Off-highway vehicle usage stamps to be issued in Illinois starting in 2014

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDNR, plans to start issuing Off-Highway Vehicle, OHV, usage stamps in 2014.

The department stated in a news release that the program is seen as an “important step toward improving Off-Highway Vehicle access.”

The new OHV usage stamp is scheduled to be available in early 2014 at DNR Direct license and permit point-of-sale vendor locations throughout the state.  

The annual stamps are part of the IDNR sustainability funding package passed last year and will be sold beginning in January.  

The stamps will be valid from April 1, 2014, through March 31, 2015.  The stamps will be issued concurrent with fishing and hunting licenses beginning in the 2014-15 season.

Funds generated through the OHV usage stamp are expected to total between $700,000 and $800,000 annually.  

IDNR said the funds will be used to develop public-access trails for OHV use in Illinois, and to capture more than $1 million in unutilized federal funds which are available for motorized trail development and maintenance through available matching dollars.  

Because Illinois has not been able to match the federal funds with state dollars, IDNR has been unable to provide single-purpose OHV recreation trails.

Illinois law now requires that an annual OHV usage stamp be purchased and displayed prominently on the forward half of off-highway vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and other motor-driven recreational vehicles capable of cross-country travel on natural terrain.

The annual OHV usage stamp fee will be $15, plus a 50-cent issuance fee to the point-of-sale vendor.  

IDNR plans to provide discount fees for lower-powered OHVs for youth riders.

IDNR also intends to add several other exemptions to the OHV usage stamp, including all standard golf carts, OHVs used by bona fide commercial businesses and OHVs used by qualifying hunters with disabilities.

The expiration date on the annual OHV usage stamp will be March 31 each year.

Exemptions to the OHV usage stamp requirement include:

OHVs operated on lands where the owner permanently resides (the exemption does not apply to clubs, associations, OHVs operated on lands leased for hunting or recreational purposes, or OHVs used by outfitters.

OHVs used for activities associated with farming or livestock production.

OHVs owned and used by units of government.

OHVs used for sanctioned national/international competition.

OHVs used on OHV-grant assisted sites on which an off-highway vehicle access decal is displayed.

For a list of DNR Direct POS vendor locations where OHV usage stamps will be sold, visit the DNR website at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx.