California up through 2025 dirt bikes now legal

https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21853

I may or may not have taken my son to ride at Ocotillo Wells this weekend on a completely unregistered '21 YZ125. California and CARB can eat all the dicks as far as I'm concerned. I'm going to spend my registration dollars in AZ.

According to their list only at max 3 of the 9 members for their ohv board are even into ohv.  The others include non-motorized, environmental, land owners, law enforcement interests...lol.

What a joke. 

That's the objective.

"The Commission membership is intended to represent a broad range of groups including OHV recreation enthusiasts, biological or soil scientists, rural landowners, law enforcement, environmental protection organizations, and non-motorized recreation interests."

It wouldn't make sense to have an OHMVR commission that is run exclusively by off-road vehicle enthusiasts.  You want opposing viewpoints to come to compromises and hopefully find a balance that benefits the most people possible.

I think the word "balance" you used there, was their point of remark.  Having 70% anti off road, is not balanced.  

According to their bios, it looks like 3 are (or were) off-roaders (Salazar, Patrovsky, Anderson) and a 4th (Urena) has a son who is an off-roader.  Plus Lemmon's OHV experience is a little vague, but he grew up in Ocotillo Wells and his "participation in the off-road community spans over five decades".  So it's possibly 5 advocates for OHVs?

I think it's unreasonable to expect that the commission would be primarily off-roaders, who would just approve everything in favor of off-roaders.  That would be nice, but not reasonable.

The website has lots of documentation about their meetings, but I can't find any kind of meeting minutes or commission votes/comments, to see which way the commissioners actually lean.

There's no issue with the State Parks OHV people, or law enforcement. The problem is getting licensed from the DMV. 

The problem is who dictates what the DMV can license. If DMV answers to CARB, then there is a very clear list of vehicles eligible for DMV registration on the CARB website.

Any way you can get a sticker that gets you access - go for it. Law enforcement, State Parks OHV have stated they will accept a sticker matching the VIN number.

The wheels of government turn very slowly. It’s possible that CARB decided to proactively change policy based on the likelihood of an eventual loss due to Chevron, but the government, especially California, has a long history of using the courts to delay the inevitable loss for decades. I’m as enthusiastic about the Chevron Defrence decision as anyone, but I don’t think this has anything to do with it. 

It’s surprising how few people know about Chevron, it’s a game changer. It’ll take a couple of decades to really make a difference, but it’s the biggest Supreme Court ruling in a century as far as holding our government to task. 

The whole state is going through similar power conflicts. RV's now have the exact same issue getting licensed due to CARB's new restrictions. 

Retail stores lock up laundry detergent because police won't lock up thieves because district attorneys won't prosecute them. District attorneys, sheriffs, and mayors are getting recalled. Someone with absolutely zero political experience, who spent millions of dollars on his campaign, was just elected as... mayor of San Francisco.

The only thing we have going for us is that these idiots are idiots. But we still need the vehicle registration.

I'm still seeing 2003- 2021 for complaint bikes. Are all registered bikes grandfathered in now?

(a) The following table lists public off-highway vehicle (OHV) areas in California that are designated for off-highway recreational vehicle operation. Although not every type of off-highway recreational vehicle may be eligible to operate at every OHV area due to restrictions by the designated Public Land Management Agency other than this section, vehicles that meet the emission standards in section 2412(b) are not subject to the riding season restrictions noted below. Model year 2003 through 2021 off-road motorcycles and ATVs that are certified pursuant to section 2412(c)(1)( are permitted to operate in the public areas designated for OHV use noted below, only during the applicable riding seasons noted. This table contains the following information: Public Land Management entities, OHV riding area names, and the applicable riding seasons. The OHV areas are listed in order of location, from north to south.

It seems like they issued a bulletin to say that all registered OHVs are grandfathered in.  It's unclear how future new registrations attempts will be handled.

https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1234

(Scroll down to the OHV Bulletins and click on the "12-3" bulletin.)

But they haven't updated any other places on the website.

Not exactly MX but your point is correct.

We are seeing STIHL gas line trimmers and 4 Gas blowers that had to be in retailers barn prior to the end of 2023 and ok to sell until out now ok to order again.

Seems like the EPA told CARB they did not have the authority to do what they did.  That’s if I have it right.

Still no small gas chainsaws like the MS 180 or 170 ok

That’s ok with the displacement close to the Line trimmers. 

 

How the DMV has been doing and will do registrations and renewals is still unclear. That is up to the DMV to implement. This state parks OHV bulletin for law enforcement is just for law enforcement. CARB has not changed. The law on what the DMV is supposed to license has not changed.

The Sierra Club was always our biggest advocate because of this. I was party to meetings where the Sierra Club stepped in and said, if we do not give them someplace to ride, they will ride where we do not want them. 

At least that was the message 25 years ago. It is also worth noting that one of the biggest supports of the Sierra Club is Honda Motor Co. 

In case people were still confused about the 2003 to 2021 red sticker bikes. I got clarification from the horse's mouth regarding my 2021 KX450. In short, all state parks will be treating the said time frame bikes with red stickers as green sticker bikes. So, us red stickers won't be receiving green stickers when registration is due. Law Enforcement at the parks will take notice to the red sticker biked and verifying we have spark a arrestor since we are not "carb compliant."

I asked about '22 bikes and newer receiving red stickers from dealers and DMV. We'll, that's an error on their part and shouldn't happen. Dealerships could face a 25k fine for doing so. So, anyone who's inadvertently receives a red sticker for new bikes, enjoy the moment! Because eventually DMV, dealers, etc may catch on and stop doing so.

When you say "horse's mouth", who did you get clarification from?

(Part of the problem here is there are lots of "horses": DMV, CARB, BLM, State Parks, Dealers, etc.)

I've lived in CA for 7 years and cover agencies like CARB for a living-- and I have no freakin' idea what is legal and what isn't. It's a nightmarish swirl of changing regulations. So fuck them, I'm just gonna ride.

@RichieW13 Assistant Chief at OHMVR. I called him after my attempt to exchange my red sticker for green sticker at my local DMV office.