This week’s featured question was submitted for an officer of the Tomahawk Police Department.
The question reads:
“I was told it is illegal and I can get a ticket for riding my four wheeler in the city after dark even with headlights on and even on roads marked for ATV’s, is this true? If so, is there a set curfew or time ATV’s have to be off the roads? What is the reason for this if headlights and tail lights are working fine? Are there any other rules I should know about? I tried looking around online but couldn’t find much. Thank you”
Answer as given by Tomahawk Police Officer Alysia Watruba:
“There is nothing in state statute, county or city ordinance which states it’s illegal to operate an ATV or UTV during the hours of darkness as long as you have legal headlamp(s) and tail lamp(s). There is not a curfew for ATV or UTVs. The state statute addressing the question regarding specific ATV or UTV headlamp(s) and tail lamp(s) is in state statute 23.33(6).
“You can look this up online under Wisconsin State Statutes and then search for this specific statute. There are other laws/city ordinances to be aware of regarding the operation of ATV or UTVs. The PD currently has Lincoln/Oneida County ATV/UTV maps regarding routes/trails and some of the general laws are listed. If you have specific questions regarding ATV or UTV operation you can call your local law enforcement agency, or DNR warden.”
Have a question or concern you would like to address? Simply send your question or concern to [email protected] along with an indication of which entity your question or concern pertains to. Current participants are the Merrill Police Department, Tomahawk Police Department, Merrill City Administrator Dave Johnson, Merrill Area Housing Authority Director Paul Russell, Lincoln County Clerk Chris Marlowe, Lincoln County Forestry Land and Parks Director Kevin Kleinschmidt, local DNR Conservation Warden Curt Butler and Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS) Superintendent Dr. John Sample. Please note: Those who submit to the ‘Ask an Official’ feature remain anonymous.