It has been my pet peeve for some 21 years with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department that the laws surrounding drivers with suspended driver’s licenses did not have a more stringent penalty for operating on our trails. On January 1, 2025, that will all change with the inception of an enhanced penalty for driving a snowmobile with a suspended driver’s license.
Members of the New Hampshire House and Senate all agreed that there was a need to mirror the snowmobile laws to the motor vehicle laws. Changing this law makes the fines and consequences for driving under suspension more of a deterrent.
Everyone who operates a snowmobile is required to have a valid driver’s license or OHRV/Snowmobile safety certificate. The safety certificate is valid from 12 years of age until the driver’s license takes the place of the safety certificate after the operator turns 16 years of age.
Currently, the penalty for driving a snowmobile with a suspended driver’s license is a $187 fine. On January 1, 2025, this fine will increase to $250 for the first offense. A subsequent offense within seven years will now become a misdemeanor crime carrying a minimum of a $500 fine.
The offense will also show up on your criminal record. Anyone whose driver’s license is suspended for a driving while intoxicated offense would currently, and in the future, be subject to a misdemeanor offense and penalties.
The enhancement of this law is an effort to keep our trails safer. If drivers are not allowed to operate on roadways, why would we want them operating on our trails? Finally, my pet peeve has been laid to rest and the conservation officers of this state have more teeth in their arsenal to keep the beautiful trails of this state safer for law abiding users.
You must be logged in to post a comment.