Although insurance is not required by the state, it is a good idea to protect yourself financially by insuring your snowmobile. Trail permits, ORV licenses, and snowmobile registration are all required by the state for snowmobilers.
What do I need to ride a snowmobile in Michigan?
- Except on property owned or managed by the parent or legal guardian, may not operate a snowmobile without the direct supervision of an adult.
- If they have a valid snowmobile safety certificate in their possession or are under the direct supervision of a person 21 years of age or older, they may operate a snowmobile.
- They must have a valid snowmobile safety certificate in their possession before crossing a highway or street.
Snowmobile Registration, Permit, License, and Safety Certificate Requirements in Michigan
Tom focused on everything riders need to know before stepping out in the first part of this two-part series.
Snowmobiles must be registered with the Michigan Secretary of State and suitably displayed on the machine if they are to be operated outside of private land. The registration must be displayed on each side of the snowmobile, above the footwell, on the forward part of the cowl. The registration is valid for a period of three years.
A trail permit is required if you wish to ride your snowmobile on a snowmobile trail. The trail permit is not the same as the registration form. The trail permit must also be displayed suitably on the snowmobile, either above or below the headlight. Permits are only valid for a year.
A snowmobile can be operated without a Michigan driver’s license. You cannot operate a snowmobile if your driver’s license is suspended or revoked. In fact, according to Bryan Waldman, a Lansing auto accident lawyer, operating a snowmobile while your license is suspended is unlawful. In addition, driving a snowmobile when your driver’s license is suspended is a criminal. Many people are perplexed by this because youngsters and adults who have never held a driver’s license are allowed to operate a snowmobile legally. However, if your license has been suspended, you may face criminal charges.
A snowmobile safety certificate is required for children aged 12 to 17 who do not have a valid Michigan driver’s license. For children under the age of 21 who are supervised by an adult over the age of 21, safety certificates are not necessary. Unless they are on property owned or controlled by their parent or guardian, children under the age of 11 must be supervised by an adult. In addition to the mandatory registration and trail permit, it is great practice for children to acquire a safety certificate. If a minor, regardless of age, intends to cross a roadway, they must get a safety certificate.
Snowmobile Equipment Standards in Michigan
A variety of snowmobile equipment rules and criteria are established by Michigan law. Before going on your snowmobile, it’s always better to go to the direct source Michigan.gov for a comprehensive list and many wonderful resources to learn more about these criteria. The following are some of the essential needs for equipment:
Snowmobiles in Michigan must be fitted with a specified type of brake that allows an operator weighing 175 pounds or more to stop the snowmobile in less than 40 feet when moving at 20 mph.
Helmets – Snowmobile helmets are subject to a strict regulation in Michigan. According to this law, all passengers and riders of snowmobiles in Michigan must wear Department of Transportation-approved helmets.
Lights – All snowmobiles must have working headlights and taillights that are visible at all times while the vehicle is in operation.
Again, refer to Michigan.gov for more information on Michigan’s snowmobile equipment regulations.
Is a snowmobile an automobile?
The Off-Highway Vehicles Act in Nova Scotia, the Off-Road Vehicle Act in New Brunswick, the Motorized Snow Vehicles And All-Terrain Vehicles Act in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Off-Highway Vehicle Act in Prince Edward Island, and the Off-Road Vehicles Act in Ontario are all used to determine what qualifies as an automobile.
Case law is also used by the courts to define what qualifies as an automobile. There have been countless instances of off-road vehicles being classified as autos for insurance purposes.
If your off-road vehicle is classified as an automobile for insurance purposes, you must comply with the terms of your province’s Insurance Act. This could imply obtaining the minimum required quantity of third-party liability coverage, for example.
A snowmobile is, in fact, a vehicle. The New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench held in Hetherington v. Personal Insurance Co., 1999 CarswellNB 592, that a Snowmobile qualifies as a “automobile” within the meaning of section 1 of the Insurance Act of New Brunswick since it is a “self-propelled vehicle.” The Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal reached the same judgment in Parrill v. Genge, 1997 CanLII 14696 (NL CA) and Roberts v. Closen, 1998 CanLII 18097. (NL CA).
Yes. Courts in Atlantic Canada and Ontario have agreed that a straightforward interpretation of the definition of “ATVs are included in the term “automobile.”
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal held in Theriault v. General Accident Assurance Company of Canada, 1990 CanLII 11415 (NB CA), that an ATV is an automobile within the meaning of the New Brunswick standard automotive policy. In one example, an ATV was operated inappropriately on a roadway, causing another vehicle’s driver to lose control. Ms. Theriault, the plaintiff, was a passenger in a car that spun out of control on the highway and suffered injuries as a result. She contended at trial that she should be covered by uninsured motorist policy because the accident occurred due to the operating of an uninsured vehicle. The trial judge and the Court of Appeal agreed, using the same meaning of “From the Insurance Act to the ATV, the term “automobile” has been used.
In Slaunwhite (Guardian ad litem of) v. Wellington Insurance Co., 1993 CarswellNS 496, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s finding that an ATV was an automobile for coverage purposes, despite the fact that it could not be registered under Nova Scotia’s Motor Vehicle Act. According to the court, a straightforward reading of the term of “ATVs were included in the definition of “automobile.”
Furthermore, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador concluded in Gillingham v. R., 2005 NLTD 89, that an ATV is regarded an automobile by virtue of being a vehicle “powered vehicle that is “self-propelled.” As a result, it would fall under the definition of an automobile under the Insurance Act. The New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench reached a similar decision in Richard v. Co-operators General Insurance Co., 2008 NBQB 235.
Finally, the Ontario Court of Appeal overruled the trial judge’s ruling in Matheson v. Lewis, 2013 CarswellOnt 4757, holding that an ATV is an off-road vehicle under the ORVA, and that the ORVA bans a person from operating an off-road vehicle on public highways without insurance. Adams v. Pineland Amusements Ltd., 2007 ONCA 844, reached a same decision.
Do you need insurance to drive a snowmobile on a lake in Ontario?
Except under certain circumstances, motorcycle and snowmobile insurance is required in Ontario. A valid motorcycle license is required to operate a motorcycle. Insurance is not required for motorcycles when they are driven on private land.
Can you ride a snowmobile on the side of the road in Michigan?
Snowmobiles are allowed to “be operated on the right-of-way of a public highway, excluding a limited access highway, if they are operated to the extreme right of the open area of the right-of-way and with the flow of traffic on the highway,” according to the legislation (MCL 324.82119).
Can snowmobile go on roads?
Snowmobilers are not permitted to travel on all roadways. Only when crossing a bridge or culvert, or when permitted by municipal regulation, are snowmobilers permitted to ride within 10 feet of the paved roadway. Riding in the road ditches of most highways is legal. Mufflers and working brake lights are required on snowmobiles.
Who can drive a snowmobile in Michigan?
- Anyone under the age of 17 who has a valid snowmobile safety certificate in their possession OR is being supervised by an adult 21 years or older. He or she must have a valid snowmobile safety certificate in their immediate possession in order to cross a street or highway.
- Anyone under the age of 12 who is accompanied by an adult 21 years or older and is on land controlled or owned by his or her parent or legal guardian – yet youngsters under the age of 12 are not permitted to cross a street or highway.