Title XVIII, Fish and Game

I. The executive director shall report annually to the registrar of vital records pursuant to RSA 5-C:2 on any deaths or injuries occurring in the state related to the operation of OHRVs and snowmobiles. II. The executive director shall administer snowmobile or OHRV safety traini…

I. The court or justice of any court in which a complaint for a violation of any law or any rule adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A, brought by a conservation officer of the New Hampshire fish and game department, is prosecuted shall remit the amount of any fine or forfeiture paid pur…

If any person shall wilfully or maliciously deface, destroy, remove, obstruct, alter or otherwise tamper with any trail sign, marker, posting, or other fixed monument along any trail or on anyone's property, upon conviction he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Further, said perso…

I. (a) Unless otherwise provided, any person who violates this chapter or any rule relating thereto shall be guilty of a violation. In addition thereto, the operator or owner or both of any snowmobile shall be responsible and held accountable: (1) To the owner of any lands where …

I. An owner may post all or any portion of his land against use by an OHRV. Such notices may read "SNOW TRAVELING VEHICLES PROHIBITED" or "OHRVs PROHIBITED" or may have in lieu of these words an appropriate sign with the designated symbol of sufficient size to be readable at a di…

No person shall carry on a snowmobile, or a trailer towed by same, any firearms unless said firearm is unloaded. This section shall not apply to law enforcement officers carrying firearms in the course of duty or to pistols or revolvers carried by any person who is not prohibited…

Any OHRV or trail bike, as defined by RSA 215-A:1, V and XIV, respectively, which is also registered for use on the highways of the state shall comply with all OHRV requirements concerning safety equipment, sound emission levels, spark arrestors as well as all other requirements …

For OHRVs or trail bikes registered for use on the highway, directional flashers shall not be required unless said vehicle had this equipment installed as original equipment by the manufacturer.

I. Registration of a snowmobile or OHRV does not constitute a license to operate the vehicle on private land. Any person operating a snowmobile upon the land of another shall stop and identify himself or herself upon the request of the landowner or a duly authorized representativ…

I. A person who conveys to another the ownership of his or her registered snowmobile may register in his or her name another snowmobile for the remainder of that registration year, at a reduced rate of $17.50, provided that the reverse side of the registration form is completely …

OHRVs or trail bikes with knobby pattern tires, which have been registered for highway use, shall be permitted on all highways within the state except interstate highways.

For any trail bike registered for use on the highways, a high and low beam headlight shall not be required unless said vehicle had this equipment installed as original equipment by the manufacturer. This section shall not affect the requirements of RSA 215-A:14, I(a).

The original white registration certificate shall be returned to a snowmobile registration agent completed on the reverse side with the probable date lost; the reason the decals or plates are missing, specifying, for example, lost, destroyed, or stolen; and the signature of the o…

A registration certificate which is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed may be replaced by a duplicate registration, upon payment of a fee of $5 and completion of an affidavit setting forth the circumstances of the loss or destruction of the registration. The duplicate registra…

For any trail bike registered for use on highways, a speedometer and odometer shall not be required unless said vehicle had this equipment installed as original equipment by the manufacturer.

The fees to be collected under this chapter are as follows: I. Individual resident registration-$143 for each snowmobile registration upon presentation of a valid driver's license issued to a New Hampshire resident 18 years of age or older. An individual resident registering a sn…

The use of any frozen surface of any public body of water by the owner or operator of any OHRV, shall be done at their own risk; and any accident resulting shall not be a legal responsibility of any town, city, or the state. The executive director may, in the interest of public s…

I. The use of any frozen surface of any public body of water by the owner or operator of any snowmobile, shall be done at his or her own risk; and any accident resulting shall not be a legal responsibility of any town, city, or the state. The executive director may, in the intere…

The executive director shall set the fees for resident and nonresident licenses to guide under this chapter pursuant to RSA 206:10, I.

No person shall operate any OHRV in excess of 35 miles per hour during night hours, on the frozen surface of Back Lake in the town of Pittsburg. As used in this section, "night hours" means the hours between 1/2 hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise. Any person who violat…

The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources shall ensure that all sources of funding of the bureau of trails are reflected in the operating budget documents submitted by the department.

I. The general court declares it to be in the public interest to balance the demand for ATV and trail bike trails on state lands: (a) With other, non-motorized recreational trail uses; (b) Potentially conflicting management goals for state lands; and (c) Protection of wildlife an…

I. No ATV or trail bike trail shall be established after the effective date of this paragraph or subsequently maintained on state-owned property unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) The property has been evaluated by the bureau in cooperation with the department of…

Any new ATV or trail bike trail proposal on state-owned property shall be evaluated by the department of natural and cultural resources using a 2-step process. I. The new ATV or trail bike trail proposal shall be considered to have passed the initial screening process if the foll…

All snowmobiles operated in this state by the federal government, the state, or any political subdivision of the state shall be exempt from registration fees; however, such vehicles shall be registered with a permanent plate or set of plates and a certificate, in such a manner as…

I. No person shall operate an OHRV on any portion of the Rockingham recreational trail west of Route 28 when it is not snow-covered. II. No person shall use the parking lot at the Windham depot along the Rockingham recreational trail during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset t…

I. Commission Established. There is established a commission to study the use of OHRVs in New Hampshire. II. Membership and Compensation. The members of the commission shall be as follows: (a) Four members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of …

The executive director shall, no later than September 1, 2025, establish any procedures that may be necessary to enable the online payment of both initial and renewal registration fees required or imposed under this chapter.

I. Any person who is in the business of selling snowmobiles shall be required to be licensed as a dealer with the executive director. The executive director shall assign a distinguishing number to the dealer and issue appropriate plates. The dealer may use the plates for pleasure…

The fish and game department shall provide to snowmobile dealers and rental agents a disclosure statement to inform buyers and renters of snowmobiles of the laws and penalties relative to snowmobile operation, including but not limited to, the need for permission to operate on th…

I. The executive director may allow snowmobiles registered in another state or a Canadian province to operate in this state for up to 3 consecutive days during the winter. A snowmobile which is legally registered to operate in another state or province shall be deemed legally reg…

I. All provisions, including the penalties, suspensions and prohibitions of the New Hampshire financial responsibility law, and the provisions of statutes relative to the operation of a motor vehicle, shall apply to a snowmobile being operated upon a public highway. II. The opera…

I. No person shall operate a snowmobile on land not owned or leased by such person or such person's parent, grandparent, or guardian unless such person: (a) If under 14 years of age, is accompanied at all times by a person at least 18 years of age who has met the conditions of su…

No person shall operate an OHRV upon any lake or pond being used by ice fishermen closer than 150 feet to any occupied so-called bob-house, fishing shanty or fishing hole, unless done at a speed in conformity with RSA 215-A:6, III. The provisions of this section shall not apply t…

No person shall operate a snowmobile upon any lake or pond being used by ice fishermen closer than 150 feet to any occupied so-called bob-house, fishing shanty, or fishing hole, unless done at a speed in conformity with RSA 215-C:8, III. The provisions of this section shall not a…

I. A person licensed as a guide shall be at least 18 years of age. He shall furnish such recommendations as the executive director shall require. He shall be skilled in the use, management and handling of such boats or canoes as are customarily used in fishing and hunting, and sh…

The provisions of RSA 482-A:3, VIII and IX shall apply, relative to the operation of mechanized or off highway recreational vehicles.

It is recognized that OHRV operation may be hazardous. Therefore, each person who drives or rides an OHRV accepts, as a matter of law, the dangers inherent in the sport, and shall not maintain an action against an owner, occupant, or lessee of land for any injuries which result f…

I. Any person, organization, or corporation who wishes to operate or to promote any snowmobile or OHRV event or contest involving the use of unregistered snowmobiles and OHRVs shall procure a permit from the executive director. The application for the permit shall be on an annual…

All trails under the jurisdiction of the department of natural and cultural resources so far as possible and consistent with their primary functions, shall be made available for use by snowmobile subject to the fees, and rules as established by the directors of the division of pa…

I. Except as provided in RSA 215-C:9 and RSA 215-C:10, the executive director is authorized to adopt and amend, pursuant to RSA 541-A, such rules and administrative procedures which are consistent with the provisions of this chapter relative to snowmobiles that he or she deems ne…

I. The executive director shall report annually to the registrar of vital records pursuant to RSA 5-C:2 on any deaths or injuries occurring in the state related to the operation of snowmobiles and OHRVs. II. The executive director shall approve snowmobile or OHRV safety training …

If any person shall willfully or maliciously deface, destroy, remove, obstruct, alter or otherwise tamper with any trail sign, marker, posting, or other fixed monument along any trail or on anyone's property, upon conviction he or she shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Further, sa…

I. An owner may post all or any portion of his or her land against use by a snowmobile. Such notices may read "SNOWMOBILES PROHIBITED" or may have in lieu of these words an appropriate sign with the designated symbol of sufficient size to be readable at a distance of 50 feet indi…

The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources shall ensure that all sources of funding of the bureau of trails are reflected in the operating budget documents submitted by the department.

I. No person shall operate a snowmobile on any portion of the Rockingham recreational trail west of Route 28 when it is not snow-covered. II. No person shall use the parking lot at the Windham depot along the Rockingham recreational trail during the period from 1/2 hour after sun…