As used in this article, “Special purpose vehicle” means golf cart, work-site utility vehicle, micro-utility vehicle and all-terrain vehicle as defined in the Standard Traffic Ordinance for Kansas Cities, 52nd Edition (2025) as amended and Utility Task Vehicles (UTV) defined for the purpose of this section as a utility vehicle with a minimum of two seats positioned side by side and enclosed within a roll cage structure.

(Ord. 588; Code 2017; Ord. 737)

(a)   Special Purpose Vehicles may be operated upon the public highways, streets, roads and alleys within the corporate limits of the city, except as follows:

(1)   No Special Purpose Vehicle may be operated upon any public highway, street, road or alley with a posted speed limit in excess of 30 miles per hour with the exception of Special Purpose Vehicles originally designed and manufactured for speeds exceeding 30 mph that are licensed by the City. All other Special Purpose Vehicles may use Rose Hill Rd only for the shortest distance to get to a legal side street.

(2)   No Special Purpose Vehicle shall be operated on any public highway, street, road, or alley at nighttime, unless equipped with lights as required for motorcycles by Sections 183 through Section 188 of the 2025 Standard Traffic Ordinance. As used in this section, nighttime means any time from sunset until a half hour before sunrise, or at any other time when due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the streets, highway or roadways are not clearly discernable at a distance of 1000 (one thousand) feet ahead.

(Ord. 588; Code 2017; Ord. 737)

(a)   No person shall operate a special purpose vehicle on any public highway, street, road or alley within the corporate limits of the city unless such person has a valid, unrestricted, driver’s license. Violation of this section is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(b)   It shall be unlawful for the parent, guardian or other adult person having the care and custody of a minor to permit such minor to operate a special purpose vehicle upon the public streets, roads, or alleys within the corporate limits of the city without a valid, unrestricted, driver’s license. Violation of this section is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(c)   All persons are required to wear seatbelts in all special purpose vehicles if originally equipped by the manufacturer. Every person under the age of 18 shall be required to wear a helmet if operating or riding an all-terrain vehicle and shall be required to either wear a helmet or use a factory installed seatbelt if operating or riding in a micro-utility truck, work-site utility vehicle or Utility Task Vehicle. For purposes of this section, a helmet must meet the minimum performance requirements by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a motorcycle helmet. It shall be unlawful for the parent, guardian or other adult person having the care and custody of a minor to permit such minor to operate a special purpose vehicle without a helmet or use of a factory installed seatbelt. Violation of this section is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(d)   No Special Purpose Vehicle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed or equipped.

(e)   No person shall operate a special purpose vehicle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles. Subsection (e) shall not apply to police officers in the performance of their official duties.

(f)   In addition to any equipment required by law, all special purpose vehicles shall be equipped with at least one rear view mirror.

(g)   All special purpose vehicles shall comply with noise and muffler requirements as set forth in K.S.A. 8-1739, and amendments thereto.

(h)   Every person operating a special purpose vehicle on the public highways, streets, roads or alleys of the city shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to a driver of a vehicle imposed by law.

(Ord. 588; Code 2017; Ord. 737)

(a)   Every owner of a special purpose vehicle shall provide liability coverage in accordance with the most current adopted Standard Traffic Ordinance, and amendments thereto, and the Kansas Automobile Injury Reparations Act, K.S.A. 40-3101, et seq., and amendments thereto.

(b)   All provisions of the most current adopted Standard Traffic Ordinance with regards to liability insurance, and amendments thereto, including penalty provisions, shall be applicable to all owners and operators of special purpose vehicles.

(Ord. 588; Code 2017)

(a)   Before operating any special purpose vehicle on any public highway, street, road or alley within the corporate limits of the city, the vehicle shall be registered with the city each calendar year and a license shall be obtained and placed on the special purpose vehicle. The full amount of the license fee shall be required regardless of the time of year that the application is made.

(b)   Application for registration shall be made by the owner, or owner’s agent, in the office of the City Clerk. The application shall be made upon forms provided by the city and each application shall contain the name of the owner, the owner’s residence address, or bona fide place of business, and a brief description of the vehicle to be registered (including make, model and serial number, if applicable). Proof of insurance shall be furnished at the time of application for registration.

(c)   Prior to the issuance of the registration and license, each applicant for a special purpose vehicle license shall first present such vehicle for an official inspection. If, upon inspection and completion of the registration application, such vehicle is found to be in safe mechanical condition, originally designed for speeds exceeding 30 miles per hour if applicable, and upon establishing proof of insurance and payment of the fees herein provided, a license shall be issued to the owner who shall attach it to the vehicle. The license shall be displayed in such a manner as to be clearly visible from the rear of the vehicle. The license number on the application will be recorded and then filed with the police department.

(d)   It is unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously remove, destroy, mutilate or alter such license during the time in which the same is operative.

(e)   The license issued hereunder is not transferrable. In the event of sale or other the existing license and the right to use the numbered license shall expire, and the license shall be removed by the owner. It is unlawful for any person other than the person to whom the license was originally issued to have the same in his possession.

(f)   In the event a license is lost or destroyed, the City Clerk, upon proper showing by the licensee and the payment of the required fee, shall issue a new license in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(g)   It shall be unlawful for any person to:

(1)   Operate, or for the owner thereof knowingly to permit the operation, upon a public street, road, highway, or alley within the corporate limits of the city any micro utility truck, as defined herein, which is not registered, and which does not have attached thereto and displayed thereon the license assigned thereto by the city for the current registration year.

(2)   Display, cause or permit to be displayed, or to have in possession, any registration receipt, registration license or registration decal knowing the same to be fictitious or to have been canceled, revoked, suspended or altered. A violation of this subsection (2) shall constitute an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $50.00 and the forfeiture of the improper receipt, license or decal. A mandatory court appearance shall be required of any person violating this subsection.

(3)   Lend to or knowingly permit the use by one not entitled thereto any registration receipt, registration license plate or registration decal issued to the person so lending or permitting the use thereof.

(4)   Remove, conceal, alter, mark or deface the license number plate, plates or decals, or any other mark of identification upon any micro utility truck. Licenses shall be kept clean and placed as required by law so as to be plainly visible and legible.

(5)   Carry or display a registered number plate or plates or registration decal upon any micro utility truck not lawfully issued for such vehicle.

(6)   Any person convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this section, shall for the first conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not more than $100.00; for a second such conviction within one year thereafter, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $300.00; upon a third or subsequent conviction within one year after the first conviction, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $300.00.

(Ord. 588; Ord. 606; Code 2017; Ord. 737)

Unless specifically provided for herein, a violation of this section shall be deemed an ordinance traffic infraction. Upon an entry of a plea of guilty or no contest or upon being convicted of such violation, the penalty imposed shall be in accordance with Article 20 of the Standard Traffic Ordinance as currently adopted by the city, and amendments thereto, or such other similar provision as the city may then have in effect.

(Ord. 588; Code 2017)

Special purpose vehicles which are owned by the City or other governmental entities that are being operated for the purpose of maintaining roads, right of ways or for other specific purpose as required in the performance of a job are exempt from the restrictions of section 14-502 not related to equipment or lighting.

(Ord. 588; Code 2017)