Summary of Off-highway Vehicles Act and Regulations

The pages associated with this topic contain a summary of the legislation relating to off-highway vehicles for the information of anyone who has questions about off-highway vehicle use in Nova Scotia. They are for convenience only and do not constitute legal advice. The official version of the Off-highway Vehicles Act and Regulations should be consulted for all purposes of interpreting and applying the law. These laws are subject to change at any time.

The Off-highway Vehicles Act may be found on the Legislative Council website at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/offhighw.htm

The regulations may be found on the Registry of Regulations website at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/rxam-z.htm#ohveh.

On the Right Trail was the inaugural off-highway vehicle / trail conference held in Nova Scotia. It was an opportunity for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts and OHV trail developers to come together to share information, discuss issues of mutual concern, enhance relationships and build partnerships. Click here to download the brochure (610kb PDF).

As of October 1, 2006, youth under 14 years of age operating ATVs are only permitted to ride on a closed course.

More information available on closed courses

In March 2007, new regulations came into effect regarding fees for registering and permitting your OHV, safety training requirements, areas to ride, as well as, describing how written permission can be given by landowners. The content of this website will be updated to reflect these changes but to date has not been changed. Please go to the regulations link above to review the unconsolidated versions of the amended regulations .

For information on registering your off-highway vehicle, call 1-800-898-7668
or (902) 424-5851,
or visit your nearest Registry of Motor Vehicles location.
Registry of Motor Vehicles

For general inquiries on Off-highway Vehicles contact;
1-877-OHV-LINE (1-877-648-5463)
(Toll Free in Nova Scotia. Open weekdays only 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM )

To report an OHV violation call 1-800-565-2224 (24 hour line).