Off the road, still insured.
Liability, collision and theft coverage for ATVs, side-by-sides, dirt bikes, snowmobiles and golf carts, which a homeowners policy usually won't cover away from home.
By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed November 2026 · How this page is researched
Homeowners policies exclude most motor vehicles
Most homeowners policies exclude motorized vehicles, or cover them only on your own property. A crash on a trail or a golf cart accident in your community is often not covered.
A recreational vehicle policy covers the machine itself and your liability if someone is hurt. Low-speed vehicles driven on public streets must be registered and insured like a car.
- LiabilityInjuries to others and damage to their property.
- CollisionDamage from a crash or rollover.
- ComprehensiveTheft, fire and vandalism, including in storage.
- AccessoriesWinches, racks and added equipment.
What underwriters will ask
Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.
- Riders: names, dates of birth and driver's license numbers.
- Vehicles: type, year, make, model and value.
- Use: your property, trails, dunes or streets.
- Registration: OHV sticker or street registration.
- Storage: where it's kept.
- Current coverage: any policy you have now.
Green sticker, red sticker, or plate
In California, a machine used only off the highway needs a Green Sticker or a Red Sticker unless it carries a street plate. State Parks describes the Green Sticker as identifying vehicles allowed on public lands open to motor vehicles all year. The Red Sticker went to model year 2003 through 2021 motorcycles and ATVs that do not meet California Air Resources Board emission standards; vehicles not certified to ARB standards show a "3" or "C" in the eighth position of the VIN. Registration is valid for two years. A properly plated machine does not need a Green Sticker, but the plate must be displayed at all times, including off the highway.
The red sticker riding seasons ended. State Parks' OHV Information Bulletin 24-3 (December 19, 2024) said that beginning January 1, 2025, Red Sticker and Green Sticker registration are equally valid year-round in all public areas designated for OHV recreation. The same bulletin says DMV continues to issue Red Sticker registration for 2022 and later model year competition motorcycles, that law enforcement treats current Red Sticker registration as valid regardless of model year as long as it matches the VIN, and that this guidance may change at DMV's discretion. If you are buying a newer competition model, confirm its registration with DMV first.
Riding in from another state? State Parks directs out-of-state visitors to California OHV areas to its Nonresident OHV Use Permit page, and it says California does not recognize other states' street-plated OHVs as legal for highway or street use here.
For your quote, I record the VIN and whether each machine wears a Green Sticker, a Red Sticker or a plate. A red-sticker machine is often a competition model, so tell me whether it is raced or only trail ridden, and I put that on the application.
When an ATV can use a public road
A Green Sticker or Red Sticker is not street registration. Vehicle Code 38025 limits a vehicle carrying that identification to a short list of highway uses:
- On a two-lane highway, crossing at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, at a place where a quick and safe crossing can be made.
- On a highway with more than two lanes or with limited access, crossing only at a place designated by Caltrans or local authorities, and only in a quick and safe manner. Those crossings are designated by an appropriate sign.
- Being towed on a highway, but not driven, while displaying its identification.
- For an identified off-highway motorcycle, being pushed on a highway, but not ridden, while displaying its identification.
- Operation by a peace officer in an emergency response situation.
Riding down a road to reach a trailhead is not one of the listed uses. If a machine will spend any time on public streets, tell me up front; the application asks whether you ride on your own property, trails, dunes or streets, and I need that answer before I shop it. For a street-registered dirt bike, see motorcycle insurance; UTVs used for a business are discussed on the commercial off-road vehicle page.
ATV and golf cart insurance, answered
Does homeowners insurance cover my ATV?
Usually not away from your property, and sometimes not at all. A separate recreational vehicle policy is the reliable way to cover it.
Do I need insurance for a golf cart?
It depends on where it's driven. Low-speed vehicles on public streets must be registered and insured, and even off the street, a golf cart accident can bring a liability claim.
Are passengers covered?
Passenger injury coverage depends on the policy. I'll confirm before you buy.
Can I insure a UTV used on a ranch?
Yes. Tell me how it's used so it's rated correctly.
Do you have to wear a helmet on an ATV in California?
On public lands, yes. Vehicle Code 38505 requires anyone who operates, rides or is otherwise propelled on an ATV on public lands to wear a safety helmet meeting the requirements set for motorcycles and motorized bicycles under Section 27802.
Do you offer ATV, UTV and golf cart insurance outside California?
Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.
Official sources
- California State Parks OHMVR: OHV Registration
- California State Parks OHV Information Bulletin 24-3, Red Sticker Riding Season Sunset (Dec. 19, 2024)
- California State Parks OHMVR: ATV Safety Training
- California Vehicle Code 38503
- California Vehicle Code 38504
- California Vehicle Code 38505
- California Vehicle Code 38506
- California Vehicle Code 38025
- CPSC: 2025 Report of Deaths and Injuries Involving Off-Highway Vehicles with More than Two Wheels (May 2026)
- CPSC: OHV & ATV Safety Information Center
Send the machines. I'll shop it.
The type, year and value of each vehicle are enough to start.
Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.
Tell me how to reach you. I’ll take it from there.
Takes about 30 seconds. Your next step comes by email, and you get an update at every step until your quotes are ready.
(877) 711-4545Answered 24/7 · CA License #4348151
Get a reminder before your renewal.
Tell me when your policy renews and I’ll email you about six weeks before, when it’s worth comparing. One email, no calls.