Tracked ATVs in Hawaii: What the State Publishes

Nothing we read in the Hawaii Revised Statutes or in DOFAW's forest reserve rules mentions track systems, tracks, treads or belts. The one place the distinction bites is HRS Sec. 286-12, the narrow street-use provision, whose "all-terrain vehicle" definition requires a vehicle that "is suspended on three or more tires" (and a "utility-terrain vehicle" that "is suspended on four to six tires"). A four-track conversion appears to meet neither, so the Sec. 286-12 street pathway does not look available to it. On the off-highway side the governing definition does not turn on the machine's shape, so a tracked quad appears to be covered like any other machine. Confirm permit eligibility with DOFAW before you haul the machine out.

“Motorized vehicle” means a vehicle of any shape or form that depends on a motor (gas, electric, or other fuels) for propulsion.Hawaii Administrative Rules Sec. 13-104-3 (Rules Regulating Activities Within Forest Reserves) — source · read 2026-09-26

There is no state off-highway vehicle registration in Hawaii. Vehicle registration is a county function and it attaches to highway use: HRS Sec. 286-41(a) requires registration of "a motor vehicle that is to be operated upon the public highways," and HRS Sec. 286-2 defines "vehicle" as a device by which persons or property may be transported "upon a highway." A machine used only off-highway therefore is not county-registered. Note the catch: HAR Sec. 13-104-11(6) makes it an offence in a forest reserve to drive a motorized land vehicle "without a functioning street legal muffler, and without a valid vehicle license plate, registration and safety sticker if required by the appropriate respective county" - ask DOFAW how that clause is applied on the designated OHV trails, which exist specifically for non-licensed machines.

Every owner of a motor vehicle that is to be operated upon the public highways shall, for each vehicle owned, except as herein otherwise provided and except as provided in section 286-42(c), apply to the director of finance of the county where the vehicle is to be operated, for the registration thereof.HRS Sec. 286-41(a) — source · read 2026-09-26

A different document, other jurisdictions
Registering a Tracked Quad sets several named agencies' own class definitions side by side, and shows that they are not written to a common test. It settles nothing for Hawaii; what Hawaii publishes is directly above.

Yes, on designated trails, with a permit. DOFAW: non-licensed vehicle use is allowed only on designated trails with a required permit, carried at all times, and a permit is needed for every rider. The designated places listed by DOFAW are Upper Waiakea ATV & Dirt Bike Park and the Mauna Kea ATV & Dirt Bike Riding Area (Pu'u La'au Road R-1, Mauna Kea Access Road R-1, Skyline Road R-10) on Hawai'i Island; Kahuku Motocross Park on O'ahu (membership only) and Maui Motocross Track on Maui are access-fee or membership sites. The exemption worth knowing: "Any person in possession of a hunting license and who is actually hunting does not require a permit or waiver," and DOFAW's own table puts licensed and non-licensed vehicles with a valid hunting licence on "Any Established Open Forest Road" with no riding permit required.

Non-licensed vehicle use is only allowed on designated trails with a required permit. You must carry the permit with you when at all times when riding. Any person in possession of a hunting license and who is actually hunting does not require a permit or waiver.DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) — source · read 2026-09-26

A different document, other jurisdictions
Groomed Snowmobile Trails quotes named agencies in other jurisdictions on the groomed-trail question, and they do not agree with each other. It settles nothing for Hawaii; what Hawaii publishes is directly above.

No route was found for a tracked quad. Hawaii's only street allowance for this class of machine is HRS Sec. 286-12, and it is narrow even for a stock ATV: the machine must be used as farm equipment or by a city, county or state worker on official duty; the operator must hold a category (3) driver's licence or a CDL; the street must be no more than two lanes and posted at 35 mph or less; the trip must be between agriculture-zoned properties (or between properties of the government employer); the county must have fewer than 500,000 residents; and it must be daylight, with helmets. On top of all that, the section's definitions require a machine "suspended on three or more tires" (ATV) or "four to six tires" (UTV), which a four-track conversion does not meet. Violations are fined $250 each.

All-terrain vehicles and utility-terrain vehicles may be operated on a street, as defined in section 291C-1; provided that the all-terrain vehicle or utility-terrain vehicle is: (1) Used as farm equipment, or used by a city, county, or state worker while acting within the scope of that person's official duties; (2) Operated by a person who holds a current category (3) driver's license under section 286-102 or a commercial driver's license under part XIII; (3) Driven on streets that are no more than two lanes, with posted speed limits of no more than thirty-five miles per hour; (4) Used to travel between properties zoned for agriculture ... (5) Used in counties with populations of less than five hundred thousand residents; and (6) Driven on streets during daylight hours; provided further that while in operation, any operator and passenger of an all-terrain vehicle or utility-terrain vehicle shall wear a safety helmet with a securely fastened chin strap that meets the specifications and requirements established by rules adopted by the director.HRS Sec. 286-12(a) — source · read 2026-09-26

A different document, other jurisdictions
Roads, Shoulders and Crossings separates crossing a road from travelling along one in several named jurisdictions, because most of them do. It settles nothing for Hawaii; what Hawaii publishes is directly above.

In a state forest reserve, motorized use is confined to areas and trails designated for it - HAR Sec. 13-104-11(3) prohibits driving "any motorized vehicle in any area or trails not designated for that purpose, including areas requiring four-wheel drive only" - and parking is limited to designated areas. DOFAW also requires a USFS-approved spark arrester on all OHVs and states support for a 98-decibel sound limit. Operating under the influence, or in a manner that endangers others, is unlawful. Natural Area Reserves and many State Parks areas are not open to off-road recreation. Enforcement is DOCARE, (808) 643-3567.

The following acts are prohibited while under the jurisdiction of the state within a forest reserve: ... (3) To drive, operate, or use any motorized vehicle in any area or trails not designated for that purpose, including areas requiring four-wheel drive only; (4) To park any motorized or non-motorized vehicle or trailer except in designated areas; ... (6) To drive, operate, or use any motorized land vehicle without a functioning street legal muffler, and without a valid vehicle license plate, registration and safety sticker if required by the appropriate respective countyHawaii Administrative Rules Sec. 13-104-11 (Vehicles and transportation) — source · read 2026-09-26

A different document, other jurisdictions
Public Land and Width Limits covers the federal land managers, who publish route designations rather than permissions and answer to nobody's state code. It settles nothing for Hawaii; what Hawaii publishes is directly above.