SB 343

Current law prohibits a person from operating a snowmobile in this state unless

the snowmobile is covered by a public-use or private-use registration issued by the

Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or is exempt from registration. A person

who owns a snowmobile is generally exempt from snowmobile registration

requirements in this state if the snowmobile is covered by a valid registration in

another state or country.

Under current law, a person who owns a snowmobile that is not registered in

this state or is exempt from registration must display a trail use sticker issued by

DNR on the snowmobile. The fee for this sticker issued for a snowmobile that is

exempt from registration is $34.25. This bill, with limited exceptions, requires all

snowmobiles to display a trail use sticker, regardless of whether the snowmobile is

registered in this state. The bill provides that the fee for a trail use sticker issued

for a snowmobile that is registered in this state is $14.25 if the snowmobile is owned

by a snowmobile club member and $34.25 if the owner does not belong to a

snowmobile club.

The bill also increases the fee for trail use stickers issued to persons who own

snowmobiles that are exempt from registration from $34.25 to $44.25. In addition,

the bill provides that there is no fee for a trail use sticker issued for any snowmobile

that is at least 25 years old.

Current law requires DNR to calculate an amount equal to the number of trail

use stickers issued by DNR in the previous fiscal year to owners of snowmobiles that

are exempt from registration multiplied by $32 and to credit this amount to an

appropriation account that funds aids to counties for activities such as trail

development and maintenance. This bill changes the amount of the multiplier for

purposes of this calculation to $44.25.