NYS Child Snowmobile Laws

S 25.19 Operation by youthful operators.

1. Age of operator.

• (a) No person under the age of ten years shall operate a snowmobile except upon lands owned or leased by his parent or guardian, unless he is accompanied by a person over eighteen years of age or a person over fourteen years of age who holds a snowmobile safety certificate. "Leased lands" as herein used shall not include lands leased by an organization of which said operator or his parent or guardian is a member.
• (b) A person under ten years of age may operate a snowmobile when
  accompanied by a person specified in paragraph (a) on unplowed highways designated for snowmobile use pursuant to section 25.05. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a person under ten years of age shall not operate a snowmobile elsewhere on or across a highway at any time.
• (c) A person who is at least ten years of age but who has not attained
  his eighteenth birthday shall have the same right of operation as a
  person under ten years of age, except as provided in subdivision two.
  

2. Snowmobile safety certificate. A person ten years of age but less than eighteen years of age who has received safety training as prescribed by the commissioner and has received the appropriate snowmobile safety certificate issued by the commissioner may operate a snowmobile in the same manner as a person who is eighteen years of age or older.

3. Exhibition of certificate. The failure of such a youthful operator to exhibit a snowmobile safety certificate upon demand to any magistrate or any other officer having authority to enforce the provisions of this article shall not be an offense, but shall be presumptive evidence that such person is not the holder of such certificate.

4. No owner of a snowmobile shall authorize or permit the operation thereof within the state by any person in violation of the provisions of this section.

S 25.21 Responsibility for operation by minors.

1. No owner or other person in possession of any snowmobile shall authorize or knowingly permit any person under eighteen years of age to operate such a snowmobile in violation of any provision of this article, the rules and regu-
lations of the commissioner, or the provisions of any local law or ordinance.

2. No parent or guardian shall authorize or knowingly permit his or her child or ward, if under eighteen years of age, to operate a snowmobile in violation of any provision of this article, the rules or regulations of the office, or the provisions of any local law or ordinance.