Senate File 2155 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 2155
BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3067)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to snowmobile registrations and nonresident
2 user permits, providing fees, and making penalties
3 applicable.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 321G.2, subsection 1, paragraph h, Code
2 2024, is amended to read as follows:
3 h. Issuance of annual nonresident user permits and
4 establishment of administrative fees for issuance of the
5 permits.
6 Sec. 2. Section 321G.3, Code 2024, is amended to read as
7 follows:
8 321G.3 Registration and user permit required for residents
9 —— penalties.
10 1. Each snowmobile used by a resident on public land, public
11 ice, or a designated snowmobile trail of this state shall be
12 currently registered in this state pursuant to section 321G.4.
13 A resident shall not operate, maintain, or give permission
14 for the operation or maintenance of a snowmobile on public
15 land, public ice, or a designated snowmobile trail unless the
16 snowmobile is registered in accordance with this chapter.
17 The owner of a snowmobile must also obtain a user permit in
18 accordance with section 321G.4A.
19 2. A violation of subsection 1 is punishable as a
20 scheduled violation under section 805.8B, subsection 2,
21 paragraph “a”. When the scheduled fine is paid, the The
22 violator shall submit proof to the department that a valid
23 registration and user permit have has been obtained by
24 providing a copy of the registration and user permit to the
25 department within thirty days of the date the fine is paid.
26 A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a simple
27 misdemeanor.
28 Sec. 3. Section 321G.4, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code
29 2024, is amended to read as follows:
30 a. The owner of the snowmobile shall file an application for
31 registration with the department through the county recorder
32 of the county of residence in the manner established by the
33 commission. The application shall be completed by the owner
34 and shall be accompanied by a fee of fifteen thirty dollars and
35 a writing fee as provided in accordance with section 321G.27.
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1 A snowmobile shall not be registered by the county recorder
2 until the county recorder is presented with receipts, bills of
3 sale, or other satisfactory evidence that the sales or use tax
4 has been paid for the purchase of the snowmobile or that the
5 owner is exempt from paying the tax. A snowmobile that has
6 an expired registration certificate from another state may be
7 registered in this state upon proper application, payment of
8 all applicable registration and writing fees, and payment of a
9 penalty of five dollars.
10 Sec. 4. Section 321G.4B, Code 2024, is amended to read as
11 follows:
12 321G.4B Nonresident requirements —— fees —— penalties.
13 1. A nonresident wishing to operate a snowmobile on public
14 land, public ice, or a designated snowmobile trail of this
15 state shall obtain a nonresident user permit in accordance
16 with section 321G.4A from the department. A nonresident user
17 permit issued by the department is only valid for use on one
18 snowmobile, is not transferable, and is valid for the calendar
19 year, unless a different time period is specified in the
20 permit. In addition to obtaining a nonresident user permit, a
21 nonresident shall display a current registration decal or other
22 evidence of registration or numbering required by the owner’s
23 state of residence unless the owner resides in a state that
24 does not register or number snowmobiles.
25 2. A violation of subsection 1 is punishable as a scheduled
26 violation under section 805.8B, subsection 2, paragraph “a”.
27 When the scheduled fine is paid, the The violator shall submit
28 proof to the department that a nonresident user permit has been
29 obtained and provide evidence of registration or numbering as
30 required by the owner’s state of residence, if applicable, to
31 the department within thirty days of the date the fine is paid.
32 A person who violates this section subsection is guilty of a
33 simple misdemeanor.
34 3. A county recorder or a license agent designated by the
35 director pursuant to section 483A.11 may issue nonresident
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1 user permits. The fee for a nonresident user permit is
2 fifteen dollars plus an administrative fee established by the
3 commission. A county recorder or a license agent shall retain
4 a writing fee from the sale of each nonresident user permit in
5 accordance with section 321G.27.
6 Sec. 5. Section 321G.5, Code 2024, is amended to read as
7 follows:
8 321G.5 Display of registration and nonresident user permit
9 decals.
10 The owner of a snowmobile shall display the registration
11 decal and, if applicable, the nonresident user permit decal on
12 the snowmobile in the manner prescribed by the rules of the
13 commission.
14 Sec. 6. Section 321G.6, subsections 1 and 4, Code 2024, are
15 amended to read as follows:
16 1. Every snowmobile registration certificate and
17 registration decal issued expires at midnight December 31
18 unless sooner terminated or discontinued in accordance with
19 this chapter or rules of the commission. After the first day
20 of September each year, an unregistered snowmobile may be
21 registered and a registration may be renewed, as applicable,
22 in one transaction. The fee is five dollars for the remainder
23 of the current year, in addition to the registration fee of
24 fifteen thirty dollars for the subsequent year beginning
25 January 1, and a writing fee as provided in section 321G.27.
26 4. A county recorder or a license agent designated by the
27 director pursuant to section 483A.11 may issue snowmobile
28 registration renewals electronically pursuant to rules adopted
29 by the commission. The fee for a registration renewal issued
30 using an electronic system is fifteen thirty dollars plus an
31 administrative fee established by the commission and a writing
32 fee as provided in section 321G.27.
33 Sec. 7. Section 321G.7, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended
34 to read as follows:
35 2. The department shall remit the fees, including
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1 nonresident user permit fees collected pursuant to section
2 321G.4A 321G.4B, to the treasurer of state, who shall place the
3 money in a special snowmobile fund. The money is appropriated
4 to the department for the snowmobile programs of the state.
5 The programs shall must include grants, subgrants, contracts,
6 or cost-sharing of snowmobile programs with political
7 subdivisions or incorporated private organizations or both,
8 which may include the purchase, ownership, and maintenance of
9 trail grooming equipment, in accordance with rules adopted
10 by the commission. Snowmobile fees may be used to support
11 snowmobile programs on a usage basis. At least seventy
12 percent of the special fund shall be available for political
13 subdivisions or incorporated private organizations, or
14 both. Moneys from the special fund not used by the political
15 subdivisions or incorporated private organizations, or both,
16 shall remain in the fund and may be used by the department for
17 the administration of the snowmobile programs. Notwithstanding
18 section 8.33, moneys in the special fund shall not revert to
19 the general fund of the state at the end of a fiscal year.
20 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or
21 earnings on moneys in the special fund shall remain in the
22 fund.
23 Sec. 8. Section 321G.8, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2024,
24 is amended to read as follows:
25 Registration and nonresident user permits shall not be
26 required for the following described snowmobiles:
27 Sec. 9. Section 321G.27, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code
28 2024, is amended to read as follows:
29 b. A license agent shall retain a writing fee of one dollar
30 from the sale of each nonresident user permit issued by the
31 license agent.
32 Sec. 10. Section 321G.34, subsection 5, Code 2024, is
33 amended to read as follows:
34 5. a. Upon the conviction of a person of any violation of
35 this chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter, the court,
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1 as a part of the judgment, may suspend or revoke one or more
2 snowmobile registration or nonresident user permit privileges,
3 as applicable, of the person for any definite period.
4 b. The court shall revoke all of the person’s snowmobile
5 registrations or nonresident user permits, as applicable,
6 and suspend the privilege of procuring a registration or
7 nonresident user permit for a period of one year for any person
8 who has been convicted twice within one year of trespassing
9 while operating a snowmobile. A person shall not be issued a
10 registration or nonresident user permit during the period of
11 suspension or revocation.
12 Sec. 11. Section 331.602, subsection 16, Code 2024, is
13 amended to read as follows:
14 16. Issue snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle registrations
15 and user permits as provided in sections 321G.4, 321G.4A
16 321G.4B, 321G.6, 321G.21, 321I.4, 321I.5, 321I.7, and 321I.22.
17 Sec. 12. Section 331.605, subsection 1, paragraph d, Code
18 2024, is amended to read as follows:
19 d. For the issuance of snowmobile registrations and
20 nonresident user permits, the fees specified in sections 321G.4
21 and 321G.4A 321G.4B.
22 Sec. 13. Section 805.8B, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code
23 2024, is amended to read as follows:
24 a. For registration or nonresident user permit violations
25 under section 321G.3, subsection 1, or section 321G.4B, the
26 scheduled fine is sixty-five dollars.
27 Sec. 14. REPEAL. Section 321G.4A, Code 2024, is repealed.
28 EXPLANATION
29 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
30 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
31 Current law requires a person, in order to operate a
32 snowmobile on public land, public ice, or a designated
33 snowmobile trail, to register the snowmobile with the
34 department of natural resources (DNR) and obtain a user permit
35 from the DNR. The annual snowmobile registration fee is $15
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1 and the user permit fee is also $15.
2 This bill removes the user permit requirement for an Iowa
3 resident operating a snowmobile and increases the annual
4 snowmobile registration fee from $15 to $30.
5 The bill requires a person who is not an Iowa resident to
6 apply for and receive a nonresident snowmobile user permit and
7 affix a permit decal to the person’s snowmobile while operating
8 the snowmobile in Iowa. The fee for a nonresident user permit
9 is $15. A nonresident is not required to register a snowmobile
10 in Iowa if the snowmobile is required to be registered and
11 is registered in the nonresident’s state, and proof of the
12 registration is displayed on the snowmobile.
13 Under current law, snowmobile registration and user permit
14 fees are subject to additional writing and administrative fees
15 provided in Code chapter 321G. Fees collected by the DNR,
16 including fees remitted by county recorders and license agents,
17 are placed in a special snowmobile fund and appropriated to the
18 DNR to support snowmobile programs in Iowa.
19 In accordance with current law, a person who operates an
20 unregistered snowmobile commits a simple misdemeanor punishable
21 by a $65 scheduled fine. In addition, a person who operates
22 an unregistered snowmobile is required to submit proof to
23 the DNR that the snowmobile has subsequently been registered
24 by providing a copy of the registration. A person who
25 fails to provide the required proof within 30 days of paying
26 the scheduled fine commits a simple misdemeanor. A simple
27 misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than 30
28 days and a fine of at least $105 but not more than $855.
29 The scheduled fine for a person who does not obtain a
30 user permit before operating a snowmobile is $65, and the
31 scheduled fine for operating a snowmobile without displaying
32 a registration or user permit decal is $30. The bill applies
33 these penalties to a nonresident who does not obtain a
34 nonresident user permit or display the permit, as required by
35 the bill.
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1 The bill makes corresponding changes but does not modify the
2 registration and user permit requirements under Code chapter
3 321I (all-terrain vehicles).
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 321G.2, 321G.3, 805.8B, 321G.4B, 321G.6, 8.33, 321G.27, 321G.34, 331.602, 321G.4