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Senate advances OHV identification bill after floor debate on visibility and enforcement
Summary
First substitute SB166 would require off‑highway vehicles to carry a visible identifying number; sponsors say it is a deterrent to unlawful use, while some senators questioned practicality and placement. The Senate voted to place the bill on the third‑reading calendar.
The Utah Senate advanced first substitute Senate Bill 166 on Feb. 12, 2004 after floor debate about the practicality of marking off‑highway vehicles (OHVs) with visible identification numbers.
Sponsor Senator Hatch said the measure was prompted by user groups such as the Backcountry Horsemen, which reported abusive behavior by a minority of ATV and off‑road vehicle users. "One of the things that... came out of all these dialogue... was that we have had a great proliferation of the number of ATVs... and there are abuses taking place," Hatch said, describing the bill as a deterrent rather than a punitive overhaul. The bill would require OHVs to carry a numerical marking — letters or numbers — that an observer could use to identify an owner.
Senators raised practical questions about where numbers would appear on machines with few vertical surfaces. Senator Eastman asked, "where do you put this number?" and said numbers on four‑wheel machines or motocross bikes could be difficult to read; Hatch replied the department would adopt rules to specify placement and the bill requires visibility from roughly 50 feet.
Hatch said the bill is not a cure‑all but is preferable to harsher penalties suggested by some groups. He moved that first substitute SB166 be read for a third time, and the Senate held a roll call: the presiding officer announced the bill received 23 ayes and 6 nays and was placed on the third‑reading calendar.
What’s next: SB166 will come up on the third‑reading calendar for final passage; the rule‑making authority named in the bill will be responsible for technical placement and size requirements.
