2007 Minnesota Statutes

84.788 REGISTRATION.
    Subdivision 1. General requirements. Unless exempted in subdivision 2, a person may not
operate and an owner may not give permission for another to operate an off-highway motorcycle
unless the vehicle has been registered under this section.
    Subd. 2. Exemptions. Registration is not required for off-highway motorcycles:
(1) owned and used by the United States, the state, another state, or a political subdivision;
(2) registered in another state or country that have not been within this state for more than 30
consecutive days; or
(3) registered under chapter 168, when operated on forest roads to gain access to a state
forest campground.
    Subd. 3. Application; issuance; reports. (a) Application for registration or continued
registration must be made to the commissioner or an authorized deputy registrar of motor vehicles
in a form prescribed by the commissioner. The form must state the name and address of every
owner of the off-highway motorcycle.
(b) A person who purchases from a retail dealer an off-highway motorcycle shall make
application for registration to the dealer at the point of sale. The dealer shall issue a dealer
temporary ten-day registration permit to each purchaser who applies to the dealer for registration.
The dealer shall submit the completed registration applications and fees to the deputy registrar
at least once each week. No fee may be charged by a dealer to a purchaser for providing the
temporary permit.
(c) Upon receipt of the application and the appropriate fee, the commissioner or deputy
registrar shall issue to the applicant, or provide to the dealer, an assigned registration number or a
commissioner or deputy registrar temporary ten-day permit. Once issued, the registration number
must be affixed to the motorcycle according to paragraph (f). A dealer subject to paragraph (b)
shall provide the registration materials or temporary permit to the purchaser within the ten-day
temporary permit period.
(d) The commissioner shall develop a registration system to register vehicles under this
section. A deputy registrar of motor vehicles acting under section 168.33, is also a deputy
registrar of off-highway motorcycles. The commissioner of natural resources in agreement with
the commissioner of public safety may prescribe the accounting and procedural requirements
necessary to ensure efficient handling of registrations and registration fees. Deputy registrars shall
strictly comply with the accounting and procedural requirements.
(e) In addition to other fees prescribed by law, a filing fee of $4.50 is charged for each
off-highway motorcycle registration renewal, duplicate or replacement registration card, and
replacement decal and a filing fee of $7 is charged for each off-highway motorcycle registration
and registration transfer issued by:
(1) a deputy registrar and must be deposited in the treasury of the jurisdiction where the
deputy is appointed, or kept if the deputy is not a public official; or
(2) the commissioner and must be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the
off-highway motorcycle account.
(f) Unless exempted in paragraph (g), the owner of an off-highway motorcycle must
display a registration decal issued by the commissioner. If the motorcycle is licensed as a motor
vehicle, a registration decal must be affixed on the upper left corner of the rear license plate. If
the motorcycle is not licensed as a motor vehicle, the decal must be attached on the side of
the motorcycle and may be attached to the fork tube. The decal must be attached in a manner
so that it is visible while a rider is on the motorcycle. The issued decals must be of a size to
work within the constraints of the electronic licensing system, not to exceed three inches high
and three inches wide.
(g) Display of a registration decal is not required for an off-highway motorcycle:
(1) while being operated on private property; or
(2) while competing in a closed-course competition event.
    Subd. 4. Registration card; signature; replacement fee. The commissioner shall provide to
the registrant a registration card that includes the registration number, the date of registration,
the make and serial number of the off-highway motorcycle, the owner's name and address, and
additional information the commissioner may require. The registration is not valid unless signed
by at least one owner. Information concerning registrations must be kept by the commissioner.
Upon a satisfactory showing that the registration card has been lost or destroyed, the commissioner
shall issue a replacement registration card upon payment of a fee of $4. The fees collected from
replacement registration cards must be credited to the off-highway motorcycle account.
    Subd. 5. Report of transfers; fee. A person who sells or transfers ownership of an
off-highway motorcycle registered under this section shall report the sale or transfer to the
commissioner within 15 days of the date of transfer. An application for transfer must be executed
by the registered owner and the buyer on a form prescribed by the commissioner with the owner's
registration certificate, a bill of sale, and a $4 fee.
    Subd. 6. Registration fees. (a) The fee for registration of an off-highway motorcycle under
this section, other than those registered by a dealer or manufacturer under paragraph (b) or (c), is
$30 for three years and $4 for a duplicate or transfer.
(b) The total registration fee for off-highway motorcycles owned by a dealer and operated
for demonstration or testing purposes is $50 per year. Dealer registrations are not transferable.
(c) The total registration fee for off-highway motorcycles owned by a manufacturer and
operated for research, testing, experimentation, or demonstration purposes is $150 per year.
Manufacturer registrations are not transferable.
(d) The fees collected under this subdivision must be deposited in the state treasury and
credited to the off-highway motorcycle account.
    Subd. 7. Renewal. An owner of an off-highway motorcycle must renew registration in a
manner prescribed by the commissioner upon payment of the appropriate registration fee in
subdivision 6.
    Subd. 8. Vehicles owned by state or political subdivision. A registration number must be
issued without the payment of a fee for off-highway motorcycles owned by the state or political
subdivision upon application.
    Subd. 9. Licensing by political subdivisions. A political subdivision of this state may not
require licensing or registration of off-highway motorcycles covered by sections 84.787 to 84.796.
    Subd. 10. Registration by minors prohibited. A person under the age of 18 may not
register an off-highway motorcycle.
    Subd. 11. Refunds. The commissioner may issue a refund on a registration, not including any
issuing fees paid under subdivision 3, paragraph (e), or section 84.027, subdivision 15, paragraph
(a), clause (3), if the refund request is received within 12 months of the original registration and:
(1) the off-highway motorcycle was registered incorrectly by the commissioner or the
deputy registrar; or
(2) the off-highway motorcycle was registered twice, once by the dealer and once by the
customer.
History: 1993 c 311 art 1 s 2; 1995 c 220 s 59; 1996 c 410 s 20; 2001 c 185 s 2,3; 2003 c
128 art 1 s 23,24; 1Sp2005 c 1 art 2 s 22,23; 2007 c 131 art 1 s 4