Dirt bike riding is a great way to enjoy some adventure over a weekend.
Unfortunately, you can not ride a dirt bike anywhere you want to.
Certain laws, rules, and regulations must be followed when riding a dirt bike in public, which differs for each state in the U.S.
It is illegal to drive dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles like ATVs, UTVs, etc. on public roads and highways in Maryland if the vehicle has not been registered with Salisbury police.
How do you make a dirt bike street legal in Maryland?
In order to legalize a dirt bike for use on the streets of Maryland, there are some requirements to be met.
Typically, a driver’s license is not needed to drive a dirt bike on most private properties, but will be required when using the bike on public roads and highways.
Your dirt or dual bike shall have some features and a license plate before it can be used on the road.
- Add a headlight to the bike with high and low beams,
- Taillight, along with brake light,
- License plate with a light,
- Street legal tires,
- Turning signals or indicators on both front and rear,
- Horn.
You can easily register your dirt bike or ATV/UTV by purchasing a permit for ORV online. This permit will be effective immediately and can be printed to carry with you until you receive the official permit decal.
Once the official permit decal is received, it should be affixed to your vehicle.
Electric dirt bikes are a new item on the market—these can also be ridden on roadways wherever the Maryland Transportation Authority allows them to. Riders of electric bikes must yield to the roadway and pedestrian traffic.
You may not ride a class 3 electric bicycle on bicycle paths unless it is allowed by a state agency or a local authority with jurisdiction over the bicycle path.
Can you ride a dirt bike in your neighborhood in Maryland?
It is illegal to ride a dirt bike in most neighborhoods, and you will most likely get a ticket if you are found doing so.
This is because they are loud and cause a lot of disruption and sound pollution in the neighborhoods.
Though some states allow riding dirt bikes in neighborhoods, they are very few and Maryland is not one of those.
It is, in fact, considered illegal to ride a dirt bike in neighborhoods in most states. This is because they are typically not street legal.
Most dirt bikes are built for off-road use only; they do not have the essential equipment required for any street-legal vehicle like the headlights, taillights, turn signals, registration, or insurance.
If you get your dirt bike converted to become street legal with additional parts and registration, it does not guarantee permission to ride it in your neighborhood.
This, again, depends on the laws of each state. For instance, in Florida, you can ride a dirt bike in neighborhoods but registration and title for the bike are needed. Similarly, it is also allowed to ride a dirt bike in Georgia.
Maryland, California, and Texas, however, outlaw riding dirt bikes in neighborhoods.
You may get special permission, though, to ride your dirt bike in a private neighborhood. Granting special permission or not depends completely on the local authorities.
If you do not want to involve yourself in the hassle of getting bike modifications, special permission, or legal documents, Indiana is the place to be.
In Indiana, you can ride a dirt bike in the neighborhoods legally.
