California's Green, Red and Tan OHV stickers explained
Three agencies and a 2025 policy change decide where a California off-highway machine can ride.
California
California sorts off-highway motorcycles and ATVs by emissions compliance with a sticker from the DMV. A Green Sticker means the model meets the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) OHV emissions standard.
A Red Sticker covers noncompliant model years 2003 to 2021, and since January 1, 2025 it is as valid as green, year-round, in public OHV areas. A noncompliant model year 2022 or newer gets a tan sticker and is limited to closed-course competition.
CARB certifies the models, the DMV issues the sticker and State Parks' Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division manages the riding areas.
What each sticker means
| Sticker | What it certifies | Where it can be ridden |
|---|---|---|
| Green | The model meets CARB's current OHV emissions standard | Year-round in designated OHV areas |
| Red | A model year 2003 to 2021 machine that does not meet the standard | Year-round since January 1, 2025; before that, only during the seasons set for each riding area |
| Tan | A model year 2022 or newer machine that does not meet the standard | Closed-course competition only; not eligible for recreational riding in public areas |
How the rules changed
- 2003: machines that do not meet the emissions standard begin receiving red stickers, and the red sticker restricts riding at some OHV areas during peak ozone season.
- 2019: CARB ends the Red Sticker program for model year 2022 and newer (reported by Cycle News).
- January 1, 2025: State Parks treats red and green stickers as equally valid year-round in public OHV areas.
- DMV tan sticker: the DMV issues tan stickers for noncomplying model year 2022 and newer machines and keeps issuing red ones for 2003 to 2021.
- January 1, 2026: owners of model year 2022 and newer off-road motorcycles that qualify for neither sticker need a separate sanctioned event permit for each racing or competition event (State Parks, SB 708).
What an owner does with this
Check the sticker status before assuming a machine is ride-ready for a specific OHV area. A Red Sticker machine's status depends on its model year and CARB certification, not on how it looks or runs.
An out-of-state machine has to go through California's own certification and registration process before it gets a sticker of either color; it does not inherit legality from wherever it was previously registered.
The sticker system is California-specific. Other states have their own off-highway registration schemes, covered in general terms on the OHV registration and trail access page. Check that state's own program directly; California's rules do not carry over.
References
- State agency Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle (OHRV) Red Sticker Program: emissions certification for OHVs: California Air Resources Board.
- State agency 15.120 Registration of Noncomplying OHV: tan sticker for model year 2022 and newer, red stickers for 2003 through 2021: California Department of Motor Vehicles.
- State agency SB 708 Sanctioned Event Permit: model year 2022 and newer off-road motorcycles without a Green or Red Sticker, from January 1, 2026: California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division.
- State agency OHMVR Frequently Asked Questions: Green and Red Sticker registration and area access: California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division.
- State agency Zero-Emission Motorcycle and Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Registration Requirements: California Air Resources Board.
California Green and Red Sticker questions
Who issues a Green or Red Sticker?
The DMV issues the physical sticker. The California Air Resources Board is the agency that certifies which models meet the emissions standard the sticker color depends on. State Parks' Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division manages the riding areas where the sticker matters and enforces access rules within them. Three agencies, three separate roles.
Can Red Sticker machines still ride year-round?
Yes, since January 1, 2025. State Parks treats Green and Red Sticker vehicles as equally valid year-round in designated OHV areas, replacing the earlier rule that restricted red-sticker machines to a seasonal window at some riding areas.
What happens to a newer machine that does not meet CARB emissions standards?
The DMV issues it a tan sticker, not a red one. A tan-sticker machine is treated as a competition vehicle for closed-course use only and is not eligible for recreational riding in public areas. From January 1, 2026, owners of these machines also need a State Parks sanctioned event permit for each racing or competition event.
Does this program apply outside California?
No. It is a California system. Other states run their own off-highway registration schemes, and none of them copies the green, red and tan structure, so check the state where you will ride.
Does an emissions-compliant Green Sticker machine still need off-highway registration?
Yes: the sticker certifies emissions compliance, which is a separate question from registration, covered on the OHV registration and trail access page. Emissions compliance and registration are two different requirements that happen to both apply to the same machine.
How do I find out which sticker color my specific ATV, UTV or dirt bike qualifies for?
CARB's own certified-vehicle listing, checked by make and model, is the authoritative source, not a dealer's assumption or a general rule of thumb, since certification is determined model-by-model against the emissions standard and not by engine size or vehicle class alone. Confirm before assuming a machine qualifies for either color.
What is the practical difference between a Green Sticker and a Red Sticker machine, beyond the color?
A Green Sticker certifies CARB's current emissions standard. A Red Sticker is issued to an older machine that predates the current standard and was allowed to continue operating under grandfathered terms instead of being immediately barred from use. Both are now valid year-round in designated OHV areas following the 2025 policy change described above: the color itself no longer restricts the riding season the way it once did.
Does the sticker program apply to street-legal machines too, or only off-highway ones?
It is specifically an off-highway program. A street-registered motorcycle or a converted street-legal ATV/UTV goes through the standard on-road vehicle registration and smog/emissions process instead, covered separately by California's general vehicle code, not this off-highway-specific sticker system.
What happens if I ride in a California OHV area with an expired sticker?
It is treated as an unregistered off-highway vehicle in that area, which is a citable violation enforced by State Parks' Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division within the areas it manages: the same practical consequence as riding with no registration at all, since the sticker is the visible proof of current registration status.
Can I transfer a Green or Red Sticker to a new owner when I sell my machine?
Registration in California, as in most states, is tied to the specific machine and its owner of record, not being a freely transferable credential. A change of ownership typically requires the new owner to complete their own registration process through the DMV instead of simply continuing to use the previous owner's sticker.
Does the 2025 policy change affect anything besides the seasonal riding window?
The core change described in the sources for this page is the shift to year-round access for both sticker colors in designated OHV areas, replacing the prior seasonal restriction on Red Sticker machines. This page does not claim the change altered the underlying CARB certification process or the DMV's registration mechanics themselves, which remain the three-agency structure described above.
- OHV registration and trail access
- The general version of this pattern for every other state.
- Helmet certification and equipment law
- Another requirement that runs on its own federal-versus-state split.
- ATV and UTV safety standards
- The federal emissions and safety layer this state program sits on top of.