350.055 Safety certification program established.

(1) The department shall establish a program of instruction on snowmobile laws, including the intoxicated snowmobiling law, regulations, safety and related subjects. The program shall be conducted by instructors certified by the department. The department may procure liability insurance coverage for certified instructors for work within the scope of their duties under this section. For each person who is under the age of 16 years, the program shall include 6 hours of classroom instruction, and the instructor may provide to the person up to 2 additional hours of instruction on a snowmobile as to how it is actually operated. Each person satisfactorily completing this program shall receive a snowmobile safety certificate from the department. The department shall establish by rule an instruction fee for this program. An instructor conducting a program of instruction under this section shall collect the instruction fee from each person who receives instruction. The department may determine the portion of this fee, which may not exceed 50 percent, that the instructor may retain to defray expenses incurred by the instructor in conducting the program. The instructor shall remit the remainder of the fee or, if nothing is retained, the entire fee to the department. The department shall issue a duplicate certificate of accomplishment to a person who is entitled to a duplicate certificate of accomplishment and who pays a fee of $2.75.

(1m) An instructor certified by the department under sub. (1) who conducts a snowmobile program of instruction may not allow a person enrolled in that program to operate a snowmobile as part of a field training exercise unless the snowmobile, in addition to meeting the requirements that apply to snowmobiles under this chapter, is in good working order and is equipped with a device that limits the speed of the snowmobile to 15 miles per hour.

(2) A person who is required to hold a valid snowmobile safety certificate may operate a snowmobile in this state if the person holds a valid snowmobile safety certificate issued by another state or province of the Dominion of Canada and if the course content of the program in such other state or province substantially meets that established by the department under this section.

History: 1971 c. 277; 1973 c. 298; 1987 a. 27, 399; 1991 a. 39; 1999 a. 9; 2003 a. 253; 2007 a. 20; 2013 a. 353.