• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Registration/Titling in Montana

C

ccrob

New member
We have just finished refurbing our "new to us" Tucker. Can any of you give any ideas on titling in Montana? Is it as simple as calling it a snowmobile? It's not like you put wheels back on them and use them on roads. What have others done?

btw I used search and did not find my answer.

7985258_orig.jpg
 
NICE looking Tucker!

I haven't registered mine yet, but I called the county treasurer's office and they seemed perfectly okay to register it as a snowmobile. (That's the category they chose when I described a Tucker Sno Cat.)

It struck me that as long as it was legally registered, a law enforcement type might grouse a bit at it being a snowmobile, but "Hey, that's what the county wanted to call it, and who am I to question them"?
 
Go to the recorders office and play dumb...... But have the bill of sale and registration on hand as well. Tell them it's a snowmobile, as snow is what it needs to run on. Worked for me with my Snow Trac....Once a snowmobile always a snowmobile in Iowa anyway....Just don't let the licence runout!!

Regards, Kirk
 
How about if I plead ignorance here in Minnesota about a license? "Gee whiz, officer, I didn't know I needed a license for my SkiDozer?" Would I need to inform all my family about jail visiting hours?:whistling:
 
I'm not sure how the State of Montana classifies a proper snowcat like your Tucker. It is technically not a snowmobile per the MT Annotated Code which states:

*****(11) "Snowmobile" means a self-propelled vehicle of an overall width of 48 inches or less, excluding accessories, designed primarily for travel on snow or ice, that may be steered by skis or runners and that is not otherwise registered or licensed under the laws of the state of Montana.

On top of that, snowmobiles require titles to register here. I lack a title for the snow-trac so I just put the orange triangle on the back and haven't had trouble from the sherrif, border patrol, or USFS. Of course I haven't pushed my luck by crowding groomed trails either, just USFS roads and a remote, non-paved county road. Let us know what you find out if you take a crack at regitering in MT.
 
Actually a snowcat is classified as an off-highway vehicle in MT:

Machines that are wider than 48 inches and/or are not steered by skis or runners. Large snowcats that are operated on tracks with no skis or runners are titled and registered as off- highway vehicles.
 
thanks for the replies... It may end up getting registered in Wyoming which is where its summer home will be. That may be easier? Still looking into it.
 
mtmogs said:
Actually a snowcat is classified as an off-highway vehicle in MT:

Machines that are wider than 48 inches and/or are not steered by skis or runners. Large snowcats that are operated on tracks with no skis or runners are titled and registered as off- highway vehicles.
Click to expand...

Funny story related to "steered by ski" I was once told by a Warden that technically if you had a small ski attached to your steering wheel and you steered with that ski your vehicle would qualify as a Snowmobile. and hold up in court.
 
ccrob said:
We have just finished refurbing our "new to us" Tucker. Can any of you give any ideas on titling in Montana? Is it as simple as calling it a snowmobile? It's not like you put wheels back on them and use them on roads. What have others done?

btw I used search and did not find my answer.

7985258_orig.jpg
Click to expand...

That's a great Tucker... I almost picked that one up from snotrans... I was so close to pulling the trigger but held off ... so massive and awesome... you got a great deal! Looks fantastic. How about some interior shots? I have the before but would luv to see the after! :clap::clap::clap:
 
boggie said:
Funny story related to "steered by ski" I was once told by a Warden that technically if you had a small ski attached to your steering wheel and you steered with that ski your vehicle would qualify as a Snowmobile. and hold up in court.
Click to expand...

That's pretty clever. Now if we can just get past the 48" wide part. It says a snowmobile is 48" wide or less "excluding accessories." Just have to say that the tracks are accessories I guess.

Reminds me of when I went down to register my 8-wheeled Argo. The clerk asked if it was amphibious and like an idiot I said yes. He then directed me to go to the FWP as it was considered a boat and would have to have running lights, etc. I was so tempted to go through with it, because all of the trails/roads blocked to vehicle traffic have symbols showing no cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles and ATV's...but definitely nothing mentioned about boats. It would be almost worth it to scoot up one of those closed roads with the Argo and get stopped by the USFS. I would just stop, toss out my anchor, say "Ahoy!" and explain that the sign didn't say "no boats." Ahh, living with bureaucracy...
 
mtmogs said:
That's pretty clever. Now if we can just get past the 48" wide part. It says a snowmobile is 48" wide or less "excluding accessories." Just have to say that the tracks are accessories I guess.

Reminds me of when I went down to register my 8-wheeled Argo. The clerk asked if it was amphibious and like an idiot I said yes. He then directed me to go to the FWP as it was considered a boat and would have to have running lights, etc. I was so tempted to go through with it, because all of the trails/roads blocked to vehicle traffic have symbols showing no cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles and ATV's...but definitely nothing mentioned about boats. It would be almost worth it to scoot up one of those closed roads with the Argo and get stopped by the USFS. I would just stop, toss out my anchor, say "Ahoy!" and explain that the sign didn't say "no boats." Ahh, living with bureaucracy...
Click to expand...



LMAO, Maybe throw in a couple rods and reels and tell him you were looking for
for "Rock" Bass heard some where in the area?
 
300 H and H said:
Just don't let the licence runout!!Regards, Kirk
Click to expand...

Kirk,

One (of the many) benefits of living in Montana are the vehicle licensing laws. (Yes, we're kind of going round and round on the Sno Cat.) But Montana has no sales tax and registrations for boats, snowmobiles, motorcycles, trailers, etc are permanent registrations. That means when you register it you just pay the registration fee and you only pay it once. Talk about painless... And in my experience the ladies at the county treasurer's office (Powell county) who do all the registration stuff are absolutely phenomenal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top