As used in this article, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) Administrative costs includes, but is not limited to, printing, postage, mailing, and personnel related to registration processing.
(2) Dealer means a person engaged in the business of selling snowmobiles at wholesale or retail in this state.
(3) Direct services includes, but is not limited to, the activities and expenses associated with law enforcement, safety certification, capital equipment, rescue and first aid equipment, snowmobile facilities, and division and contract services related to clearing parking lots and providing trail maintenance.
(4) Manufacturer means a person engaged in the business of manufacturing snowmobiles in this state.
(5) Operate means to ride in or on and control the operation of a snowmobile.
(6) Operator means every person who operates or is in actual physical control of a snowmobile.
(7) Owner means a person, other than a lienholder, having title to a snowmobile and entitled to the use or possession thereof.
(8) Person means any individual, association, partnership, or public or private corporation, any municipal corporation, county, city, city and county, or other political subdivision of the state, or any other public or private organization of any character.
(8.5) Possession means physical custody of a snowmobile by any owner of a snowmobile or by any owner of a motor vehicle or trailer on or in which a snowmobile is placed for the purpose of transport.
(9) Renter means a person primarily engaged in the business of renting snowmobiles.
(10) Roadway means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel.
(11) Snowmobile means a self-propelled vehicle primarily designed or altered for travel on snow or ice when supported in part by skis, belts, or cleats. Snowmobile does not include machinery used strictly for the grooming of snowmobile trails or ski slopes.
(11.5) Staging area means any parking lot, trailhead, or other location to or from which any snowmobile is transported by truck, trailer, or other motor vehicle where it is placed into operation or removed from operation. Staging area does not include any location to which a snowmobile is transported primarily for the purpose of service, maintenance, repair, storage, or sale.
(12) Street, road, freeway, or highway means the entire right-of-way between boundary lines of any of such public ways when any part thereof is open to the use of the public as a matter of right for the purpose of motor vehicle travel.
Source: L. 84: Entire article added, p. 905, � 2, effective January 1, 1985. L. 88: (8.5) and (11.5) added, p. 1167, � 1, effective March 24.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former � 33-7-101 as it existed prior to 1984.
Cross references: For additional definitions applicable to this article 14, see � 33-10-102.
33-14-102. Snowmobile registration - fees - applications - requirements - penalties - exemptions - rules. (1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, no person shall operate, nor have in his possession at any staging area, any snowmobile within the state unless such snowmobile has been registered and numbered in accordance with the provisions of this article. The division is authorized to assign identification numbers and register snowmobiles.
(b) The division shall employ snowmobile agents, including dealers and licensing agents serving as such for the division, for snowmobile registration pursuant to section 33-12-104. The agents shall take the registration application and issue a temporary registration and shall forward the application to the division, which shall issue the registration. Snowmobile dealers employed as licensing agents for snowmobile registration are authorized to issue annual registrations and shall retain a commission of up to one dollar, as authorized by the division, for each registration issued.
(2) (a) Every dealer shall require a purchaser of a new or used snowmobile sold at retail from the dealer's inventory to complete a registration application and pay the registration fee before the snowmobile leaves the dealer's premises, except for those snowmobiles purchased for use exclusively outside of this state. Any dealer who does not comply with this subsection (2)(a) commits a civil infraction and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars.
(b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 95, p. 339, � 5, effective July 1, 1995.)
(c) Each snowmobile owned by a dealer for rental purposes shall be registered pursuant to this section upon payment of an owner's fee as provided in paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section.
(3) (a) For all or any part of a year beginning October 1 and ending September 30, the original and each renewal registration fee to be paid by an owner must be in the amount specified by the commission by rule.
(b) The fee for replacement of a lost, mutilated, or destroyed registration or validation decal shall be as specified in section 33-12-101.
(4) (a) For each year beginning October 1 and ending September 30 or portion of the year for which the registration is made, the amount of the registration fee for all snowmobiles owned by a dealer or manufacturer that are operated for demonstration or testing purposes only must be in the amount specified by the commission by rule.
(b) Dealer and manufacturer registrations are not transferable and shall be distinguished by appropriate means by the division from the registration required for owners other than dealers and manufacturers.
(5) A registration certificate shall be issued without the payment of a fee for snowmobiles owned by the state of Colorado or a political subdivision thereof upon application therefor.
(6) No registration under this section is required for the following snowmobiles:
(a) Snowmobiles owned by any agency of the United States, another state, or a political subdivision of either, when such ownership is clearly displayed on the machine;
(b) Snowmobiles owned by a resident of another state or country if such snowmobiles are covered by a valid license of such other state or country and such snowmobiles have not been within this state for more than thirty consecutive days;
(c) Snowmobiles used strictly on private property;
(d) Snowmobiles used only in sanctioned snowmobile races, including any racing snowmobile brought into the state which is exempt from registration in the state where the owner of said snowmobile resides.
(7) (Deleted by amendment, L. 95, p. 339, � 5, effective July 1, 1995.)
(8) All registrations shall expire at the end of the year for which issued. Application for renewal of registration for the succeeding year shall be made at such time and in such manner as the division shall prescribe.
(9) Any person who operates a snowmobile in violation of this section commits a civil infraction.
Source: L. 84: Entire article added, p. 906, � 2, effective January 1, 1985. L. 88: (1)(a) amended and (6)(d) added, pp. 1167, 1168, �� 2, 3, effective March 24. L. 95: (1)(b), (2)(a), (2)(b), (7), and (9) amended, p. 339, � 5, effective July 1. L. 96: (3)(a) and (4)(a) amended, p. 782, � 7, effective May 23. L. 2003: (2)(a) and (9) amended, p. 1949, � 26, effective May 22. L. 2011: (1)(b) amended, (SB 11-208), ch. 293, p. 1391, � 19, effective July 1. L. 2018: (3)(a) and (4)(a) amended, (HB 18-1139), ch. 71, p. 634, � 5, effective August 8. L. 2019: (9) amended, (HB 19-1026), ch. 423, p. 3698, � 23, effective July 1. L. 2021: (2)(a) and (9) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3268, � 578, effective March 1, 2022. L. 2024: (6)(c) amended, (SB 24-056), ch. 55, p. 190, � 1, effective August 7.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former � 33-7-102 as it existed prior to 1984.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 18-1139, see section 1 of chapter 71, Session Laws of Colorado 2018. For the short title (Respect the Great Outdoors Act) and the legislative declaration in HB 19-1026, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 423, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.