HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3265

Crimes and Punishments - Operation of Off-Road Vehicles

FOR the purpose of requiring a person who operates or uses
an off-road vehicle on certain private property to
carry with him the written permission of the owner or
tenant of the property; and making stylistic changes.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

Section 578

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1976 Replacement Volume and 1980 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

578.

(a) (1) "Off-road vehicle" means in this section,
except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection:

(i) A vehicle as defined in section 11-176
of the Transportation Article; or

(ii) Any motorized vehicle designed for or
capable of cross-country travel on or immediately over land,
water, snow, ice, marsh, swampland or other natural terrain
and includes, but is not limited to four-wheel drive or
low-pressure-tire vehicles, motorcycles and related
two-wheel vehicles, amphibious machines, ground-effect, or
air-cushion vehicles.

(2) "Off-road vehicle" does not include any
boat, snowmobile, military, fire or law-enforcement vehicle,
farm-type tractors and other agricultural equipment used for
agricultural purposes or earth moving, or construction
equipment while used for those purposes, lawn mowers,
snowblowers, garden or lawn tractors or golf carts while
being used for their designed purpose.

[(b) No person may operate or use an off-road vehicle
on private property, except when traveling on clearly
designated private driveways, without written permission of
the owner or tenant of the property, or to operate or use an
off-road vehicle on property owned by the State or any other
of its political subdivisions except as permitted by law.
Any person convicted of this offense is guilty of a
misdemeanor and subject to a fine of no more than $250.]

(B) (1) EXCEPT WHEN TRAVELING ON CLEARLY DESIGNATED
PRIVATE DRIVEWAYS, A PERSON MAY NOT OPERATE OR USE AN