NEWS

Can you ride your snowmobile in town?

John Hult
jhult@argusleader.com

It’s not snowing yet, but some people are already thinking about snowmobiles.

One of them pitched a question at Argus911’s twitter feed Wednesday night in anticipation of the coming winter.

“Do you by chance know the rules about operating a snowmobile in town? I’m not thinking of NOW but a month or so,“ she wrote.

Be prepared, as the scouts say.

The answer is simple: Don’t do it.

Sioux Falls city ordinances are pretty clear on this point. Snowmobiles aren’t allowed on public property, city streets, sidewalks and only on private property with permission. Even then, you’re not allowed to ride between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

There’s one exception: It’s OK to ride snowmobiles in the street if the Sioux Falls Police Chief or Civil Defense Director authorizes them in response to “emergency travel conditions,” or if one is necessary to “protect the health, safety and welfare of an individual.”

If such a declaration were made, the snowmobile would need to be licensed, as would the rider, and the snowmobile would need to follow all traffic regulations.

“Any motor vehicle that’s operated on the road has to have a license,” said Sam Clemens, the SFPD’s spokesman.

While we’re on the subject of “any motor vehicle,” it’s worth noting that all-terrain vehicles are just fine, as long as they follow the traffic rules. Any engine over 49cc needs to be licensed. That includes ATVs, scooters and the like.

The rules are slightly different outside city limits. The Game, Fish and Parks website has a good regulatory rundown for snowmobilers here.

Reader: Bumpy Tallgrass needs maintenance

Essentially, it’s OK to ride in the ditches. If the ditches are designated state snowmobile trails – there are 1,500 miles of those in the state, as you can see here – then you can ride on either side. If the road you’re traveling on isn’t a state trail, you have to ride on the right-hand side of the road.

That means that snowmobilers like our Argus911 friend can travel just outside of city limits to Minnehaha County to ride. There are no hour restrictions, just the typical licensing requirements.

“Minnehaha County does not have any special rules for snowmobiles,” said Mike Walsh of the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office.

There you have it. Go forth and ride safely. Just don't ride down Phillips Avenue.

John Hult is the Reader's Watchdog reporter for Argus Leader Media. Contact him with questions and concerns at 605-331-2301, 605-370-8617. You can tweet him @ArgusJHultor find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/ArgusReadersWatchdog