Chapter 350

350.12(4)(b) (b) Trail aids and related costs. The moneys appropriated under s. 20.370 (1) (mq) and (5) (cb), (cr), (cs), and (cw) shall be used for development and maintenance, the cooperative snowmobile sign program, major reconstruction or rehabilitation to improve bridges on existing approved trails, trail rehabilitation, signing of snowmobile routes, state snowmobile trails and areas, and real-time online tracking of snowmobile trail grooming and geographic information system mapping of snowmobile trails. The department may also obligate from the appropriation account under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) moneys for any of these purposes, except maintenance and except online tracking of snowmobile trail grooming and mapping of snowmobile trails. Except as provided in par. (bd), the moneys shall be distributed as follows:

350.12(4)(b)1. 1. State aids and funds for maintenance costs shall be 100 percent of the actual cost of maintaining the trail per year up to a $300 per mile per year maximum, except as provided in pars. (bg) to (br). Qualifying trails are trails approved by the board as snowmobile trails. State aid for development may equal 100 percent of development expenses. Aids for major reconstruction or rehabilitation projects to improve bridges may equal 100 percent of eligible costs. Aids for trail rehabilitation projects may equal 100 percent of eligible costs. Development shall begin the same year the land is acquired. Moneys available for development shall be distributed on a 100 percent grant basis, 75 percent at the time of approval but no later than January 1 and 25 percent upon completion of the project. A county application may include a request for development, rehabilitation or maintenance of trails, or any combination thereof. Trail routes, sizes and specifications shall be prescribed only by the board.

350.12(4)(b)2. 2. Not more than $15,000 annually for a cooperative sign program with snowmobile clubs for club snowmobile trails open to the public and meeting minimum trail construction standards. Clubs may apply to the department for free signs on forms prescribed by the department and submit required documentation as prescribed by departmental rule on or before April 15 of each year.

350.12(4)(b)3. 3. Not more than $30,000 for a route signing program of aids to cities, villages, towns or counties of up to 100 percent of the cost of initial signing of snowmobile routes which connect authorized trails or which offer entrance to or exit from trails leading to such municipalities. Aid may be provided under this subdivision to cities, villages, towns and counties for up to 100 percent of the cost of placing signs developed under s. 350.108 (1) (b) which briefly explain the intoxicated snowmobiling law along snowmobile routes. Applications and documentation shall be submitted to the department by April 15 of each year on forms prescribed by departmental rule.

350.12(4)(b)4. 4. For the maintenance, rehabilitation and development of snowmobile trails and areas on state lands and for major rehabilitation of snowmobile bridges, 100 percent of the actual cost for development and rehabilitation and 100 percent of the actual cost of maintaining the trails per year up to the per mile per year maximum specified under subd. 1. Qualifying trails are those approved by the board. Trail routes, sizes and specifications shall be prescribed only by the board.

350.12(4)(b)5. 5. For real-time tracking of snowmobile trail grooming through the department’s online trail grooming reporting system and to develop and maintain an accurate, statewide geographic information system map of snowmobile trails, 100 percent of the direct payments to a qualified vendor to provide these services.

350.12(4)(bc) (bc) Development costs. For the purposes of par. (b) (intro.), 1. and 4., development includes the following:

350.12(4)(bc)1. 1. The purchase of land in fee simple.

350.12(4)(bc)2. 2. The acquisition of interests in land by lease, easement, permit, or other agreement if the term of the acquisition is for a period of 3 years or longer.

350.12(4)(bd) (bd) Match for stewardship funding. Moneys obligated from the appropriation account under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) for a project under par. (b) shall be limited to no more than 80 percent of the cost of the project. The county, city, village, or town receiving the aid is responsible for the remainder of the project cost.

350.12(4)(be) (be) Maintenance costs. In addition to paying for trail maintenance costs, payments received for maintenance under par. (b) 1. or 4., par. (bg) or (bm) may be used for any of the following:

350.12(4)(be)1. 1. The purchase of liability insurance.

350.12(4)(be)2. 2. The acquisition of interests in land, by lease, easement, permit or other agreement if the term of the acquisition is for a period of less than 3 years.

350.12(4)(bg) (bg) Supplemental trail aids; funding.

350.12(4)(bg)1. 1. Of the moneys appropriated under s. 20.370 (5) (cs), the department shall make available in fiscal year 2001-02 and each fiscal year thereafter an amount equal to the amount calculated for the applicable fiscal year under s. 25.29 (1) (d) 2m. b. or 3. b. to make payments to the department or a county under par. (bm) for trail maintenance costs incurred in the previous fiscal year that exceed the maximum specified under par. (b) 1. before expending any of the amount for the other purposes specified in par. (b).

350.12(4)(bg)2. 2. The department shall calculate an amount equal to the number of trail use stickers issued under sub. (3j) in the previous fiscal year to owners of snowmobiles that are exempt from registration under sub. (2) multiplied by $47 and shall credit this amount to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (5) (cw). From the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (5) (cw), the department shall make payments to the department or a county for the purposes specified in par. (b). The department shall make payments under par. (bm) for trail maintenance costs that were incurred in the previous fiscal year and that exceed the maximum specified under par. (b) 1. before making payments for any of the other purposes specified in par. (b).

350.12(4)(bg)3. 3. The department may, by rule, limit the amount of aid under this paragraph to 5 times the per mile maximum for maintenance specified under par. (b) 1.

350.12(4)(bm) (bm) Supplemental trail aids; eligibility. A county or the department shall be eligible for payments under par. (bg) for a given fiscal year if it applies for the aid and if all of the following apply:

350.12(4)(bm)1. 1. The actual cost incurred by the department or the county in maintaining its trails that are qualified under par. (b) 1. or 4. in the previous fiscal year exceeds the maximum of $300 per mile per year under par. (b) 1.

350.12(4)(bm)2. 2. Of the actual cost incurred by the department or the county in maintaining its trails that are qualified under par. (b) 1. or 4. for the fiscal year applicable under subd. 1., the actual cost incurred in grooming the trails exceeds a maximum of $200 per mile per year.

350.12(4)(bn) (bn) Supplemental trail aids; payments. Each county shall submit its application for aid under par. (bm) before the August 1 immediately following June 30 of the fiscal year for which the county is applying. Before the September 15 immediately following the date of application, the department shall make an initial payment to each county that is equal to 50 percent of the amount applied for. After determining under pars. (bg) and (bm) the total amounts due all counties, the department shall notify each county, before the December 1 immediately following the date of the initial payment, of the balance still owing. If the department determines that the total amount for which the county is eligible is less than the amount applied for, the department shall deduct the difference from the balance paid to the county.

350.12(4)(br) (br) Supplemental trail aids; insufficient funding. If the aid that is payable to counties and to the department under par. (bm) exceeds the moneys available under par. (bg), the department may prorate the payments or may request the joint committee on finance to take action under s. 13.101. The requirement of a finding of emergency under s. 13.101 (3) (a) 1. does not apply to such a request.

350.12(4)(c) (c) Lapses.

350.12(4)(c)1. 1. Any moneys appropriated under s. 20.370 (1) (mq), (3) (aq) or (9) (mw) that lapse shall revert to the snowmobile account in the conservation fund.

350.12(4)(c)2. 2. If any moneys appropriated under s. 20.370 (9) (mu) lapse, a portion of those moneys shall revert to the snowmobile account in the conservation fund. The department shall calculate that portion by multiplying the total amount lapsing from the appropriation by the same percentage the department used for the fiscal year to determine the amount to be expended under the appropriation for snowmobile registration.

350.12 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 50, Wis. adm. code.

350.12(5) (5) Registration decals and trail use stickers to be displayed.

350.12(5)(a) (a) The owner of the snowmobile shall attach the registration decals to the snowmobile in a prominent place, and shall maintain the registration decals in a legible condition at all times. Decals shall be not larger than 3 inches in height and 6 inches in width. Registration decals are to be applied on both sides of the cowling of the snowmobile. The owner of the snowmobile shall attach the trail use sticker to the snowmobile in the manner promulgated by rule by the department.

350.12(5)(b) (b) The person operating a snowmobile shall at all times carry proof of the registration certificate or, for an owner who purchased a snowmobile and who has received a temporary operating receipt but who has not yet received the registration certificate, proof of the temporary operating receipt.

350.12(5)(c) (c) The operator of a snowmobile shall exhibit, upon demand, proof of the registration certificate or, for an owner who purchased a snowmobile and who has received a temporary operating receipt but who has not yet received the registration certificate, proof of the temporary operating receipt for inspection by any person authorized to enforce this section as provided under s. 350.17 (1) and (3).

350.12(5)(cm) (cm) A person may operate a snowmobile without having the registration decals displayed as provided under par. (a) if the owner has received a validated registration receipt and if the operator of the snowmobile complies with pars. (b) and (c).

350.12(5)(d) (d) At the end of the registration period the department shall send the owner of each snowmobile a renewal application. The owner shall sign the renewal application and submit the application and the proper fee to the department or to an agent appointed under sub. (3h) (a) 3. using one of the procedures specified in sub. (3h) (ag) 1.

350.12(5)(e) (e) This subsection does not apply to any snowmobile to which a plate and decal are attached as required under sub. (3) (c) 3.

350.12(6) (6) Change of address. Whenever the owner of a registered snowmobile changes his or her address, the owner shall within 15 days thereafter notify the department in writing of the new address and of the registration numbers awarded to the owner. At the same time the owner shall endorse the new address on the owner’s registration certificates.

350.12(7) (7) Sales and use taxes. The department shall collect sales and use taxes due under s. 77.61 (1) on any snowmobile registered under this section and the report in respect to those taxes. The department shall use collection and accounting methods approved by the department of revenue.

350.12 History History: 1971 c. 211, 277; 1973 c. 298; 1975 c. 39 ss. 693g to 693m, 734; 1975 c. 224; 1977 c. 29, 402; 1979 c. 32; 1979 c. 34 ss. 1072, 2102 (39) (a); 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 20, 294, 295; 1983 a. 27 ss. 1709, 1710, 2202 (38); 1983 a. 36, 405; 1985 a. 29 s. 3202 (39); 1985 a. 68, 322; 1985 a. 332 ss. 211, 253; 1987 a. 27, 129, 399; 1989 a. 31, 270, 336; 1991 a. 39, 269, 316; 1993 a. 16, 405, 436; 1995 a. 27, 225; 1997 a. 27, 237; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 166, 321; 2005 a. 25, 481; 2007 a. 226; 2011 a. 32, 257; 2013 a. 20, 142, 233; 2015 a. 55, 89; 2017 a. 59, 161; 2017 a. 364 s. 49; 2021 a. 58; 2023 a. 110.

350.12 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ss. NR 6.11, 6.12, and 19.01, Wis. adm. code.

350.122 350.122 Lac du Flambeau registration program.

350.122(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

350.122(1)(a) (a) “Band” means the Lac du Flambeau band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

350.122(1)(b) (b) “Reservation” means the territory within the boundaries of the Lac du Flambeau reservation that were in existence on April 10, 1996.

350.122(2) (2) Authorization for issuance. The band may issue registration certificates for public use or private use for snowmobiles that are equivalent to the registration certificates for public use or private use that are issued by the department. The band may not register snowmobiles as antiques and may not issue registration certificates to political subdivisions of this state. The band may renew and transfer a registration certificate that it or the department has issued. The band may issue duplicates of only those registration certificates that it issues under this section.

350.122(3) (3) Requirements for issuance; fees; periods of validity.

350.122(3)(a) (a) For issuing or renewing any registration certificate under this section, the band shall collect the same fee that would be collected for the equivalent registration certificate under s. 350.12 (3) (a). For transferring a registration certificate under this section, the band shall collect the same fee that would be collected for the transfer under s. 350.12 (3) (a) 3. For issuing a duplicate registration certificate under this section, the band shall collect the same fee that would be collected for the duplicate under s. 350.12 (3) (e).

350.122(3)(b) (b) The band may not issue, renew or otherwise process registration certificates under this section in conjunction with discount coupons or as part of a promotion or other merchandising offer.

350.122(3)(c) (c) For a registration certificate issued, transferred or renewed under this section, the period of validity shall be the same as it would be for the equivalent registration certificate under s. 350.12 (3) (a).

350.122(3)(d) (d) The band may issue, renew or otherwise process registration certificates under this section only to persons who appear in person on the reservation.

350.122(4) (4) Requirements for registration: procedures, applications and decals.

350.122(4)(a) (a) The band shall use registration applications and certificates that are substantially similar to those under s. 350.12 with regard to length, legibility and information content.

350.122(4)(b) (b) The band shall use registration decals that are substantially similar to those under s. 350.12 with regard to color, size, legibility, information content, and placement on the snowmobile.

350.122(4)(c) (c) The band shall use a sequential numbering system that includes a series of letters or initials that identify the band as the issuing authority.

350.122(4)(d) (d) The band shall establish procedures that are substantially similar to the procedures specified in s. 350.12 (3) (a) 2., 3. and 4., (5) (d) and (6) and to the procedures to be used for validating applications for purposes of s. 350.12 (5) (b) and (c).

350.122(5) (5) Registration information; records; tax collection.

350.122(5)(a) (a) The band shall provide registration information to the state in one of the following ways:

350.122(5)(a)1. 1. By transmitting all additions, changes or deletions of registration information to persons identified in the agreement described under sub. (6), for incorporation into the registration records of this state, within one working day after the addition, change or deletion.

350.122(5)(a)2. 2. By establishing a 24-hour per day data retrieval system, consisting of either a law enforcement agency with 24-hour per day staffing or a computerized data retrieval system to which law enforcement officials of this state have access at all times.

350.122(5)(b) (b) Before June 1 annually, the band shall submit a report to the department notifying it of the number of each type of registration certificate that the band issued, transferred or renewed for the period beginning on April 1 of the previous year and ending on March 31 of the year in which the report is submitted.

350.122(5)(c) (c) For law enforcement purposes, the band shall make available for inspection by the department during normal business hours the band’s records of all registration certificates issued, renewed or otherwise processed, including copies of all applications made for certificates.

350.122(5)(d) (d) The band shall ensure that a record of each registration certificate issued, renewed or otherwise processed under this section, including a copy of each application made, is retained for at least 2 years after the date of expiration of the certificate.

350.122(5)(e) (e) The band shall collect the sales and use taxes due under s. 77.61 (1) on any snowmobile registered under this section and make the report in respect to those taxes. The band shall use collection and accounting methods approved by the department of revenue. On or before the 15th day of each month, the band shall pay to the department of revenue all taxes that the band collected in the previous month.

350.122(6) (6) Applicability. This section does not apply unless the department and the band have in effect a written agreement under which the band agrees to comply with subs. (2) to (5) and that contains all of the following terms:

350.122(6)(a) (a) The manner in which the band will limit its treaty-based right to fish outside the reservation.

350.122(6)(b) (b) A requirement that the fees collected by the band under sub. (3) be used only for a program for registering snowmobiles, for regulating snowmobiles and snowmobiling and for providing snowmobile trails, and snowmobile facilities.

350.122 History History: 1997 a. 27.

350.125 350.125 Completion of application for registration by snowmobile dealers.

350.125(1) (1) 

350.125(1)(a) (a) When a snowmobile dealer sells a snowmobile, the dealer, at the time of sale, shall require the buyer to complete an application for an original registration certificate, collect the required fee, and do one of the following:

350.125(1)(a)1. 1. Mail the application and fee to the department no later than 5 days after the date of sale and furnish the buyer with a validated registration receipt.

350.125(1)(a)2. 2. Use the expedited service under s. 350.12 (3h) (ag) as an agent of the department.

350.125(1)(ag) (ag) The department shall provide combination application and receipt forms to be used by the dealer.

350.125(1)(ar) (ar) No snowmobile dealer may charge an additional fee to the buyer for performing the service required under this subsection unless the dealer uses the expedited service specified in s. 350.12 (3h) (ag). No snowmobile dealer may perform this service for a registration under s. 350.122.

350.125(1)(b) (b) When a snowmobile dealer sells a snowmobile to a person from another state who wishes to register the snowmobile in his or her home state or to a person who wishes to register the snowmobile under s. 350.122, the dealer shall, at the time of sale, complete an application for a registration certificate and indicate on the application that the snowmobile is to be registered in another state or under s. 350.122 and mail one copy to the department no later than 14 days after the date of sale, furnish the buyer with one copy and retain one copy for the dealer’s records.

350.125(2) (2) Every dealer shall maintain, for one year, a record in the form prescribed by the department for each new snowmobile sold. These records shall be open to inspection by the department.

350.125 History History: 1973 c. 298; 1975 c. 230, 399, 421; 1977 c. 402; 1981 c. 295; 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 25.

350.125 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. NR 19.01, Wis. adm. code.

350.13 350.13 Uniform trail signs and standards. The department of natural resources in cooperation with the department of transportation, after public hearing, shall promulgate rules to establish uniform trail and route signs and standards relating to operation thereon as authorized by law. The authority in charge of the maintenance of the highway may place signs on highways under its jurisdiction where authorized snowmobile trails cross. These signs must be of a type approved by the department of natural resources and the department of transportation.

350.13 History History: 1971 c. 40 s. 93; 1971 c. 277; 1973 c. 298; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39.

350.135 350.135 Interferences with uniform trail signs and standards prohibited.

350.135(1) (1) No person may intentionally remove, damage, deface, move or obstruct any uniform snowmobile trail sign or standard or intentionally interfere with the effective operation of any uniform snowmobile trail sign or standards if the sign or standard is legally placed by the state, any municipality or any authorized individual. This subsection does not apply to an authorized individual who removes or moves any uniform snowmobile trail sign or standard from his or her own property.

350.135(2) (2) No person may possess any uniform snowmobile trail sign or standard of the type established by the department for the warning, instruction or information of the public, unless he or she obtained the uniform snowmobile trail sign or standard in a lawful manner. Possession of a uniform snowmobile trail sign or standard creates a rebuttable presumption of illegal possession.

350.135 History History: 1981 c. 295; 1993 a. 119.

350.136 350.136 Signs that advertise nearby businesses.

350.136(1) (1) The department shall allow snowmobile clubs to erect signs that advertise nearby businesses along snowmobile trails on land under the department’s jurisdiction as provided under this section.

350.136(2) (2) The department shall enter into an agreement with an interested snowmobile club that allows the club to erect eligible signs containing advertising of private businesses along snowmobile trails on land under the department’s jurisdiction. A sign is eligible if it meets all of the following standards:

350.136(2)(a) (a) The sign advertises only businesses that offer fuel, food, vehicle servicing, or lodging and that are accessible by snowmobile.

350.136(2)(b) (b) The sign is placed only at a trail intersection.

350.136(2)(c) (c) The sign contains only the following information:

350.136(2)(c)1. 1. The name of the business.

350.136(2)(c)2. 2. The type of service provided.