Ontario Provincial Police in Kenora are reminding residents that riding a two-person, side-by-side off-road vehicle still isn't legal in the city.

Sergeant Kelly Warren, who supervises the Marine and Trail Unit with the Kenora OPP, said new bylaws came into effect in the province on July 1, but many cities have yet to adopt them.

"We're trying to educate people," he said.

"I am not saying you wouldn't get a ticket, but you have that discretion that you know that these laws are coming, so we would be educating people and trying to make sure that they're aware that it's not legal yet but it is coming."

Warren said he believes it is only a matter of time before Kenora adopts the new bylaws.

Kenora city clerk Heather Kasprick said the community will vote on the bylaws in early August.

"It's a provincial direction, however it does fall to the individual municipalities to pass their own independent bylaws or amend bylaws that are already in place," she said.

"That is why, although the provincial direction came out, it does fall to the individual municipality to pass their own as well."

Kasprick said it still remains to be seen whether city council will pass the bylaws, although she expects they likely will.

"We have an early council meeting on Aug. 11, and we're hoping they'll have it before them at that time," she said.

"It would be in effect on the date of the meeting. But it is completely at council's discretion whether or not to pass the bylaw."

But for now, people need to be aware that it's "more of an issue of insurance," Warren said.

"If you got into a collision, what might happen is your insurance company might not cover it ... [because] Kenora hasn't amended this bylaw just yet," said Warren.