Kids 4 Wheeler Laws
As with almost anything in the world, there are laws the use of ATV's by children. Some of these laws are controversial as well as confusing. Any discussion at the Kids Quad Stop does not constitute legal advice in any way.
The information contained here was deemed accurate at the time of this writing but reading material here should be considered for entertainment purposes only.
Please consult your local government or an attorney for the most accurate legal advice for you in your current location.
Federal Kids ATV Laws
Federal laws pertaining to the sale and use of 4 wheelers by children are controversial and somewhat confusing.
This is because the law is based upon lead content and its proximity to children. Basically, it does not specifically target the ATV industry.
The federal law in question, makes it illegal for anyone to sell children's toys, clothes, and jewelry if the items contain virtually any phthalates or lead. These chemicals are commonly found in plastics. It so happens that 4 wheeler batteries contain lead.
The law is called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It was introduced following incidents of kid's toys tained with lead and manufactured in China. Public outcry over health concerns of children made the law a no-brainer. However, its wording had an undesired affect of the ATV industry.
Kid's ATV's Banned
This new lead toy law ultimately banned ATV's and dirt bikes designed for kids 12 and under. The starting battery contains lead as does some of the metal parts used to construct these youth sized 4 wheelers. This makes them effectively banned for sale.
This ban invoked many concerns inclusing the fact that many smaller children will attempt to ride larger ATV's that are not sized properly for them. This, of course, would cause even more safety concerns.
Youth ATV Laws at the State Level
What if you already own a youth sized ATV? Since 4 wheel ATV's fall outside our federal highway safety regulations, they are actually regulated by the states. Riding laws and rules are distinctly different among the states.
Your best bet is to research your local laws regarding the use of ATV's. Here is a good article which sums up the latest and greatest quad safety laws by state.
Most of the state-wide 4 wheeler laws essentially pertain to safety equipment like helmets and prtoective gear. Others set forth a minimum riding age, passenger limits, and parental guidance rules. These laws have the kids in mind are are typically common sense laws anyway.
ATV Questions?
The team at KQS will do our best to answer questions in a timely manner, however we make no guarantee we have all the answers, (we hope to get input from community members when possible) especially regarding the availablility of parts or other products for obsolete quads and ATV's. Post your questions in the Chinese ATV forum.
Elsewhere in the ATV World
- ,em>Avooid mistakes wen buying used quads. r/ATV is a great place to start if you need some solid advice on buying a used quad.
- 250cc ATV Parts Parts for a 250 sized ATV that was manufactured in China can sometimes be difficult to find... The 250cc is one of the more popular engine sizes since it's a moderate size. Some random parts are listed at Universal.
- Is one better than another? ATV Reviews It may be worth your time to read some reviews before buying a Chinese ATV. The quality Chinese and Taiwanese ATv engines has improved over the years, some more than others. It's worth a read...
- Wait... the history of tires? Rubber Tire History Unless you have tires on the brain, day-in and day-out, you probably don't put a lot of thought into the origins of the tire. Cool article on rubber car tires which of course would preceed ATV tires.