Registration > Off-Road Vehicles
Off-Road vehicle registrations in Manitoba are governed by the Off-Road Vehicles Act.
An off-road vehicle, or ORV, is any wheeled or tracked motorized vehicle designed or adapted to travel cross-country on land, water, ice, snow, marsh, swamp land or other natural terrain. Snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, dune buggies and dirt bikes are some examples of ORVs. Examples of vehicles not considered to be ORVs are: a golf cart, a garden or lawn tractor, a special mobile machine, a farm tractor and a farming implement.
Registration Requirements
No one under the age of 16 is permitted to register an ORV. Persons between 16 and 18 may register if they provide written consent from a parent or legal guardian. When registering, you may be asked to provide an official birth certificate or other acceptable proof of age.
For new registrations, you'll receive a licence plate in addition to the registration/insurance certificate. For a renewal registration, you'll receive a validation sticker to affix to the plate.
On snowmobiles, the plate should be fastened on the left side in the space between the lower edge of the seat and the running board, as close to the rear of the vehicle as possible. On ORVs with three or more wheels and on tracked vehicles other than snowmobiles, the plate should be fastened in a highly visible location on the rear of the vehicle. For two-wheeled ORVs, the plate should be mounted in a highly visible location on the front of the vehicle.
The operator must carry the registration/insurance certificate at all times while operating the vehicle.
Exemptions
Registration and insurance are not required if the ORV is:
- Owners of off-road vehicles who are residents of another jurisdiction and who operate their vehicle in Manitoba must meet the registration and insurance requirements of their home jurisdiction
- A motor vehicle registered under The Highway Traffic Act. Under The Highway Traffic Act, Manitoba residents who own or lease vehicles must register any vehicle that operates on a Manitoba roadway. Under The Off-Road Vehicles Act, off-road vehicles, such as a snowmobile, may be required to be registered depending on where the vehicle is operated or the purpose for which it is used.
- Operated exclusively on property occupied by the vehicle owner.
- Owned and operated by a commercially-licenced fisherman using the vehicle for commercial purposes or a trapper using the vehicle in a registered trapline district or special trapping area
- Owned and operated on behalf of the Department of National Defence and bears a number plate or other identification issued by that department.
- Owned by, or in possession of, a dealer and bears an ORV dealer's plate
- A competition vehicle operating exclusively on a competition circuit
- Owned by a resident of a remote community while the vehicle is operated in the remote community
Transfer of Ownership
When ownership is transferred, the registration and insurance automatically expire. The original registered owner must return the licence plate and registration/insurance certificate to any Autopac outlet or the DDVL offices listed above. After a void sticker is applied, the licence plate is returned to the registered owner.
If the original registered owner acquires another ORV within seven days of transferring ownership, they may transfer the original plate to the newly acquired vehicle after paying a transfer fee. An additional insurance premium may also apply.
Transfer Of Ownership Document (TOD)
A Transfer of Ownership Document (TOD) is part of your registration certificate. Individuals who buy vehicles privately should obtain the TOD from the seller.
The TOD includes the owner's name, a description of the vehicle and odometer reading, if applicable. At the time a vehicle is sold, the seller signs the document over to the buyer and fills in the odometer reading. It's important for the buyer to check that the serial number (also called Vehicle Identification Number or VIN) is the same on the TOD, the bill of sale and the vehicle itself.
Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) dealers do not provide TOD's. If you buy a new or used ORV from a dealer, you will receive your TOD when you register the vehicle.
