(a)        Law enforcement officers acting in the course and scope of their duties may operate motorized all-terrain vehicles owned or leased by the agency, or under the direct control of the incident commander, on: (i) public highways where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less; and (ii) nonfully controlled access highways with higher speeds for the purpose of traveling from a speed zone to an adjacent speed zone where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.

(b)        Fire, rescue, and emergency medical services personnel acting in the course and scope of their duties may operate motorized all-terrain vehicles and owned or leased by fire, rescue, or emergency medical services departments, or under the direct control of the incident commander, on: (i) public highways where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less; and (ii) nonfully controlled access highways with higher speeds for the purpose of traveling from a speed zone to an adjacent speed zone where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.

(c)        This Part and all other State laws governing the operation of all-terrain vehicles apply to the operation of all-terrain vehicles authorized by this section.

(d)       An all-terrain vehicle operated pursuant to this section shall be equipped with operable front and rear lights and a horn.

(e)        A person operating an all-terrain vehicle pursuant to this section shall observe posted speed limits and shall not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended speed for the vehicle.

(f)        A person operating an all-terrain vehicle pursuant to this section shall carry an official identification card or badge.

(g)        For purposes of this section, the term “motorized all-terrain vehicle” has the same meaning as in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-159.3, except that the term also includes utility vehicles, as defined in this Chapter. ?(2007-433, s. 1; 2015-26, ss. 1, 2.1.)

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 20-171.23

  • Emergency: means any condition existing outside the bounds of nuclear operating sites owned or licensed by a federal agency, and further any condition existing within or outside of the jurisdictional confines of a facility licensed by the Department and arising from the presence of by-product material, source material, special nuclear materials, or other radioactive materials, which is endangering or could reasonably be expected to endanger the health and safety of the public, or to contaminate the environment. See North Carolina General Statutes 20-137.6
  • Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, group, agency, political subdivision of this State, any other state or political subdivision or agency thereof, and any legal successor, representative, agent, or agency of the foregoing, other than the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto, and other than federal government agencies licensed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any successor thereto. See North Carolina General Statutes 20-137.6
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3