Pick your vehicle and where you live. You get the paperwork you need and which Forest Service routes it's allowed on. Checked October 26, 2026.
Full-size rigs on the 406 Cruisers Cooke City run, 2026.
Your vehicle
You live
Kids and young riders
Under 12: may ride an OHV on unpaved roads only with an adult along.
12 to 15: must carry a card from an FWP-approved OHV safety course and ride with a licensed driver present, on trails or unpaved roads. The online course is a one-time fee and the card never expires.
Under 18: must wear a DOT- or Snell-rated helmet when riding a motorcycle or quad on a street or highway.
Motorcycles on any road, public-land roads included, need a motorcycle endorsement on the driver's license.
Rules that catch people
Know the route's vehicle class before you commit to the climb.
The MVUM is the law, signs or no signs. On national forests you may only drive routes the Motor Vehicle Use Map shows open to your vehicle class, in that season. Driving off them can mean a fine of up to $5,000, up to six months in jail, or both.
Parking off the road: up to 70 feet from the road edge on a national forest, if it's safe and doesn't damage anything, unless a sign or order says otherwise. That's for parking, not for driving to a campsite unless the MVUM shows a dispersed-camping corridor.
Width means widest point. Most side-by-sides are wider than 50 inches, so they're off the 50-inch trails. Measure yours.
Streams: no OHV below a stream's ordinary high-water mark, except crossing on an established road or trail by the shortest practical route.
State trust land: you need a Montana Conservation License (residents $8, nonresidents $10). Motor vehicles stay on public roads (federal, state and county) unless DNRC has signed a road open. You also need legal access; crossing private land without permission doesn't count.
BLM: stay on designated routes. Residents need the FWP trail pass in specific BLM OHV areas, including Acton, Cottonwood, Grove Creek, the Pryor Mountains, Clancy/Sheep Mountain, Pipestone, Radersburg, Glendive-Shortpines and Garnet.
Seasonal closures are where most tickets come from. The same road can be open in August and closed in October for wildlife. Check the dates column on the MVUM for your district every time.
This page paraphrases official rules to help you plan. It is not legal advice. Fees and rules change, and the MVUM for your district and the agency office have the final word.
Montana FWP: Off-highway vehicles (registration, trail pass, nonresident permit, street-legal equipment, age and helmet rules, BLM areas, streams)
