ATV/UTV Ordinance

On 2-16-2016 a Palo Alto County ordinance was passed pertaining to the use of All-Terrain and Off Road Utility vehicles. Since that date the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office has received many inquiries concerning that ordinance.

One frequently asked question pertains to the speed at which the vehicles can be driven. By Iowa code, section 321.234A(2), states that an all-terrain vehicle shall be operated at speeds of thirty-five miles per hour or less.

This is a safety issue, plain and simple. The faster these vehicles travel the more apt they are to loose control and roll or spin out of control into an oncoming vehicle.

Please go to our website at www.paloaltosheriff.com to see the entire ordinance and a few other supporting documents. You can also review the entire Iowa Code Chapter 321I that regulates ATV’S.