The Kings County Sheriff’s OHV UNIT is an effective deterrent to illegal off-highway riding, providing extensive off-highway and on-road law enforcement throughout the county of Kings. The unit enforces laws pertaining to off-highway vehicle operations, trespassing, illegal shooting, stolen vehicles/OHVs, area searches and patrol checks.  There are currently no public lands in Kings County in which the public can access for recreation OHV operation.

The Kings County Sheriff’s OHV UNIT is outfitted with specialized vehicles and equipment to respond to medical emergencies in remote and rugged terrain.  The OHV unit has responded to several mutual aid request during search and rescue missions throughout the state.

The Kings County Sheriff’s OHV Unit attends school functions, the Kings Fair, and community events to provide information on OHV laws and safety protocols.

Equipment

• Polaris RZR (4 seater)- this UTV is equipped with lights and siren, utilized in patrolling the  riverbed and other off-highway terrain, as well as transport injured persons.
• Polaris General – purchased under the OHV Grant, equipped with emergency lights and siren.  Assist in patrolling the riverbed and other off-highway terrain.

 Laws for the OHV Operator

You must have one of the following when operating any type of Motorized off-highway vehicle on public land:

• A green or red sticker issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• A non-resident OHV permit.
• A street legal license plate for four-wheel drive vehicles and dual-sport motorcycles.
• No OHV shall exceed 15 mph within 50 feet of any campground, concentration of people or animals.
• All motorcycles must be equipped with a U.S. Forest Service approved spark arrester, and muffler. The OHV must also comply with the state's noise regulation. CVC 38370.
• OHVs operated between sunset and sunrise must have at least one headlight that allows the operator to see for 200 feet and one red taillight visible for 200 feet.
• Paved roads may be crossed at right angles to the direction of the highway.
• It is illegal to possess an open container of an alcoholic beverage while riding or operating an off-highway vehicle.

Except for vehicles used during commercial farming operations, official vehicles, or riverbed, channel and levee maintenance vehicles, it is unlawful to start, drive, operate, coast, move, park or possess any motor driven vehicle in the riverbed of the Kings River, and its distributaries in Kings County, including the Main Branch, North Fork, Clark's Fork, South Fork, Cole Slough, the Fresno Slough, Dutch John Cut and the Crescent By-Pass. As used in this section "motor-driven vehicle" means a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved or drawn upon a highway, including but not limited to any automobile, truck, jeep, motorcycle or other motor-driven cycle, sand buggy, dune buggy or all-terrain vehicle, excepting a vehicle solely moved by human power. As used in this section "riverbed" means all land within the designated floodway of the Kings River or in any of the distributaries described above, as shown on the designated floodway maps prepared by the Reclamation Board of the State of California as recorded in the Office of the Kings County Recorder at the request of the State of California as Document No. 1433, filed January 28, 1972 in Book 1 of DESIGNATED FLOODWAYS, at pages "Index 1, K-1 to K-79" 

Every person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an infraction.

For further information on a complete listing of OHV LAWS, see Division 16.5 of California Vehicle Code or visit the OHV web site: www.ohv.parks.ca.gov.