1. A person shall not drive or operate an all-terrain vehicle:

 a. At a rate of speed greater than reasonable or proper under all existing circumstances.
 b. In a careless, reckless, or negligent manner so as to endanger the person or property of another or to cause injury or damage thereto.
 c. While under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotics or habit-forming drugs.
 d. Without a lighted headlight and taillight from sunset to sunrise and at such other times when conditions provide insufficient lighting to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles at a distance of five hundred feet ahead.
 e. In any tree nursery or planting in a manner which damages or destroys growing stock.
 f. On any public land, public ice, or designated riding trail, in violation of official signs of the commission prohibiting such operation in the interest of safety for persons, property, or the environment. Any officer appointed by the commission may post an official sign in an emergency for the protection of persons, property, or the environment.
 g. In any park, wildlife area, preserve, refuge, game management area, or any portion of a meandered stream, or any portion of the bed of a nonmeandered stream which has been identified as a navigable stream or river by rule adopted by the department and which is covered by water, except on designated riding areas and designated riding trails. This paragraph does not prohibit the use of ford crossings of public roads or any other ford crossing when used for agricultural purposes; the operation of construction vehicles engaged in lawful construction, repair, or maintenance in a streambed; or the operation of all-terrain vehicles on ice.
 h. Upon an operating railroad right-of-way. An all-terrain vehicle may be driven directly across a railroad right-of-way only at an established crossing and, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, may, if necessary, use the improved portion of the established crossing after yielding to all oncoming traffic. This paragraph does not apply to a law enforcement officer or railroad employee in the lawful discharge of the officer’s or employee’s duties or to an employee of a utility with authority to enter upon the railroad right-of-way in the lawful performance of the employee’s duties.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 321I.14

  • All-terrain vehicle: means a motorized vehicle with not less than three and not more than six nonhighway tires that is limited in engine displacement to less than one thousand cubic centimeters and in total dry weight to less than one thousand two hundred pounds and that has a seat or saddle designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering control. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Commission: means the natural resource commission of the department. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Department: means the department of natural resources. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Designated riding area: means an all-terrain vehicle riding area on any public land or public ice under the jurisdiction of the department that has been designated by the department for all-terrain vehicle use. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Designated riding trail: means an all-terrain vehicle riding trail on any public land, private land, or public ice that has been designated by the department, a political subdivision, or a controlling authority for all-terrain vehicle use. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Livestock: includes but is not limited to an animal classified as an ostrich, rhea, or emu. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Nonambulatory person: means an individual with paralysis of the lower half of the body with the involvement of both legs, usually caused by disease of or injury to the spinal cord, or caused by the loss of both legs or the loss of a part of both legs. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Off-road utility vehicle: includes the following vehicles:
     (1) "Off-road utility vehicle - type 1" means an off-road utility vehicle with a total dry weight of one thousand two hundred pounds or less and a width of fifty inches or less. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Operate: means to ride in or on, other than as a passenger, use, or control the operation of an all-terrain vehicle in any manner, whether or not the all-terrain vehicle is moving. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Person: means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, and the state, its agencies, and political subdivisions. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Public ice: means any frozen, navigable waters within the territorial limits of this state and the frozen marginal river areas adjacent to this state, other than farm ponds, that are under the jurisdiction of the commission. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Public land: means land owned by the federal government, the state, or political subdivisions of the state and land acquired or developed for public recreation pursuant to section 321I. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Railroad right-of-way: means the full width of property owned, leased, or subject to easement for railroad purposes and is not limited to those areas on which tracks are located. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Vehicle: means any vehicle as defined in chapter 321. See Iowa Code 321H.2
 2. a. A person shall not operate or ride an all-terrain vehicle with a firearm in the person’s possession unless it is unloaded and enclosed in a carrying case, except as otherwise provided. However, a nonambulatory person may carry an uncased and unloaded firearm while operating or riding an all-terrain vehicle.

 b. (1) A person may operate or ride an all-terrain vehicle with a loaded firearm, whether concealed or not, without a permit to carry weapons, if the person operates or rides on land owned, possessed, or rented by the person and the person’s conduct is otherwise lawful.

 (2) A person may operate or ride an all-terrain vehicle with a loaded pistol or revolver, whether concealed or not, if the person is operating or riding the all-terrain vehicle on land that is not owned, possessed, or rented by the person, and the person’s conduct is otherwise lawful.
 c. A person shall not discharge a firearm while on an all-terrain vehicle, except that a nonambulatory person may discharge a firearm from an all-terrain vehicle while lawfully hunting if the person is not operating or riding a moving all-terrain vehicle.
 3. a. A person shall not operate an all-terrain vehicle with more persons on the vehicle than it was designed to carry.

 b. Paragraph “a” does not apply to a person who operates an all-terrain vehicle as part of a farm operation as defined in section 352.2.
 4. A person shall not operate an off-road utility vehicle on a designated riding area or designated riding trail unless the riding area or trail is signed by the department as open to off-road utility vehicle operation.
 5. A person shall not operate a vehicle other than an all-terrain vehicle on a designated riding area or designated riding trail unless the riding area or trail is signed by the department as open to such other use.
 6. As used in this section, “rented by the person” includes a person who does not necessarily rent the land but who principally provides labor for the production of crops located on agricultural land or for the production of livestock principally located on agricultural land. The person must personally provide such labor on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis.
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