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PHOENIX — State senators voted Tuesday to require owners of off-road vehicles to pay a new fee for the privilege of operating them anywhere on public lands or roads.

HB 2443 would require off-road vehicles, all-terrain vehicles and off-road recreational vehicles to have a license issued by the state Department of Transportation. That would include "dirt bikes."

The fee would be set by the agency, but is expected to cost no more than $25 a year, a figure legislative staffers estimate would bring in $6.8 million a year once fully implemented in 2009.

The bill also would require those younger than 18 to have headgear that is properly fitted and fastened.

All vehicles would need to have mufflers, spark arresters and, when operated on sand dunes, flags. And those operated from twilight to sun-up also would need headlights and taillights.

The legislation also would make it a crime, punishable by 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, to drive off a marked trail in a way that damages wildlife habitat or natural resources.

But the big debate Tuesday was over the fees.

State law already requires any vehicle operated on a public road to have a state-issued license. But Rep. Jerry Weiers, R-Glendale, said some people buy the vehicles and don't get them licensed, or pay other state taxes, arguing they are not driving on public roads.

That results in less money in the state treasury, funds shared with the state Parks and state Game and Fish departments.

Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, said the legislation would shift the burden of trail maintenance and other activities to young people, the ones with the smaller off-road vehicles that now are not licensed. And he warned Republican colleagues that is the wrong message to be sending to the state's newest voters.

Sen. Robert Blendu, R-Litchfield Park, was not convinced of the need to raise more money. He said many of these vehicles are operated on property operated by the U.S. Forest Service, which has its own fees for users.

"This is just a tax that doesn't need to be," he said.

The measure exempts vehicles ridden only on private property. And lawmakers also altered the measure to spell out that the special plates are not required for off-road vehicles operated on Indian lands.

A final Senate vote is needed before the measure returns to the House, which adopted a somewhat different version of the bill.