California riders unfazed by new off-road emissions rules

Back in 2021, I reported on the new rules the California Air Resources Board (CARB) was enacting for 2022 and newer off-road vehicles. Put simply, the “Green sticker” and “Red sticker” registration program that CARB invented as a grace period for motorcycle manufacturers to catch up with modern emissions standards was found to be inadequate. Moving forward, any 2022 and newer model year dirt bike failing to meet green sticker standards would effectively become illegal to operate on state-owned public lands. For a brief moment, the SB-227 bill for off-highway vehicles sought to secure the right of non-green sticker machines to be allowed to compete in sanctioned race events on public lands, but that bill is now labeled as “dead” on the CARB website.

While the ruling was thought to be potentially catastrophic to dirt bike sales in California, many dealers are reporting that it is business as usual in the Golden State with no real dip in sales. Dealers we spoke with said hardly any customers ask about the new ruling. If the topic does come up, very few riders feel there is a real threat to bringing their non-stickered bikes into California-controlled State Vehicle Recreation Areas (SVRA). 

Why such a nonchalant attitude towards the new ruling from the riding community? I spoke with riders in popular SVRAs and they claim that the State Parks department lacks the budget and resources to actually enforce the ruling. What if a plucky park ranger does finally catch up with an unregistered dirt bike in their park? Many riders argue they would rather just pay the fine than give in and buy from the small pool of compliant motorcycles available.

According to dealers, not all California DMV offices are complying with the new ruling. For instance, DMVs in certain ZIP codes are still issuing red stickers for 2022 and newer models, seemingly oblivious to the updated CARB ruling. So for a lucky few new bike owners, their local DMV may still be legally registering their non-compliant motorcycle anyway.

For those riders who ride at private MX parks, the sticker conundrum is largely considered a non-issue. Other riders avoid the subject entirely by buying a fully plated and street-legal dual-sport motorcycle for all of their off-roading adventures. In order to be street-legal, these motorcycles have passed all CARB emission standards and can ride anywhere in OHV and SVRA areas.

It appears that overturning a decades-long program such as the Red and Green sticker registration for OHV in California hasn’t changed habits overnight. In the wide open deserts of California, the no-rules attitude of the “wild west” is still alive and well.