Massachusetts Snowmobile Safety Laws
The following abstracts summarize some important Massachusetts snowmobile laws as of December 1, 2001. For complete law refer to Massachusetts General Law, chapter 90B (sections 20-35) and 323 Code of Massachusetts Regulations 3.00 available in booklet form.
Additional DCR rules and regulations governing snowmobile use and locations can be found here http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/snowmobileUse.htm
Age restrictions;
No person under 14 years of age shall operate a snowmobile,
except as provided below
 | A person who is 12 or 13 years of age, may operate if directly supervised by a person who is 18 years of age or older. |
| A person who is 10 or 11 years of age, may operate if directly supervised by a person who is 18 years of age or older, and the vehicle is on the land upon which the operator lives. |
| Under no circumstances, may a person operate who is less than 10 years of age. |
| A person under 14 years of age may operate in a sanctioned race, rally, or organized event which has been approved by the local authority. |
Safety Equipment;
Persons operating or riding on a snowmobile or attached sled shall wear an approved helmet. Each snowmobile must be equipped with an adequate muffler designed to reduce unusual or excessive noise and obnoxious fumes. Each snowmobile must be equipped with and displayed after sunset, one or more headlights, a red rear light and red rear reflector. Sleds or trailers attached to snowmobiles must have a red rear reflector. Snowmobiles must also be equipped with an adequate braking system.
Prohibited Operation
The following are examples of prohibited operation
| Operating under the influence of drugs & alcohol |
| Operating on public ways, including plowed snow banks adjacent to public ways. |
| Failure to come to a complete stop when crossing a public way. (Must yield to motor vehicle traffic.) No person under 16 ½ years of age shall operate across a public way. |
| Operating so as to endanger any person or property |
| Operating at an unreasonable, improper, and unsafe speed for existing conditions |
| Operating on land without written permission, on your person, from the owner. |
| Operating within 150 feet of a residence without permission from the owner or tenant |
| Operating on public lands without a minimum of 4 inches of snow cover |
| Operating in a manner so as to harass or chase wildlife or domestic animals |
| Carrying of a firearm, rifle, shotgun in or on a snowmobile, or on a trailer or sled attached, unless the firearm is unloaded and in an enclosed case |
A SAM sticker allows the rider of a duly Massachusetts registered snowmobile to ride on private land that a club has obtained permission to use. This sticker in no way gives the rider permission to trespass on land that has not been approved, directly to the rider in writing, by the landowner. You do not need a SAM sticker to ride on state or federal owned land however you do need a current Massachusetts State registration, and only in marked designated areas. You need a SAM sticker to ride on any private land that a person has given a club permission to use.
Please remember that it is illegal to possess alcohol on state property.