Making street legal in Texas

[Darstar]

Actually there are small holes in the cowl already.

 

[tsheh4]

That is how I use mine in OK for now. Working with a legislator on getting approval for Mini Truck Status. If that can happen you can drive on state highways, but no interstate, which would be fine with me.

Hey Woodsman, mind sharing what progress you've had in peaking your legislator's interest in getting us the mini-truck okay in OK? I am in SE Oklahoma and have been debating contacting my rep as well. Apparently the only way the Roxor doesn't qualify is the state regs put a 1000cc limit on the mini trucks. There is some language about "enclosed passenger area," but to me a roll cage would count as an enclosure.

 

[Woodsman74881]

The last time he talked with me, he said "We'll check into doing an amendment to mini truck regs, in the next term. Doors, roof, windshield would equate to a enclosed passenger area. We'll see, he is a politician after all.

 

[Darstar]

The problem with Texas is , all the land is privetly owned. I found out this past winter , hauled my Rox to the hill country for no good reason , a very expensive idea I had cooked up last fall. Sure they have some good ol boys rock crawling places, but for a standard Roxor......no place to go.

 

[Woodsman74881]

Pretty much the same here.

 

[tsheh4]

Plenty of forest service roads to ride down here, and legal to do so. We see a caravan of Texas plates coming in with side by sides (and boats for the lake) every Friday. Problem is I'm interested in being able to drive to work and back... About seven miles of two lane road. Did get a short response from my state senator, said he would get with ODOT and see what he could get done. I know the man, avid outdoorsman himself, so we will see what becomes of it. Here's to wishful thinking!

 

[Woodsman74881]

Sounds good. Every little bit helps.

 

[Durdinfarm]

The problem with Texas is , all the land is privetly owned. I found out this past winter , hauled my Rox to the hill country for no good reason , a very expensive idea I had cooked up last fall. Sure they have some good ol boys rock crawling places, but for a standard Roxor......no place to go.

Check out Terlingua ranch in Big Ben we own land there they have about 1100 miles of ranch maintained roads Beautiful place they also have cabins for rent.

 

[Darstar]

Check out Terlingua ranch in Big Ben we own land there they have about 1100 miles of ranch maintained roads Beautiful place they also have cabins for rent.

It’s a big state ! Kerrville is 400 miles from Big Bend area.......a bit remote for us Snowbirds !

 

[Durdinfarm]

Beach operation is in the link too

as defined by Section 52.002, Agriculture Code is real important had a constable (small c) write me a ticket in route to repair my cow fence pasture with a spray rig in back of a kubota rtv on a county road. he tried to tell me that no atv could be driven on a public highway. Had to hire a lawyer and educate the judge and his constables on the law at my expense on the law.

 

[txroadkill]

as defined by Section 52.002, Agriculture Code is real important had a constable (small c) write me a ticket in route to repair my cow fence pasture with a spray rig in back of a kubota rtv on a county road. he tried to tell me that no atv could be driven on a public highway. Had to hire a lawyer and educate the judge and his constables on the law at my expense on the law.

Sometimes a trip to the JP or court to plead your ticket (guilty/not guilty) in person is really helpful. Ask to talk to the prosecutor, most small courts it’s easy to get a meeting. Talk to them and explain what was happening and the law on the situation and many times you can head off the trial date and get the ticket tossed without getting a lawyer involved. The prosecutors who decide which cases they will pursue don’t always know all the laws. It’s much cheaper to convince them that they can’t win the case because the law is on your side before the trial. Cheaper for you and cheaper for the city/county/state. The courts want the easy money and don’t wish to go to trial, especially trial by jury. Even more so if your in a rural area doing rural things that are legal and the jury is made up of fellow rural people that do the same thing. I’ve had to educate prosecutors on laws before. Even had to show them the law as they were ignorant of certain sections of it. Had one that kept looking up the laws I was telling them and in the end saw it my way and dismissed the case. All without a lawyer involved. Always try it without a lawyer if you can. If it doesn’t work plead not guilty and request a jury trial then hire a lawyer.

 

[Durdinfarm]

That is true in many cases and would have been true in my case a few years ago, were I live has major growing pains. Lots of people moving out my way, The farmer's and Rancher's children are selling family farms as fast as they inherit them for subdivisions commercial property. so a lot of the law enforcement do not know the laws and their are a lot of people that have side by sides that are breaking the law. My case worked out fine the law is clear about farmers and ranchers they were not looking at Section 52.002, Agriculture Code which is the description of agricultural products. i-e livestock.
Text of subsection as amended by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 125 (H.B. 920), Sec. 1


(d) The operator of an all-terrain vehicle may drive the vehicle on a public street, road, or highway that is not an interstate or limited-access highway if:
(1) the transportation is in connection with:
(A) the production, cultivation, care, harvesting, preserving, drying, processing, canning, storing, handling, shipping, marketing, selling, or use of agricultural products, as defined by Section 52.002, Agriculture Code; or
(B) utility work performed by a utility;
(2) the operator attaches to the back of the vehicle a triangular orange flag that is at least six feet above ground level;
(3) the vehicle's headlights and taillights are illuminated;
(4) the operator holds a driver's license, as defined by Section 521.001;
(5) the operation of the all-terrain vehicle occurs in the daytime; and
(6) the operation of the all-terrain vehicle does not exceed a distance of 25 miles from the point of origin to the destination.

Sec. 52.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Agricultural products" includes horticultural, viticultural, forestry, dairy, livestock, poultry, and bee products and any farm and ranch product

 

[BDRAG]

I stick the tractor / farm implement triangle on mine and have not had any issues. My land has AG for timber.

BDRAG

 

[Wayout]

I stick the tractor / farm implement triangle on mine and have not had any issues. My land has AG for timber.

BDRAG

Same ... no problems


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[txroadkill]

I’m not gonna tell ya’ll that your gonna have problems with that triangle cause the truth is many LEO are ignorant on the ATV/UTV exemptions. Many in rural areas may not even care or if they have a slight inclination of caring it’s gone when they see the triangle. The fact does remain that to be legal your gonna need the orange flag as well as the other requirements in place. Should you get in a wreck it could come back to haunt you. Either with a ticket or from an attorney seeking to pin blame on you. My advice is to run a flag and know that should you have an encounter with a LEO or worse a wreck and attorneys are involved the law will be on your side.

 

[BDRAG]

Txroadkill, I agree 100%. But I am just an old fart. Lol. I read the flag part as well and it's all over the place for atv' sand such. These are real jeeps! Lol. I had planned on running the flag and triangle next month while at the property.

Still watching the oh so slow process of the txdot changes being firmed up about the assemble bill that passes. Still have my fingers crossed for a legal approach to road hood.

BDRAG