Bartholomew County Commissioners Considering New Ordinances Regulating Off- Road Vehicles

Bartholomew County Commissioners will be considering new ordinances regulating off-road vehicle use on county roads including golf carts and UTVs.

County Commissioner Tony London, says that the first hearing on the new rules will be held at the commissioners meeting Monday morning.

The proposal would allow residents to drive UTVs or other recreational vehicles on any county owned roads in the unincorporated areas of the county. Golf carts would be allowed on streets within enclosed neighborhoods in unincorporated parts of the county, but not on other county roads.

The vehicles would not be allowed on state or federal highways, including State Roads 7, 9, 11, 46 or 58, nor on U.S. 31 or Interstate 65. Anyone driving such a vehicle would have to be able to provide proof of financial responsibility including $25 thousand in coverage for bodily injury or death and $25 thousand in coverage for destruction or damage to property.

You can find a link to the complete ordinance on our website.

London encouraged anyone with thoughts on the issue to bring their comments or concerns to the commissioners.

If approved on first reading Monday, the ordinance would have a second and final reading on Aug. 18th and go into effect on August 28th.

County Commissioners meet at 10 a.m. Mondays at the Governmental Office Building at Third and Franklin Streets.