SB 347

Introduction

This bill makes a number of changes to the registration and certification

requirements for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), boats,

and snowmobiles (collectively, recreational vehicles) and to approvals for hunting,

fishing, and trapping. The bill allows the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

to designate alternative forms of proof of certain registration, certification, and

approval documents; authorizes DNR to issue reprints of certain approvals and

recreational vehicle safety certificates; authorizes DNR to use a system for accessing

information about an individual's approvals or safety certificates electronically; and

allows for certain receipts to provide proof that a person holds a recreational vehicle

registration, certification, trail pass, or trail use sticker until official documents are

received.

Temporary operating receipts, conservation cards, and proof

Current law requires a person to carry or display proof that the person has been

issued a hunting, fishing, or trapping approval; a recreational vehicle registration

or certificate of number; a recreational vehicle trail pass or trail use sticker; or a

recreational vehicle safety certificate. The required proof is typically in the form of

a paper document, sticker, plate, or decal. This bill authorizes DNR to designate by

rule other forms of acceptable proof and the locations and times during which those

forms of proof are valid.

Under the bill, if DNR maintains a system under which DNR stores information

in an electronic format that relates to individuals who have been issued hunting,

fishing, or trapping approvals or recreational vehicle safety certificates, DNR may

issue a conservation card to any individual who applies for the card for purposes of

enabling DNR to access information about that individual in the system. The bill

allows DNR to authorize an individual to carry a conservation card or another form

of identification in lieu of carrying proof of an approval or safety certificate. The bill

allows DNR to charge a $3.25 fee for a conservation card, along with a 25-cent

issuing fee.

Under current law, a "validated registration receipt" is a receipt issued by DNR

or its agent that shows that an application and the required fees for a registration

certificate or certificate of number for a recreational vehicle have been submitted to

DNR or its agent. The bill changes this term to "temporary operating receipt."

Current law requires an operator of a recreational vehicle to have proof that the

vehicle is registered, or covered by a certificate of number, if applicable, while

operating the vehicle. Depending on the vehicle, this requires attaching certain

plates, decals, or numbers to the vehicle or possessing certain documents while

operating the vehicle. Under this bill, for a recreational vehicle for which the owner

has received a temporary operating receipt but has not yet received the registration

certificate or certificate of number, the bill instead requires the operator to have in