(1) (a) No later than January 1, 1990, the division of parks and recreation shall devise a plan for implementation of the off-highway use permit program.
(b) On and after January 1, 1991, the owner of every vehicle required to be registered pursuant to article 3 of title 42, C.R.S., and the owner or operator of every motor vehicle and off-highway vehicle from another state or country, when such vehicle is being used for recreational travel upon designated off-highway vehicle routes, shall obtain and display on such vehicle an off-highway use permit.
(2) Off-highway use permits shall be sold by the agents referred to in section 33-12-104, and the fee to be paid for the permits must be in the amount provided by the commission by rule.
(3) Off-highway use permits, when issued on April 1, shall be valid for a one-year period, which runs from April 1 through the following March 31. All permits issued during the year at any time after April 1 shall expire on the following March 31.
(4) Off-highway use permits shall be displayed as required by the division.
(5) The following vehicles shall be exempt from the requirements of this section:
(a) Vehicles owned by the United States or another state or political subdivision thereof if such ownership is clearly displayed on such vehicles;
(b) Vehicles operated in an organized competitive or noncompetitive event on publicly or privately owned or leased land; except that this exemption shall not apply unless the agency exercising jurisdiction over such land specifically authorizes the organized competitive or noncompetitive event;
(c) Vehicles operated on public land for purposes other than recreational use, which purposes shall include but not be limited to logging, mining, grazing of livestock, firewood-cutting, and the taking of trees for noncommercial purposes.
(6) Any person who violates subsection (1)(b) of this section commits a civil infraction and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars.
Source: L. 89: Entire article added, p. 1367, § 1, effective April 1, 1990. L. 95: (6) amended, p. 974, § 33, effective July 1. L. 96: (2) amended, p. 784, § 11, effective May 23. L. 2003: (6) amended, p. 1952, § 40, effective May 22. L. 2018: (2) amended, (HB 18-1139), ch. 71, p. 636, § 9, effective August 8. L. 2019: (6) amended, (HB 19-1026), ch. 423, p. 3701, § 34, effective July 1. L. 2021: (6) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3271, § 593, effective March 1, 2022.