Let's Ride! 2014 California Red Sticker Riding Season Opens Statewide
Chaparral Motorsports
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October 2, 2014
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Last Updated: June 26, 2020
Yesterday was a good day for many dirt bike enthusiasts as the
remaining swath of Off Highway Vehicle Areas (OHVA) in California
opened up for dirt bikes and other
vehicles marked with red stickers. The red and green sticker
program was established by the California Air Resources Board and
the California Department of Motor Vehicles in an effort to limit
the effects of air pollution caused by Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs)
that do not meet emission standards applicable for California OHV
riding areas. In order for California residents to operate their
OHV on public lands they must register the vehicle with the DMV
which will issue either a red or green sticker based on the
vehicle. The registration fee is $52 and both the red and green
stickers are valid for two years after purchase.
Designating vehicles as green sticker enables those vehicles to
operate in all California OHV riding areas year round with no
restrictions. In order for any 2003 model year or newer OHV to get
a green sticker it must be in compliance with CARB emission
guidelines from the manufacturer. All OHVs prior to 2002 are
considered green sticker eligible. Typically dirt bikes and
ATVs intended by the manufacturer for mostly trail
type/non-competitive riding will meet green sticker emissions.
Red sticker OHVs are model year 2003 and newer that are not in
compliance with California OHV emissions. You can identify a red
sticker OHV by looking at its VIN number. If there is a "C" or a
"3" in the eighth position of the VIN then it is a red sticker
model. Most race or track oriented dirt bikes and ATVs will fall
into the red sticker category.
California's OHVAs are broken up into three governmental
designations: State Vehicular Recreation Areas (SVRA), Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), and the United States Forest Services
(USFS). Each OHVA is subject to different seasonal guidelines for
red sticker vehicles. There are 44 OHVAs that are open year round.
The remaining areas are seasonal, with six of the areas opening at
the beginning of September, and the remaining 43 opening on October
1. Below is a list outlining the red sticker schedules for all
California OHVAs. Now go get your dirt bike gear
together and get out and enjoy our OHVAs.
