2023 New York Laws › PAR - Parks, recreation and historic preservation › Title D - Snowmobiles › Article 25 - Control Provisions › 25.05 - Operation on Highways.

§  25.05 Operation on highways. It shall be unlawful for any person to
drive or operate any snowmobile on a highway other than as follows:
1. Operation on thruway, interstate  highways  and  controlled  access
state  highways  prohibited.  Except  in a snow emergency as so declared
under the provisions of subdivision two  of  this  section,  snowmobiles
shall  not be operated on the state thruway or interstate and controlled
access state highways.
1-a.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one  of  this
section,  the  commissioner, with the concurrence of the commissioner of
transportation, may designate for temporary snowmobile use  a  trail  or
portion of a trail listed in this subdivision within the right of way of
a  state route. The commissioner's designation shall include conditions,
developed in consultation with the commissioner  of  transportation,  on
the use of such trail by snowmobiles to provide for the safe use of such
route  and  the safe operation of snowmobiles on the trail. Designations
made under this subdivision shall be effective  for  no  longer  than  a
period  of  one  year  and  may  be  renewed with the concurrence of the
commissioner of transportation. The following trails or portions thereof
may be temporarily  designated  for  snowmobile  use  pursuant  to  this
subdivision:
(a)  state  route  one hundred four between the western county line of
Wayne county and the northern town line  of  the  town  of  Hannibal  in
Oswego county; and
(b)  state route three hundred seventy-four from the vicinity of route
marker 374-7102-1331 at the intersection of state  route  three  hundred
seventy-four  and state route twenty-two to the vicinity of route marker
374-7102-1250 in Cadyville near the intersection of  state  route  three
hundred seventy-four and state route three.
1-b.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one  of  this
section, the commissioner, with the concurrence of the  commissioner  of
transportation,  may  designate  for  snowmobile  use a trail within the
right-of-way of state route three between state route one  hundred  four
in  the town of Hannibal and county route three in the town of Granby in
Oswego county. The commissioner's designation shall include  conditions,
developed  in  consultation  with the commissioner of transportation, on
the use of such trail by snowmobiles to provide  for  the  safe  use  of
state  route  three  and the safe operation of snowmobiles on the trail.
Designations made under this  subdivision  shall  be  effective  for  no
longer than a period of one year and may be renewed with the concurrence
of the commissioner of transportation.
1-c.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one  of  this
section, the commissioner, with the concurrence of the  commissioner  of
transportation,  may  designate  for  snowmobile  use a trail within the
right-of-way of state route eight in the town  of  Deerfield  in  Oneida
county  between  mile marker/area locations route marker 8-2607-3237 and
route marker 8-2607-3260. The commissioner's designation  shall  include
conditions,   developed   in   consultation  with  the  commissioner  of
transportation, on the use of such trail by snowmobiles to  provide  for
the  safe use of state route eight and the safe operation of snowmobiles
on  the  trail.  Designations  made  under  this  subdivision  shall  be
effective  for  no  longer  than a period of one year and may be renewed
with the concurrence of the commissioner of transportation.
1-d.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one  of  this
section,  the  commissioner, with the concurrence of the commissioner of
transportation, may designate for snowmobile  use  a  trail  within  the
right-of-way  of  state  route twelve in the town of Boonville in Oneida
county between reference marker  12-2604-3212  and  12-2604-3213  and  a
trail within the right-of-way of state route twenty-eight in the town of

Boonville  in  Oneida  county  between reference marker 28-2607-1142 and
28-2607-1143. The commissioner's designation shall  include  conditions,
developed  in  consultation  with the commissioner of transportation, on
the  use  of  such  trails by snowmobiles to provide for the safe use of
state route twelve and state route twenty-eight and the  safe  operation
of  snowmobiles  on the trails. Designations made under this subdivision
shall be effective for no longer than a period of one year  and  may  be
renewed with the concurrence of the commissioner of transportation.
1-e.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one  of  this
section, the commissioner, with the concurrence of the  commissioner  of
transportation,  may  designate  for  snowmobile  use a trail within the
right-of-way of state route two hundred nineteen in the town of  Concord
in Erie county between reference marker 219-5314-1121 and 219-5314-1127.
The  commissioner's  designation  shall include conditions, developed in
consultation with the commissioner of transportation, on the use of such
trail by snowmobiles to provide for the safe  use  of  state  route  two
hundred  nineteen  and  the  safe operation of snowmobiles on the trail.
Designations made under this  subdivision  shall  be  effective  for  no
longer than a period of one year and may be renewed with the concurrence
of the commissioner of transportation.
2.  Emergencies.  (a)  In  an  emergency, for the purpose of emergency
travel only, during the period of time when and at locations where  snow
upon  the  highways  renders travel by motor vehicles impractical, as so
declared and permitted in the case of the state thruway by  the  thruway
authority,  in  the  case of other state highways by the state agency or
authority having jurisdiction to regulate traffic thereon,  and  in  the
case   of   other  highways  by  the  chief  executive  officer  of  the
municipality having jurisdiction over such highways.
(b) A snowmobile may also be operated on a highway otherwise closed to
snowmobile travel in emergency situations when the specific travel for a
specific purpose is authorized or directed by a peace or police officer,
or a highway superintendent or executive officer of a county, town, city
or village.
3. Highway crossings. On highways other than the  thruway,  interstate
highways  and  controlled access highways, snowmobiles may take a direct
crossing at any time of the day provided:
(a) The crossing is made at an angle of approximately  ninety  degrees
to  the  direction  of  the  highway and at a place where no obstruction
prevents a quick and safe crossing; and
(b) The snowmobile is brought to a complete stop before  crossing  the
shoulder or main traveled way of the highway; and
(c)  The  driver yields the right of way to all oncoming traffic which
constitutes an immediate hazard; and
4. Culverts and bridges. Snowmobiles may be operated on highways other
than the  thruway,  interstate  and  controlled  access  highways,  when
necessary to cross a bridge or culvert.
5.  Unplowed  highways.  Snowmobiles  may be operated on county, town,
city or village highways, or portions thereof, during the  periods  when
and  at  locations  where the highway is customarily unplowed and unused
during the winter months for vehicle travel. The  governing  body  of  a
county, town, city or village shall designate those highways or portions
thereof which are so customarily unplowed.
6.  Outside  banks. On highways other than the thruway, interstate and
controlled access highways, snowmobiles may be operated on  the  outside
banks.
7.  Highways  designated  by governmental agencies. Snowmobiles may be
operated on the following portions of highways, other than the  thruway,

interstate highways or controlled access state highways, which have been
designated and posted as provided in section 25.09.
(a)  Shoulders  and inside banks. On the shoulders and inside banks of
such highways or portions thereof so designated;
(b) Roadways. On roadways of such highways or portions thereof in case
the outside banks or shoulders are determined by the governmental agency
to be impassable or non-existent by reason of prevailing snow conditions
or conditions of terrain;
(c) Access areas. On such highways, for a distance of  not  to  exceed
five  hundred yards when in the determination of the governmental agency
concerned it is otherwise impossible for snowmobiles to gain  access  to
areas or trails adjacent to the highway, for the purpose only of gaining
access to and from the areas of operation.
8.  Limitation  on highway operation. (a) No person shall so operate a
snowmobile on any highway, when otherwise permitted, between sunset  and
sunrise  except  on  the right side of such right of way and in the same
direction as the highway traffic or the  nearest  lane  of  the  roadway
adjacent thereto.
(b)  When operation on a roadway is permitted by any provision of this
article, snowmobiles shall travel in single file, shall not ride  tandem
or abreast each other except in overtaking another snowmobile, and shall
travel  on  the right side of the road in the same direction as the flow
of vehicular traffic.
(c) No person shall operate a snowmobile on or across a highway  while
pulling a person on skis or drawing or towing a sleigh, sled or toboggan
which  carries  or  transports  any  person.  No person on skis shall be
pulled by, and no person shall ride on or in a sleigh, sled or  toboggan
which is being towed or trailed by a snowmobile on a highway.
(d)  No  person  shall  operate  a snowmobile on the frozen surface of
public waters within one hundred feet of a  person,  including  but  not
limited  to  a skater, not in or upon a snowmobile or within one hundred
feet of a fishing shanty or shelter except at the minimum speed required
to maintain forward movement of the snowmobile or on an area  which  has
been  cleared  of snow for skating purposes unless the area is necessary
for access to the public water.
(e) No person shall operate a snowmobile within one hundred feet of  a
dwelling  between  twelve  o'clock  midnight  and six o'clock a.m., at a
speed greater than minimum required to maintain forward movement of  the
snowmobile.
9.  Emergency  vehicle. The provisions of this section shall not apply
to operation as emergency vehicle.