Snowmobile Registration and Insurance

Registration

When a snowmobile is registered for the first time, it is assigned a registration number. The number stays with the sled from owner to owner until it is destroyed or permanently removed from NY. DMV will provide registration number decals which must be displayed on both sides of the cowling of the sled at all times. The cowling is the forward portion of the sled that covers the engine and clutch assembly. Any other placement is illegal and can result in a costly citation. If a snowmobile was registered for the first time before august 1995, the owner-provided registration number must be displayed. Requirements dictate that the numbers must be at least three inches tall. Yearly registration validation stickers must be displayed in the upper left-hand corner of the registration decals.

Insurance

Any snowmobile operated on any part of a roadway or shoulder of a highway in NY State must be covered by minimum liability insurance. These limits are $10,000 for bodily injury to any one person and $20,000 for an accident involving two or more persons, as well as $5,000 in property damage liability arising from one accident. Proof of insurance must be carried by the snowmobiler and displayed on request.

Registering your Sled

Bring the following with you to register your snowmobile:

Completed form MV-82 ("Application for Vehicle Registration")
Proof of Ownership: A Complete bill of sale and one of the following:
- MCO/MSO for a new trailer, OR
- Signed title document for a 1973 or newer used trailer weighing over 1,000 lbs unloaded, OR
- Signed transferrable registration for a used trailer not requiring a title
Proof of payment of sales tax (tax may also be paid at the motor vehicle office)
Proof of identity and date of birth
A check made payable to the commissioner of motor vehicles.