Q: I use my ATV most of the winter for ice fishing and plowing, and I see that the registration expires at the end of December. What determines the expiration date of registrations for ATVs and snowmobiles?
A: That’s a good and very timely question, specifically as it relates to ATVs used for ice fishing. The registration for these machines expires at the same time each period for ATVs (Dec. 31) and snowmobiles (June 30). The idea is that the registration expires during the season of little or no use, to avoid having a machine’s registration suddenly expire when it is being used.
With the recent growth of ATV use, we are seeing some ATVs used year-round for a variety of pursuits, though not as many as are used during the summer months. This is a good reminder to ice anglers, however, that if your ATV registration sticker reads 2016, it will expire at the end of December and will need to be renewed before you use it after Dec. 31.
Similarly, if your snowmobile registration sticker reads 2016, that means it expired at the end of June and will need to be renewed before you ride this winter.
Matthew S. Miller is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer with the Lake Superior Marine Unit. Send your questions to outdoors@duluthnews.com .
