Dealers of all-terrain vehicles, better known as ATVs, say business is good this Christmas. But some of the people who find an ATV under the tree this year might not be able to find it at all next year. ATV thefts are a growing problem.

Getting them back after they're stolen is also a problem, because the state doesn't require owners to register ATVs. "If they do not have the unit titled, it's really hard to recover the unit," says Wayne Wilkes, an ATV dealer in Columbia.

His dealership, Columbia Powersports, already titles almost all of the ATVs it sells even though it's not required to. "It's great for that reason. If it's stolen and recovered in another state, then automatically it'll come back as their unit," he says. "Second thing is if they get ready to sell it or trade it in the next two or three years, a title, because it is a motor vehicle, is a great thing to have." 

A bill pre-filed in the state Senate by Sen. Wes Hayes, R-Rock Hill, would require all ATVs to be registered with the state. The registration fee would be $15 for the title, the same as for cars, trucks and motorcycles.

Sen. Hayes says it's simply to help people recover their ATVs if they're stolen. It would also help cut down on the sale of stolen ATVs, because a thief wouldn't have the title.

The State Law Enforcement Division doesn't track ATV thefts specifically. But last year, 3,132 "other" vehicles were stolen, meaning anything other than a car, truck or bus. That would include motorcycles and ATVs.