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New York · Through 2026-09-11

N.Y. Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law § 25.17: Equipment

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Where this section sits in the code
  1. Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law
  2. Title D. Snowmobiles
  3. Article 25. Control Provisions

§ 25.17 Equipment. 1. All snowmobiles operating within the state of

New York shall be equipped with:

(a) Head lights. At least one white or amber head-lamp having a

minimum candlepower of sufficient intensity to reveal persons and

vehicles at a distance of at least one hundred feet ahead during hours

of darkness under normal atmospheric conditions.

(b) Tail light. At least one red tail-lamp having a minimum

candlepower of sufficient intensity to exhibit a red light plainly

visible from a distance of five hundred feet to the rear during hours of

darkness under normal atmospheric conditions.

(c) Brakes. A brake system in good mechanical condition.

(d) Reflector material. Reflector material of a minimum area of

sixteen square inches mounted on each side of the cowling. Registration

numbers must be reflectorized, and such numbers or decorative material

may be included in computing the required sixteen square inch area.

(e) Mufflers. An adequate muffler system in good working condition. On

and after June first, nineteen seventy-two, no snowmobile manufactured

after June first, nineteen seventy-two shall be sold or offered for sale

unless it is equipped in such a way as to limit noise produced by the

snowmobile to not more than eighty-two decibels as measured on the "A"

scale at fifty feet. On and after June first, nineteen seventy-five, no

such snowmobile manufactured after June first, nineteen seventy-five

shall be sold or offered for sale unless it is equipped in such a way as

to limit noise produced by the snowmobile to not more than seventy-eight

decibels on such scale. On and after June first, nineteen eighty, no

such snowmobile manufactured after June first, nineteen eighty, shall be

sold or offered for sale unless it is equipped in such a way as to limit

noise produced by the snowmobile to not more than seventy-three decibels

on such scale. On or after November first, two thousand thirteen, a

person shall not operate a snowmobile unless the snowmobile is equipped

with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation from

which noise emission does not exceed either seventy-eight decibels at

fifty feet at full throttle, as measured using a generally accepted test

for a snowmobile manufactured after July first, nineteen hundred

seventy-seven and sold or offered for sale in this state, or

eighty-eight decibels, as measured at four meters from an inline

position from the exhaust and four thousand rpm using a generally

accepted test for using a stationary snowmobile manufactured after July

first, nineteen hundred eighty and sold or offered for sale in this

state. Should the federal government adopt snowmobile noise level

standards different from those contained in this paragraph and require

that the state conform thereto, the commissioner shall be authorized to

adopt rules and regulations superseding the noise level requirements of

this paragraph to achieve compliance with federal standards. No

snowmobile shall be modified by any person in any manner that shall

amplify or otherwise increase total noise emission to a level greater

than that emitted by the snowmobile as originally constructed,

regardless of date of manufacture.

2. Inspection and testing. The commissioner may adopt rules and

regulations with respect to the inspection and testing of snowmobiles.

3. No person shall have for sale, sell or offer for sale in this state

any snowmobile which fails to comply with the provisions of subdivision

one, or which does not comply with the specifications for such equipment

required by the rules and regulations of the commissioner after the

effective date of such rules and regulations.

4. No person shall operate an authorized ambulance, police or civil

defense snowmobile as an emergency vehicle unless it is equipped with

one or more lighted, red or combination red or white lights which is

revolving, rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving light

having a minimum candle power of sufficient intensity to be plainly

visible from a distance of five hundred feet in all directions under

normal atmospheric conditions.

5. No person shall operate a snowmobile or ride as a passenger on a

snowmobile unless he or she is wearing a protective helmet of a type

approved by the commissioner, except when operating a snowmobile or

riding as a passenger on private lands owned by the operator or

passenger, or to which the operator or passenger has a contractual right

other than as a member of a club or association, and for which no

compensation is paid to the owner with respect to such operation.

Collected 2026-09-14T19:32:45Z. Source file · JSON

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