel upon designated off-highway vehicle routes, shall obtain and display on such vehicle an off-highway use permit.
2. Off-highway use permits shall be sold by the agents referred to in section 33-12-104, and the fee to be paid for the permits must be in the amount provided by the commission by rule.
3. Off-highway use permits, when issued on April 1, shall be valid for a one-year period, which runs from April 1 through the following March 31. All permits issued during the year at any time after April 1 shall expire on the following March 31.
4. Off-highway use permits shall be displayed as required by the division.
5. The following vehicles shall be exempt from the requirements of this section:
   1. Vehicles owned by the United States or another state or political subdivision thereof if such ownership is clearly displayed on such vehicles;
   2. Vehicles operated in an organized competitive or noncompetitive event on publicly or privately owned or leased land; except that this exemption shall not apply unless the agency exercising jurisdiction over such land specifically authorizes the organized competitive or noncompetitive event;
   3. Vehicles operated on public land for purposes other than recreational use, which purposes shall include but not be limited to logging, mining, grazing of livestock, firewood-cutting, and the taking of trees for noncommercial purposes.
6. [ Editor’s note: This version of subsection (6) is effective until March 1, 2022.] Any person who violates subsection (1)(b) of this section is guilty of a class 2 petty offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars.

   (6) [ Editor’s note: This version of subsection (6) is effective March 1, 2022. ] Any person who violates subsection (1)(b) of this section commits a civil infraction and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars.

Source: L. 89: Entire article added, p. 1367, § 1, effective April 1, 1990. L. 95: (6) amended, p. 974, § 33, effective July 1. L. 96: (2) amended, p. 784, § 11, effective May 23. L. 2003: (6) amended, p. 1952, § 40, effective May 22. L. 2018: (2) amended, (HB 18-1139), ch. 71, p. 636, § 9, effective August 8. L. 2019: (6) amended, (HB 19-1026), ch. 423, p. 3701, § 34, effective July 1. L. 2021: (6) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3271, § 593, effective March 1, 2022.

Editor’s note: Section 803(2) of chapter 462 (SB 21-271), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 18-1139, see section 1 of chapter 71, Session Laws of Colorado 2018. For the short title (“Respect the Great Outdoors Act”) and the legislative declaration in HB 19-1026, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 423, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.