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Debate grows over statewide ATV/UTV registration and roadway use in committee (LB 337)
Summary
Sen. Wardekamper’s LB 337 would create statewide registration and allow licensed ATVs/UTVs on county and local roads while preserving local ordinances; proponents cited economic and convenience benefits, and NDOT raised safety and fatality concerns based on interstate comparisons.
Senator Dave Wardekamper introduced LB 337 to create a comprehensive framework for the registration and operation of all‑terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) on Nebraska roads outside the state highway system. The bill would allow counties and cities to adopt ordinances permitting or restricting operation, require licensing and fees for registration (testimony cited a $33 licensing fee for a registrant), and include safety measures such as lighting and occupant protection provisions where applicable.
Proponents — including dealers and local officials — said a statewide license plate and clear registration rules would simplify travel between municipalities, retain sales and registration revenue in Nebraska and reduce the need for multiple local plates. Clayton Novotny and Kayla Walford described community events and cross‑county travel that are complicated by the current patchwork of local rules.
Neutral witnesses raised technical and safety concerns. Josh Eickmeier, executive director of the Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board, warned that if ATVs/UTVs are defined as "motor vehicles" for titling/registration purposes, manufacturers and dealers could fall under the board’s licensing requirements; he recommended the amendment the introducer circulated to carve ATVs/UTVs out of the Motor Vehicle Industry Regulation Act if that is the committee’s intent.
Vicki Kramer, director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, testified neutral and cited safety data and operational concerns: off‑road tires and high centers of gravity make ATVs and some UTVs less suitable for sustained operations on public roads, driver expectation and speed differentials can raise collision risk on county roads, and data from other states show increased injury/fatality rates after expanding roadway use for these vehicles. Kramer said Nebraska has agricultural exemptions and that the bill’s exclusion of state highways and interstates does not eliminate risks on high‑speed county roads.
The committee discussed helmet rules for those under 21, an agricultural exemption, and a fiscal note the introducer cited projecting registration revenue in early years. Senator Wardekamper handed out an amendment (AM 49) addressing a licensing carve‑out. The hearing ended after extensive testimony and discussion; the introducer said he was open to technical modifications.
