An Act To Give the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife the Authority To Allow the Operation of Snowmobiles Registered outside the State at Special Events Occurring in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0089
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: MARTIN, PARADIS, BRYANT, WOODCOCK, JACKSON, SMITH, TRAHAN, WATSON
Amends: 12 MRSA §13104

Legislative Document 
No. 89 
S.P.31 
In Senate, January 11, 2005 
An Act To Give the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
the Authority To Allow the Operation of Snowmobiles Registered 
outside the State at Special Events Occurring in the State 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator MARTIN of Aroostook. 
Cosponsored by Representative PARADIS of Frenchville and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: BRYANT of Oxford, WOODCOCK of Franklin, Representatives: JACKSON of Fort 
Kent, SMITH of Van Buren, TRAHAN of Waldoboro, WATSON of Bath. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas. acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
Whereas. this legislation needs to take effect as soon as 
possible in order to apply to the 2004-2005 snowmobiling season; 
and 
Whereas. in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts 
create an emergency wi thin the meaning of the Constitution of 
Maine 
and 
require 
the 
following 
legislation 
as 
immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and 
safety; now, therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA ~13104. sub-~1. as affected by 
PL 
2003, 
(" 
614, 
~9 and amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §386 and affected by §4n, 
is further amended to read: 
L 
Operating unregistered snowmobile. 
Except as p rov i de /.1 
in this subsection, §ubsection 7 and section 13112, a person mEly 
not 
with 
operate a 
snowmobile that is not registered in accordance 
this section. 
A. 
A registration is not required for a snowmobile operated 
over the snow on land on which the owner lives or on 
~aHa6 
land 
on 
which 
the 
owner 
is 
domiciled, 
provided 
the 
snowmobile is not operated elsewhere within the jurisdiction 
of this State. 
B. 
A registration is not required for a snowmobile operated 
by a commercial ski area for the purpose of packing snow 01 
for 
rescue 
epe~a~~eH 
operations 
thereonr 
unless 
the 
snowmobile is required to cross a public way during that 
operation. 
C. 
Snowmobiles owned and operated in this State by the 
Federal Government, the State or 
<;1 political subdivision of 
the State are exempt from reqistration feesr but must 
bp 
registered and required to display numbers. 
D. 
Registration is not required to field test repairs to a 
snowmobile if valid snowmobile repair shop number plates 
issued under section 13110 are affixed to the snowmobile 
during the field test and the snowmobile is not owned by the 
snowmobile repair shop or any repair shop employee. 
E. 
Registration is not required to field test repairs to a. 
snowmobile when the snowmobile is tested on the premises of 
a snowmobile repair shop when the snowmobile repair shop is 
open 
and the 
snowmobile is not 
owned by the 
snowmobile 
repair shop or any repair shop employee. 
614. 
f. 
The following penalties apply to violations of this 
subsection. 
(1) 
A person who violates this subsection commits 
a 
civil violation for which a fine of not less than $100 
nor more than $500 may be adjudged. 
(2) 
A person who 
been adjudicated 
violations under 
violates this subsection after having 
as having committed 3 or more civil 
this Part wi thin the previous 5-year 
period commits a Class E crime. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §13104. sub-§7. as affected by PL 2003, c. 
§9 and amended by c. 655, Pt. B. §387 and affected by §422. 
is further amended to read: 
7. 
pro'v'ided 
Snowmobiles of nonresidents. 
Except 
as 
in 
this 
subsection, 
and 
notwithstanding 
specifically 
any 
other 
provision of law, a snowmobile belonginq to a nonresident may be 
possessed or operated by any person in this State as long as the 
snowmobile is properly registered in this State in the name of a 
nonresident owner of the snowmobile. 
A nonresident is ineligible to obtain a resident registration for 
a 
snowmobile 
owned 
by 
that 
nonresident. 
Nothing 
in 
this 
subsection authorizes the operation of a snowmobile in a manner 
contrary to this chapter. 
Snowmobiles 
and grooming equipment 
registered 
to 
a 
federal 
or 
state entity. 
snowmobile 
clubs. 
municipalities or counties from borderinq states or provinces and 
enqaqecl 
in 
trail 
groominq 
may 
bf' 
operated 
without 
beinq 
reqisterecl 
under 
this 
subsection. 
Snowmobiles 
registered 
.ill 
ei ther New Hampshire or Canada may be operated on any lake or 
pond that is both partly ill the State ClIld New Hampshire or Canac1R 
,",i thout being registered in the State. 
Snowmobiles registered in 
another state or in a Canadian province may be operated without a 
Maine registration at a special event or festival organized to 
3R 
occur 
in 
this 
State if 
such 
operation 
is 
approved 
by 
the 
commissioner. 
An 
event 
or 
festival 
organizer 
must 
submit 
a 
request in writing to the commissioner 60 days prior to the event. 
or festival and shall include a map of the trails where operatiull 
will be allowed. 
Sec. 3. 12 MRS A ~13104. sub-Hi. as enacted by PL 2003, 
c. 
414. Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614. §9. is repealed. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides that snowmobiles registered in another 
state or in a Canadian province may be operated without a Maine 
registration at a special event or festival organized to occur in 
this State if such operation is approved by the Commissioner of 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. 
It repeals the provision of law 
that allows the commissioner to designate one weekend a year as 
an open snowmobile weekend when snowmobiles registered outside 
the State may be used in the State without being registered HI 
the State.