Find an ATV accident lawyer in Scottsdale: rules, rescues and deadlines
Scottsdale bans ATVs on its trails and in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, so most ATV crashes here happen on Tonto National Forest or state trust land nearby, where the Sheriff's Lake Patrol responds. You generally have 2 years to sue. If a public agency is involved, a claim is due in 180 days.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (26)
Where can you ride an ATV near Scottsdale?
Not on city land. Scottsdale prohibits motorized vehicles, including ATVs, on its trails and in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. That is a lot of ground, since the city has 160 miles of trails.
The closest legal riding is on the Tonto National Forest. Bulldog Canyon covers 34,000 acres with about 20 miles of open routes. A Tonto OHV permit is required there, and driving off the marked routes is prohibited.
| Where | Main rule | Why it matters after a crash |
|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale trails and the Preserve | No ATVs or other motor vehicles | An insurer may point out that the rider was not allowed there |
| Bulldog Canyon, Tonto National Forest | Tonto OHV permit and marked routes only | Your permit and route show you were where you were allowed to be |
| Any public or state trust land | A valid Arizona OHV decal | A missing decal can come up in an argument about fault |
Who responds if you are hurt on an ATV near Scottsdale?
Off-road land in the Tonto National Forest east of town is covered by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Lake Patrol. It handles the Forest's wilderness and waterways inside the county, plus Usery Mountain Regional Park, and its deputies patrol on off-highway vehicles. The office number is (602) 876-1636.
For a serious injury, state-designated Level I trauma centers include HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn at 7400 E. Osborn and St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix. A hurt child may go to Phoenix Children's, the Level I pediatric center. Before you leave the scene or the hospital, ask which agency wrote the report and get the report number.
Who pays after an ATV crash near Scottsdale?
That depends on whose land it was, whose machine it was and what went wrong.
| What happened | Who may pay | What can limit it |
|---|---|---|
| You hit a rock or a washout on free public land | The landowner, only if its conduct was wilful, malicious or grossly negligent | The limit covers people on land without paying an admission fee |
| A friend's machine rolled or hit you | The driver and the owner's insurance | Shared fault cuts your award by your share |
| A part failed or the design caused a rollover | The maker or the seller | You need the machine itself as proof, so do not repair it |
| A city, county or state vehicle or trail was involved | The public agency | A notice of claim in 180 days, then 1 year to sue |
A rental or tour company may ask you to sign a release. In Arizona that does not end a case on its own. The state constitution sends a written release defense to a jury.
What if a child was hurt on an ATV near Scottsdale?
Children under 16 should ride only youth models. That is the federal safety agency's rule of thumb. On public or state land, a rider under 18 must wear a helmet. On the Tonto, a child under 16 does not need a permit but must ride with a guardian who holds one.
A child's time to sue does not start until age 18. Do not wait to collect proof. Photos, the machine and witness names are easiest to get in the first days.
What should you do in the first week after an ATV crash near Scottsdale?
- Get checked at a hospital, even if you walked away. Say it was an ATV crash.
- Keep the helmet and the machine as they are. Do not repair or sell either one.
- Drop a map pin where it happened. Photograph the trail, the gate and any signs.
- Write down the rider's name, the owner's name, the decal number and the permit number.
- If a public agency owns the land or the vehicle, send a notice of claim within 180 days. The City of Scottsdale gives out its form through the Safety and Risk Management Division. The risk page does not say where to deliver it, so confirm first.
Small claims court is not an option against a government.
What should you ask an ATV accident lawyer in Scottsdale?
- Have you handled crashes on federal land or state trust land?
- Will you send a letter this week asking the owner to keep the machine, the helmet and any ride records?
- Does the owner's homeowner or off-road policy cover this crash?
- How will a missing decal or permit affect my claim?
- How will shared fault change what I can recover?
Questions
Can I ride my ATV on Scottsdale's trails?
No. Scottsdale bans ATVs and other motor vehicles on its trails and in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
How long do I have to sue after an ATV crash near Scottsdale?
Generally 2 years. If a public agency is involved, you have 180 days to file a claim first.
Do I need a permit to ride at Bulldog Canyon?
Yes. A Tonto OHV permit is required, and you buy it at Recreation.gov.
Does Arizona let me sue the owner of free public land?
Only in narrow cases. The owner must have acted with wilful, malicious or grossly negligent conduct.
ATV or side-by-side accident in Scottsdale? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (26)
- City of Scottsdale, Paths & Trails, checked 2026-11-08. “The city prohibits the use of motorized vehicles, including ATVs and motorcycles, on Scottsdale's trails and in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.”
- Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “Lake Patrol covers the wilderness area and waterways of the Tonto National Forest within Maricopa County, as well as Lake Pleasant and Usery Mountain Regional Park.”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
- Arizona Game & Fish Department, checked 2026-11-09. “All OHVs designed by the manufacturer primarily for use over unimproved terrain, and weigh 2,500 pounds or less, are required by law to display a valid Arizona OHV decal to operate on public and state trust lands in Arizona.”
- Tonto National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, checked 2026-11-09. “A Tonto OHV Permit is currently required for motorized use in this area, available at Recreation.gov.”
- A.R.S. 33-1551, checked 2026-11-09. “is not liable to a recreational user or educational user except on a showing that the owner, easement holder, lessee, tenant, manager or occupant was guilty of wilful, malicious or grossly negligent conduct”
- City of Scottsdale, Paths & Trails, checked 2026-11-08. “Scottsdale has 160 miles of trails”
- Tonto National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, checked 2026-11-09. “Bulldog Canyon is 34,000 acres in size and provides approximately 20 miles of open routes.”
- Tonto National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, checked 2026-11-09. “Driving off-road is prohibited on the Tonto National Forest.”
- Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “Phone:(602) 876-1636”
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “7400 E. Osborn, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 10/27/24 10/27/27”
- Arizona Department of Health Services, checked 2026-11-09. “St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center 350 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85013”
- Arizona Department of Health Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Phoenix Children’s Hospital | 1919 E. Thomas Rd., Phoenix,”
- A.R.S. 33-1551, checked 2026-11-09. “without the payment of an admission fee or any other consideration to travel across or to enter premises to hunt, fish, trap, camp, hike, ride, engage in off-highway vehicle, off-road recreational motor vehicle or all-terrain vehicle activity”
- A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
- A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
- Phelps v. Firebird Raceway (Ariz. 2005), checked 2026-11-09. “applies to an express contractual assumption of risk. We hold that it does.”
- CPSC, checked 2026-11-09. “Riders younger than 16 should drive only age-appropriate youth models - never adult models.”
- A.R.S. 28-1179, checked 2026-11-09. “A person who is under eighteen years of age may not operate an off-highway vehicle or be an off-highway vehicle passenger on public or state land unless the person is wearing a protective helmet”
- Tonto National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, checked 2026-11-09. “Youth under 16 years of age operating an OHV in the OHV Permit Zones do not need their own permit but must be accompanied by a guardian with a Tonto NF OHV Permit.”
- A.R.S. § 12-502, checked 2026-11-08. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”
- City of Scottsdale, Safety and Risk Management, checked 2026-11-08. “will provide a Notice of Claim form upon request”
- City of Scottsdale, City Clerk, checked 2026-11-08. “3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd Scottsdale, AZ 85251”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 22-503, checked 2026-11-08. “Actions against this state, its political subdivisions or an officer or employee of the state or its political subdivisions in his official capacity.”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”