You asked how old a person must be to operate an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), motorcycle, or farm tractor.

SUMMARY

The law sets a minimum age for operating an ATV on state-owned land, but does not set a minimum age for operating an ATV other places. On state land, no one under 12 may operate an ATV and someone aged 12 to 16 may operate an ATV only if they have obtained an operation certificate and are supervised by someone older than 18.

A federal consent decree prohibited manufacturers from offering adult-size ATVs (having engines of 90 cc or greater) for use by anyone younger than 16 and ATVs with engines of 70 cc for use by anyone younger than 12. Although the consent decree has expired, the manufacturers are voluntarily abiding by this prohibition. But there is no federal law prohibiting these youngsters from operating these vehicles.

A person must be at least 16 to operate a motorcycle on a public highway. The law does not set a minimum age to operate a farm tractor.

ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES

Minimum Age Requirements

The law requires someone to be at least 12 to operate an ATV on state land. Someone aged 12 to 16 may operate an ATV on state land only if they have obtained an operation certificate and are supervised by someone who is at least 18 (CGS § 23-26e). Further, it requires everyone to get a certificate from the environmental protection commissioner before operating an ATV on state land. The commissioner cannot issue an operation certificate to anyone under age 18 unless the operator has completed a safety education course she formulates in consultation with the commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection (CGS § 23-26b).

Sales and Age Requirements

State law requires all-terrain dealers to state affirmatively that all-terrain vehicles with engine sizes of more than 90 cubic centimeters may be used only by people who are at least 16 years old (CGS §14-390f). It also requires all ATVs to be sold with the safety warning hang tags required by a federal consent decree. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) entered into the consent decree with the ATV distributors (All-Terrain Vehicles Final Consent Decree, Civil Action No. 87-3525 GAG, March 14, 1988). It prohibited distributors from (1) offering ATVs with engine sizes greater than 90 cc for use by anyone younger than 16 and (2) offering ATVs with engine sizes greater than 70 cc for use by anyone younger than 12. The decree remained in effect for 10 years. Since 1998, manufacturers have voluntarily agreed to comply with the significant provisions of the decree, including its age restrictions. The CPSC recently began the process of adopting new federal regulations because “in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in both the numbers of ATVs in use and the numbers of ATV-related deaths and injuries” (Fed. Register, Vol. 70, No. 198, October 14, 2005). A copy of the notice is attached.

State law generally prohibits ATVs from being operated on a public highway, but allows an ATV rider who has a driver's license to cross a highway on his ATV if he crosses at 90 degrees to the direction of the highway at a point where there is no obstruction preventing a quick and safe crossing (CGS § 14-387).

MOTORCYCLES

State law sets 16 as the minimum age for operating a motorcycle on public highways (CGS § 14-40a).

FARM TRACTORS

“Agricultural tractors” are not considered to be motor vehicles under state motor vehicle law (CGS § 14-1(51)). Consequently, the law does not require operators to be licensed or set a minimum age for their legal operation.

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