§ 2222 — Registration

§ 2222. Registration. 1. Except as hereinafter provided, no person\nshall operate any snowmobile within the state unless: (a) such\nsnowmobile has been registered and numbered in accordance with the\nprovisions of this article, and the registration number for such\nsnowmobile is in full force and effect as hereinafter provided; and (b)\nthe registration number for such snowmobile is displayed as hereinafter\nprovided.\n 2. The commissioner is authorized to register a snowmobile, issue a\nregistration certificate and assign a registration number to such\nsnowmobile. All such registrations shall be valid until the thirty-first\nday of August following the date of such registration; except that\nregistrations issued between the first day of April and the thirty-first\nday of August, inclusive, shall be valid until the thirty-first day of\nAugust in the following year; and unless, prior to expiration of the\nperiod of registration, it is surrendered, cancelled, revoked or\nsuspended pursuant to the provisions of this article.\n 3. A number once assigned under this section shall remain with the\nregistered snowmobile until the snowmobile is destroyed, abandoned or\npermanently removed from the state, or until changed or terminated by\nthe commissioner.\n 4. Fees. Fees for registration of snowmobiles, to be collected by the\ncommissioner under this article, are as follows:\n (a) A fee of ten dollars for each individual resident registration.\n (b) A fee of ten dollars for each individual nonresident registration.\n (c) A fee of fifty dollars for each two-year dealer registration.\n (d) A fee of five dollars for each additional dealer demonstrator\nregistration number.\n (e) A fee of one dollar for replacement of a lost, mutilated or\ndestroyed certificate.\n * (f) A fee of five dollars for each individual resident and\nnon-resident registration of a snowmobile manufactured more than thirty\nyears prior to the current calendar year.\n * NB Effective December 31, 2028\n * 4-a. Additional fee. In addition to the other fees provided for in\nparagraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subdivision four of this section the\ncommissioner shall, upon application in such cases for the registration\nof a snowmobile or the renewal thereof, collect the annual one hundred\ntwenty-five dollar fee for residents and one hundred twenty-five dollar\nfee for nonresidents or a fifty-five dollar fee for residents and\nfifty-five dollar fee for nonresidents who provide proof, at the time of\nregistration, that such individual is a member of an organized New York\nstate snowmobile club that is a member of the New York state snowmobile\nassociation or is a member of an organized New York state snowmobile\nclub that is a trail maintenance entity and a member of the New York\nstate snowmobile association which are imposed by section 21.07 of the\nparks, recreation and historic preservation law. In the event that an\nindividual seeking snowmobile club membership is unable, for any reason,\nto secure such club membership, he or she may contact the New York state\nsnowmobile association, who shall secure such membership for such\nperson. This fee shall also be collected from dealers at the time of\noriginal registration and at the time of each renewal. The commissioner\nshall effectuate regulations regarding what is required as proof of\nmembership in an organized New York state snowmobile club that is a\ntrail maintenance entity and a member of the New York state snowmobile\nassociation for the purposes of this subdivision.\n * NB Effective until December 31, 2028\n * 4-a. Additional fee. (a) In addition to the other fees provided for\nin paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subdivision four of this section the\ncommissioner shall, upon application in such cases for the registration\nof a snowmobile or the renewal thereof, collect the annual one hundred\ntwenty-five dollar fee for residents and one hundred twenty-five dollar\nfee for nonresidents or a fifty-five dollar fee for residents and\nfifty-five dollar fee for nonresidents who provide proof, at the time of\nregistration, that such individual is a member of an organized New York\nstate snowmobile club that is a member of the New York state snowmobile\nassociation or is a member of an organized New York state snowmobile\nclub that is a trail maintenance entity and a member of the New York\nstate snowmobile association which are imposed by section 21.07 of the\nparks, recreation and historic preservation law. In the event that an\nindividual seeking snowmobile club membership is unable, for any reason,\nto secure such club membership, they may contact the New York state\nsnowmobile association, who shall secure such membership for such\nperson. This fee shall also be collected from dealers at the time of\noriginal registration and at the time of each renewal.\n (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this\nsubdivision, in addition to the other fees provided for in paragraphs\n(a), (b), (c) and (f) of subdivision four of this section, the\ncommissioner shall, upon application in such cases for the registration\nof a snowmobile manufactured more than thirty years prior to the current\ncalendar year or the renewal thereof, collect the annual one hundred\ntwenty-five dollar fee for residents and one hundred twenty-five dollar\nfee for nonresidents or a twenty dollar fee for residents and twenty\ndollar fee for nonresidents who provide proof, at the time of\nregistration, that such individual is a member of an organized New York\nstate snowmobile club that is a member of the New York state snowmobile\nassociation or is a member of an organized New York state snowmobile\nclub that is a trail maintenance entity and a member of the New York\nstate snowmobile association which are imposed by section 21.07 of the\nparks, recreation and historic preservation law. In the event that an\nindividual seeking snowmobile club membership is unable, for any reason,\nto secure such club membership, such person may contact the New York\nstate snowmobile association, who shall secure such membership for such\nperson.\n (c) The commissioner shall effectuate regulations regarding what is\nrequired as proof of membership in an organized New York state\nsnowmobile club that is a trail maintenance entity and a member of the\nNew York state snowmobile association for the purposes of this\nsubdivision.\n * NB Effective December 31, 2028\n 5. Application. The owner of each snowmobile requiring registration\nunder this section shall present an application for registration to the\ncommissioner, on a blank to be prepared and furnished by the\ncommissioner for that purpose. Such application shall contain or be\naccompanied by such evidence of the ownership of the snowmobile\ndescribed in the application as may be required by the commissioner.\n 6. Dealers. Any person who is a dealer shall register as a dealer. The\ncommissioner, upon receipt of an application and the required fee, shall\nassign a distinctive dealer registration number to the registrant and\nissue an appropriate registration certificate to him and assign two\ndealer demonstrator registration numbers and upon the payment of the\nappropriate fee, such additional numbers as shall be requested. Dealer\nregistrations and dealer demonstrator registration numbers shall not be\ntransferable.\n 7. Renewal. After payment of the registration fees as provided in\nsubdivisions four and four-a of this section, every owner of a\nsnowmobile shall renew his or her registration annually on or before\nSeptember first of each year and every dealer shall renew his or her\nregistration biennially in such form and manner as the commissioner\nshall prescribe. If a dealer registration is issued for a period of more\nor less than two years, the fee for such registration shall be prorated\non a monthly basis.\n * 8. The validating date tag. At the time of the original registration\nand at the time of each annual renewal thereof, the commissioner shall\nalso issue to said registrant a date tag or tags indicating the validity\nof the current registration and the expiration date thereof, which\nvalidating date tag or tags should be affixed to the snowmobile in such\nmanner as the commissioner may prescribe. Notwithstanding the fact that\na snowmobile has been assigned an identifying number, it shall not be\nconsidered as validly registered within the meaning of this section\nunless a validating date tag and current registration certificate have\nbeen issued.\n * NB Effective until December 31, 2028\n * 8. The validating date tag. At the time of the original registration\nand at the time of each annual renewal thereof, the commissioner shall\nalso issue to said registrant a date tag or tags indicating the validity\nof the current registration and the expiration date thereof, which\nvalidating date tag or tags should be affixed to the snowmobile in such\nmanner as the commissioner may prescribe. Notwithstanding the fact that\na snowmobile has been assigned an identifying number, it shall not be\nconsidered as validly registered within the meaning of this section\nunless a validating date tag and current registration certificate have\nbeen issued. The commissioner may develop a vintage design for the date\ntag or tags issued to a snowmobile manufactured more than thirty years\nprior to the current calendar year.\n * NB Effective December 31, 2028\n 9. Denial of current registration. In the event that a snowmobile\nsought to be registered or re-registered does not, after inspection and\ntesting, comply with the provisions respecting equipment established by\nsection 25.17 of the parks and recreation law or by the regulations of\nthe commissioner promulgated pursuant to this title, the commissioner\nmay deny the issuance of a validating date tag and current certificate\nof registration.\n 10. Snowmobiles owned by governmental agencies. A registration number\nshall be assigned, without payment of a fee, for snowmobiles owned by\ngovernmental agencies, or by volunteer organizations if used exclusively\nfor emergency purposes, provided that each such snowmobile shall display\nthe proper registration number assigned to it.\n 11. Exemption. No registrations shall be required for the following\ndescribed snowmobiles:\n (a) Snowmobiles owned and used by the United States.\n (b) Snowmobiles covered by a valid registration or license of another\nstate, province or country, as provided in subdivision twelve of this\nsection.\n (c) Snowmobiles operated on lands owned by the owner of such\nsnowmobile, or on lands to which such owner has a contractual right\nother than as a member of a club or association provided (i) the\nsnowmobile is not operated elsewhere within the state, and (ii) no\nconsideration, either direct or indirect, is paid to the owner of the\nsnowmobile with respect to such operation.\n 12. Out of state snowmobile registration. The registration provisions\nof this article shall apply to non-resident owners of snowmobiles used\nin New York state as provided for by the commissioner except when their\nsnowmobile is used on trails which proceed along a New York state border\nand which, occasionally as dictated by the terrain, cross into another\nstate, in which such snowmobile is registered; such cross border trails\non which nonresident owned snowmobiles may proceed without New York\nstate registration shall be designated by the state commissioner of the\noffice of parks, recreation and historic preservation as provided in\nsection 25.04 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law and\nhe shall publish such trail designation in the New York state register\nand other publications accessible to the snowmobiling public. Such\nnon-resident registration applications shall be made available at the\nplace of business of all registered dealers and by mail from the\ndepartment. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to authorize\nthe operation of any snowmobile contrary to the provisions of this\narticle.\n 13. State aid. The Lake George park commission shall be entitled to\nreceive state aid in an amount relating to the percentage of fees\ncollected under this section that can be estimated to be attributed to\nsnowmobile use within the Lake George park. The amount of such aid shall\nbe annually determined by the commissioner of parks, recreation and\nhistoric preservation and the director of the budget.\n 14. Registration at time of sale. Snowmobiles sold by dealers shall be\nregistered at the time of sale of such snowmobile. Such registration\nshall be valid until the thirty-first day of August following the date\nof such sale; provided however that snowmobiles sold after April first\nof each year shall be issued a registration valid until the thirty-first\nday of August in the year following that in which the snowmobile is\nsold. Snowmobiles purchased to be used in accordance with paragraph (c)\nof subdivision eleven of this section or for use exclusively outside of\nthe state of New York shall not require registration at the time of\npurchase, and the purchaser of such snowmobile shall sign a declaration,\nprovided by the dealer, which shall state that such purchaser\nunderstands the conditions under which a snowmobile must be registered\nand the penalty for violation of such registration provisions; the form\nof such declaration shall be provided by the commissioner to each dealer\nand shall be forwarded to the commissioner.\n