The Ottumwa city council met this week and had a brief discussion on the new ATV and UTV laws that went into effect at the state level last month. City Administrator Philip Rath said that while the changes were made at the state level, it doesn’t have much of an impact on the city of Ottumwa at a local level for the time being.

Rath recognized that there has been an observed increase in usage of ATVs and UTVs locally and reminded citizens that you must have a valid driver’s license to operate the vehicles and that state law was updated to require that drivers be 18 years of age to drive on roadways. The state-wide speed limit for such vehicles is 35 miles per hour, while the city has a limit of 15 miles per hour within its limits. The council will consider adopting different regulations and enforcement on ATV and UTV usage at a later date.

The full August 16 council meeting for the city of Ottumwa can be viewed here.