Policy Text
Field Services Page 1 of 3 06/11 (REV 1/04)
Off Road Motor Vehicle Complaints
The purpose of this operations o rder is to establish policy and procedures for handling
complaints about vehicles that a re being operated in locations other than a street or
highway. I. General
It shall be the policy of Field S ervices to take appropriate la wful steps to
effectively handle complaints fr om citizens concerning these of fenses.
II. Procedure
A. With the exceptions of specif ically exempted users, operator s of vehicles
being operated off the road must be in possession of a valid Of f-The-Road
vehicle permit and must be operati ng the vehicle in compliance with permit
conditions as stipulated in C ounty Code Chapter 10.58, Off-Road
Vehicles.
B. Vehicle violations committed in lawfully posted areas of pri vate or county
owned properties should cause the violator to be cited for the proper
statute.
C. Vehicle violations committed on private or C ounty-owned prop erties,
which are not lawfully posted to control vehicular activities, should be
handled as each incident dictate s. The following solutions sho uld be
considered:
1. Peace Disturbance, 415 PC
2. Damaging Levees, 607 PC
3. Trespassing, 602 PC
4. Advisement or warning
5. Noise Control – Off Road Vehicles – SCC 6.68.130
Field Services Page 2 of 3 06/11 (REV 1/04) III. County Code Chapter 10. 58- “Off-Road” Vehicles
A. 10.58.010 - PERMIT REQUIRED – N o person shall operate or cau se to
be operated a motor vehi cle except upon the st reets, highways, and
thoroughfares, specifically est ablished and provided for the op eration of
“Off-Road’ vehicles, except when authorized by a permit issued pursuant
to this chapter.
B. 10.58.090 – APPLICATION FOR PER MIT – The owner or lessee of any
real property within the count y, or the agent of either, may ap ply for a
permit to operate one or more motor vehicles on said property w hen the
operation of such vehicles would otherwise be in violation of S ection
10.58.010 by filing an applicat ion with the sheriff.
1. The permit application reques t should be directed to the She riff
Department’s Special In vestigations Bureau.
C. 10.58.100 – PERMITS – GROUNDS FOR DENIAL – Upon receipt of t he
application for permit, the s heriff shall grant or deny the per mit and shall
notify the applicant by mail of s uch action. A permit may be d enied when
it appears to the satisfaction o f the sheriff that the issuance of the permit
would:
1. Create a condition annoy ing to adjacent residents;
2. Create law enfor cement problems;
3. Endanger the health, safety or w elfare of persons in the are a.
D. 10.58.120 – PERMIT CO NDITIONS – A permit may be issued subje ct to
conditions, regulating one or more of the following:
1. Hours of operation of vehicle.
2. Maximum number of vehicles to be operated
3. Type of vehicle being operated
4. Other conditions imposed by issuing agency
E. 10.58.130 – COPIES OF PER MIT – POSSESSION REQUIRED
1. Sheriff's Department issues permits.
2. A copy of the permit shall be in the possession of each oper ator of
each vehicle.
Field Services Page 3 of 3 06/11 (REV 1/04) 3. The maximum number of copies o f the permit given shall not
exceed the maximum number of motor vehicles that may be
operated on the premises at one time.
F. 10.58.140 – REVOCATION OF PER MIT – A permit issued may be
revoked when it appears to the sa tisfaction of the sheriff that one or more
of the following conditions exist:
1. The person to whom the permit was issued has failed to abide by
the conditions of such permit;
2. A person operating a motor v ehicle by permission of the pers on to
whom the permit was issued has fa iled to abide by the condition s of
the permit;
3. False or misleading statem ents were made by the applicant in
securing the permit;
4. Circumstances surrounding the premises for which the permit was
issued have changed and the cont inued operation for motor
vehicles on the premises would violate one or more provisions o f
Section 10.58.100.
IV. Authority
Nothing in this Operations Order shall be interpreted as author ization to exercise
powers not lawfully given to a Peace Officer.
References: Sacramento County Code Chapter 10.58, Sections 10.58.010-10.58. 180, 6.68.130.