Snowmobile registration, wildlife management areas and restitution values

This rulemaking has amendments to conform several rules to 2023 session laws, including snowmobile registration, wildlife management areas and restitution values.

You have until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, to submit comments to the Office of Administrative Hearings on its e-comments website at https://minnesotaoah.granicusideas.com/discussions or mailed to 600 North Robert Street, P.O. Box 64620, St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0620.

The 2023 legislature required the DNR to adopt several specific rule amendments for the following changes:

• Update requirements relating to snowmobile registration to include the display of a new larger registration decal and eliminating the requirement to display registration numbers

  Anyone purchasing the new snowmobile registration decal or removing registration numbers should know the new larger decal is not reflectorized. Snowmobiles are still required to have 16 square inches of reflectorized material mounted on each side, forward of the handle bars. Removal of reflectorized registration numbers may require the addition of other reflectorized material to fulfill this requirement.

  MN RULE 6100.5700 Required Equipment, Subpart 1.C Reflector material of a minimum area of 16 square inches mounted on each side forward of the handle bars. Reflector material shall have at least the minimum intensity values as prescribed in Table II of federal specifications L-S-300A, dated January 1, 1970. Registration numbers, the manufacturer's trade name, or other decorative material, if meeting minimum reflectorization standards, may be included in computing the required 16-square-inch area.

  If you have questions about reflector material, you can contact:

  • Wade Miller, state trail and snowmobile program consultant at [email protected] or by phone 651-259-5643
  • Major Shane Kirlin, DNR enforcement operations manager, at [email protected]

  
  Comments about the current rulemaking case must be submitted directly to the administrative law judge as directed above under Where do I send my comments.

• Change a “hunter” reference to “person” in general provisions for use of wildlife management areas
• Increase the restitution values for tundra swan and trumpeter swan

• Snowmobile riders
• All-terrain vehicles riders with a disability
• Waterfowl hunters

• Proposed rules
• Notice of Submission To the Office of Administrative Hearings

If you want a free copy of the proposed rules, call or email the DNR contact person listed below.

Beth Carlson
DNR rules coordinator
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4020
651-259-5531
[email protected]