[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Princeton as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted as Title 10, Ch. 3, of the City Code]
[1]
Editor's Note: The title of this article was changed from "Snowmobiles and All-Terrain Vehicles" to "Snowmobiles" 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021.
[Amended 2-27-2018 by Ord. No. 01-2018]
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this article, the statutory provisions describing and defining regulations with respect to snowmobiles in the following enumerated sections of the Wisconsin Statutes are hereby adopted by reference and made part of this article as if fully set forth herein. Acts required to be performed or prohibited by such statutes are required or prohibited by this article. Any future amendments, revisions or modifications of the Statutes incorporated herein by reference are intended to be made part of this Code.
350.01
Definitions
350.02
Operation of Snowmobiles on or in the Vicinity of Highways
350.03
Right-of-Way
350.04
Snowmobile Races, Derbies and Routes
350.045
Public Utility Exemption
350.047
Local Ordinance to be Filed
350.05
Operation by Youthful Operators Restricted
350.055
Safety Certification Program Established
350.07
Driving Animals
350.08
Owner Permitting Operation
350.09
Head Lamps, Tail Lamps and Brakes, Etc.
350.10
Miscellaneous Provisions for Snowmobile Operation
350.101
Intoxicated Snowmobiling
350.102
Preliminary Breath Screening Test
350.1025
Application of Intoxicated Snowmobiling Law
350.104
Chemical Tests
350.106
Report Arrest to Department
350.107
Officer's Action After Arrest for Operating a Snowmobile While Under Influence of Intoxicant
350.12
Registration of Snowmobiles
350.125
Completion of Application for Registration by Snowmobile Dealers
350.13
Uniform Trail Signs and Standards
350.15
Accidents and Accident Reports
350.17
Enforcement
350.18
Local Ordinances
350.19
Liability of Landowners
350.99
Parties to a Violation
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
No person shall operate a snowmobile in the City of Princeton upon any highway, street, alley, public parking lot or upon any private parking lot or road held out for the use of the general public for parking or vehicular travel in violation of traffic regulations made applicable by § 346.02(10), Wis. Stats., for snowmobiles.
A. 
Speed. No person shall operate a snowmobile upon any public waterway, public property, snowmobile route or trail, or upon any street or alley within the City of Princeton in excess of 15 miles per hour.
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
B. 
Unattended vehicles. No person shall leave or allow a snowmobile owned or operated by him/her to remain unattended on any public highway or public property while the motor is running or with the starting key in the ignition.
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
C. 
Operation of snowmobiles on streets, alleys and sidewalks. No person shall operate a snowmobile upon any street, alley or sidewalk within the City of Princeton at any time, except and subject to the following conditions:
(1) 
Limitations. Snowmobiles may be operated on streets, alleys or sidewalks during a period of emergency when so declared by the Mayor upon advice of the Common Council.
(2) 
Special events. Snowmobiles may be operated on streets or alleys for special snowmobile events of limited duration which are conducted according to a prearranged schedule under the permit of the Common Council of the City of Princeton.
(3) 
Special access permits.
(a) 
Any person may apply to the City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer for a permit entitling any snowmobile owned by the applicant to be operated between his/her premises and the most appropriate juncture with an authorized snowmobile route.
(b) 
Upon the payment of an amount as provided by the Schedule of Fees of Chapter 182, Fees, and presentation of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources snowmobile registration certificate for such snowmobile, the City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer shall issue a permit setting forth such appropriate route, and such snowmobile may be operated by anyone in compliance with the provisions of this article. Such permit shall be carried on such snowmobile at all times and produced by the operator thereof upon request by any lawful law enforcement officer.
[Amended 2-27-2018 by Ord. No. 01-2018]
D. 
Operation on public and private property restricted.
[Amended 2-27-2018 by Ord. No. 01-2018; 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
(1) 
No person shall operate a snowmobile upon any private property not owned or controlled by him/her within the City of Princeton without the express consent or permission of the owner.
(2) 
No person shall operate a snowmobile upon any public right-of-way, public park, or other municipal property except as authorized in § 372-5.
E. 
Age of operators.
(1) 
No person under the age of 12 years may operate a snowmobile unless accompanied by a parent or guardian or a person 18 years of age or older. Persons between 12 and 16 years of age must possess a valid snowmobile safety certificate or be accompanied by a person over 18 years of age or a person over 14 years of age holding a valid snowmobile safety certificate.
(2) 
No person 16 years of age or over may operate a snowmobile upon any street, alley or public right-of-way in the City of Princeton unless such person has a valid motor vehicle operator's license.
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
(3) 
No owner or other person having charge or control of a snowmobile may knowingly authorize or permit any person to operate the snowmobile if the person is prohibited from operating a snowmobile under Wisconsin Statutes or this article, or if the person is incapable of operating a snowmobile because of physical or mental disability or if the person is under the influence of alcohol beverages or controlled substances or a combination thereof, under the influence of any other drug to a degree which renders him/her incapable of safely operating a snowmobile.
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
(4) 
No parent or guardian of any child shall authorize or knowingly permit such child to operate a snowmobile if the child is prohibited from operating a snowmobile under Wisconsin Statutes or this article.
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
F. 
Pursuit of animals. No operator shall violate § 350.07, Wis. Stats., by driving or pursuing any animal with a snowmobile.
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
G. 
Proper lighting. Each snowmobile operator on the designated route shall see to it that his/her snowmobile is equipped with proper, operating head lamps, tail lights and brakes and other required equipment all in accord with § 350.09, Wis. Stats.
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
H. 
Miscellaneous regulations. No person shall operate a snowmobile in the following manner:
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
(1) 
At a rate of speed that is unreasonable or improper under the circumstances.
(2) 
In any careless way so as to endanger the person or property of another.
(3) 
In such a way that the exhaust of the motor makes an excessive or unusual noise.
(4) 
Without a functioning muffler.
(5) 
On the private property of another without the consent of the owner or lessee.
(6) 
On the frozen surface of public waters within 100 feet of a person not in or upon a vehicle or within 100 feet of a fishing shanty unless operated at a speed of 10 miles per hour or less.
(7) 
On a slide, ski or skating area except for purposes of servicing the area, crossing at places where marked or after stopping and yielding the right-of-way.
(8) 
On or across a cemetery, school or church property without consent of the owner.
I. 
Intoxicated snowmobiling prohibited. The restrictions of § 350.101, Wis. Stats., are hereby incorporated by reference and it shall be a violation of this section to engage in operation of a snowmobile while under the influence of an intoxicant to a degree which renders the operator to be incapable of safe snowmobile operation. In addition, §§ 350.102 through 350.107, Wis. Stats., are incorporated herein by reference for enforcement purposes against intoxicated use of a snowmobile.
J. 
Non-assumption of liability. By enacting this section designating a snowmobile route through the City, portions of which cross private properties, or frozen surfaces, the City is assuming no responsibility for any property damage or personal injuries sustained by any persons as a result of the operation of snowmobiles across those properties.
A. 
If he/she can do so without serious danger to his/her own snowmobile or to persons on board, the operator of a snowmobile involved in a snowmobile accident within the City shall stop his/her snowmobile and shall render to other persons affected thereby such assistance as may be practicable and necessary to save them from or minimize any danger caused by the accident and shall give his/her name and address and identification of his/her snowmobile to any person injured and to the owner of any property damaged in the accident.
B. 
If the snowmobile accident results in death or injury to any person or total property damage in excess of $200, every operator of a snowmobile involved in such accident shall, as soon as possible, notify the Police Department of the accident and shall, within 10 days after the accident, file a written report thereof with the department on forms prescribed by it.
C. 
If the operator of a snowmobile is physically incapable of making the report required by this section and there was another occupant on the snowmobile at the time of the accident capable of making the report, he/she shall make such report.
D. 
"Snowmobile accident" means a collision, accident or other casualty involving a snowmobile.
[Amended 5-28-2019 by Ord. No. 03-2019]
A. 
Routes designated. Except as provided herein and in §§ 350.02 and 350.045, Wis. Stats., or for snowmobile events authorized in accordance with § 350.04, Wis. Stats., no person shall operate a snowmobile upon any public right-of-way, in any public park, or on any other public municipal property in the City of Princeton except upon snowmobile trails designated by resolution by the Common Council.
(1) 
The main trail through the City of Princeton shall be the route as provided by the local Princeton Snowmobile Club.
(2) 
Access routes for use of snowmobile owners who are residents of the City of Princeton to allow travel from their residence to the main trail is the closest direct route from their residence to the designated snowmobile trail on the roadway.
B. 
Trail markers. The City of Princeton or its designee is directed and authorized to procure, erect, and maintain appropriate snowmobile routes, trail and limit signs, and markers as approved by the State Department of Natural Resources under § 350.13, Wis. Stats.
C. 
Markers to be obeyed. No person shall fail to obey any route or trail sign, marker, or limit erected in accordance with this section.
D. 
Operation of snowmobiles in the City is limited to designated route. Snowmobiles shall not be operated upon any street, highway or alley, nor upon any public property in the City subject to the following express exceptions:
(1) 
Upon the designated route.
(2) 
Upon a street, highway or alley right-of-way providing the most direct route between a snowmobile operator's place of residence in the City and the designated route. The sole reason for allowing the use of streets, highways, or alleys other than those incorporated into the designated route for snowmobile operation purposes shall be limited strictly to access to and from the designated route for snowmobile operators whose places of residence are in the City. At all times when operation on other than the designated route, snowmobile operations shall comply with speed and right-of-way limitations as set forth in §§ 350.02 and 350.03 Wis. Stats.
E. 
Rules of operation. Snowmobiles operated on designated snowmobile routes on public highways shall observe the rules of the road for motor vehicles set forth in Chapter 346, Wis. Stats., and Chapter 360, Vehicles and Traffic, of the Code of the City of Princeton, which are hereby adopted by reference and made part of this article as fully set forth herein. Any act required to be performed or prohibited by such laws as required or prohibited by this section.
F. 
Declaring trails closed. Due to weather conditions or emergency, the City of Princeton or its designee may declare snowmobile vehicle trails closed within the City.
G. 
Permit. All residents shall obtain a City permit should they wish to operate a snowmobile on any public roadway in order to gain access to a designated snowmobile trail as outlined in § 372-5A(2). The purpose of the permit is to register the snowmobiles kept in the City. There is no fee associated with the registration permit.
[Amended 2-27-2018 by Ord. No. 01-2018; 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
Any person who shall violate any provision of the entire Chapter 372 shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a forfeiture as prescribed by § 1-3 of Chapter 1, Article I, Construction and Penalties, for each and every offense, together with the costs of prosecution, provided no person shall forfeit an amount in excess of the maximum fine or forfeiture allowed in the Wisconsin Statutes for the same offense and further provided that the penalty and forfeiture for parking violations on highways shall be the amount applicable to such violations by owners or operators of motor vehicles under Chapter 360, Vehicles and Traffic, of the Code of the City of Princeton.
A. 
Uniform citation for highway violations. The uniform traffic citation promulgated under § 345.11, Wis. Stats., shall be used for violations of this article relating to highway use except as herein provided.
B. 
Parking violations. The special traffic citation described and defined in Chapter 360, Vehicles and Traffic, shall be used for enforcement of violations of rules of the road relating to parking of vehicles adopted by reference in § 372-1 of this article.
C. 
Other violations. All violations of this article not described in Subsection A or B shall be enforced in accordance with §§ 66.0114 and 66.0111, Wis. Stats. Stipulations of guilt or no contest may be made as provided in § 66.0114(1)(b), Wis. Stats., in substantially the form provided in the uniform traffic citation within five days of the date of the citation for such violation. Bail deposits may also be made under § 66.0114, Wis. Stats.
D. 
Police Department to receive stipulations and penalties. Stipulations, forfeited penalties and deposits for obtaining release from arrest authorized under this article may be accepted at the Police Department offices.
E. 
Forfeited penalties and deposits. Except as otherwise provided in § 345.26, Wis. Stats., and the deposit schedule adopted by the State Board of Circuit Court Judges thereunder, required penalties and deposits or bail not including costs or fees for violation of this article shall be as established by the schedule adopted by the Common Council.
[Adopted as Title 10, Ch. 4, of the City Code]
[1]
Editor's Note: The title of this article was changed from "Self-Propelled Vehicles and Off-Road Operation" to "Self-Propelled Vehicles and Off-Road Operations and ATVs and UTVs" by 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021.
[Amended 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021; 8-26-2022 by Ord. No. 04-2022]
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter, the statutory provisions in Chapters 23 and 340 through 348 of the Wisconsin Statutes establishing regulations with respect to all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and utility-terrain vehicles (UTV), and Ch. NR 64, Wis. Adm. Code, All-Terrain Vehicles, are hereby adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter as if fully set forth herein. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, any act required to be performed or prohibited by any statute incorporated herein by reference is required or prohibited by this chapter. Any future amendments, revisions, or modifications of the statutes or administrative codes incorporated herein are made a part of this chapter to secure uniform statewide regulation of ATVs and UTVs.
A. 
Purpose.
(1) 
The unauthorized off-road operation of motor vehicles has resulted in serious damage to public and private lands including damage or destruction of vegetation, animal life and improvement to the lands; and
(2) 
The unauthorized off-road operation of motor vehicles has resulted in the permanent scarring of land and an increase in both erosion and air pollution; and
(3) 
The unauthorized off-road operation of motor vehicles has resulted in collisions and near collisions threatening the life and safety of the operators of such vehicles as well as of other persons; and
(4) 
The unauthorized off-road operation of motor vehicles has resulted in a loss of the privacy, quietude and serenity to which the owners and users of land are rightfully entitled.
B. 
Definitions. For purposes of this section, the terms below shall be defined as follows:
MOTOR VEHICLE
For purposes of this section, any vehicle which is self-propelled and shall include but not be limited to automobiles, trucks, jeeps, vans, motorcycles, motorbikes, go-karts, motorized three-wheeled vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, mopeds, snowmobiles, dune buggies and tractors. "Motor vehicle" shall not mean any airplane, railroad train, boat, wheelchair or bicycle. A vehicle which would otherwise be defined as a "motor vehicle" under this section shall not be so defined while:
(1) 
It is being operated solely for the purpose of construction or maintenance of an improvement to land or solely for access to construction or maintenance sites provided such operation is by persons having legitimate business on such lands or sites.
(2) 
It is being operated by or at the direction of public employees or utility company employees as part of their employment duties.
(3) 
It is being operated by the holder of an easement or right of access on or over the land on which operation is occurring or the holder's employees or agents.
OFF-ROAD
Any location which:
(1) 
Is not a paved or maintained public street or alley; or
(2) 
Is not used or maintained by the owner or lessee of land as a driveway, parking lot or other way for motor vehicles; or
(3) 
Is a private trail for use only by the owner or his/her permittees for recreational or other vehicular use. Off-road shall not include any creek bed, riverbed or lake provided, however, that this Subsection shall not apply to snowmobiles or other vehicles being operated on the ice covering such creek bed, riverbed or lake.
OPERATION
The physical manipulation or activation of any of the controls of a motor vehicle necessary to put it in motion.
UNAUTHORIZED
Without the express prior consent of the owner, lessee, manager or other person authorized to give consent by the owner or lessee of land. Authorization shall not be implied from a failure to post private or public land.
C. 
Unauthorized off-road operation prohibited.
(1) 
The unauthorized off-road operation of a motor vehicle is prohibited.
(2) 
Except for authorized maintenance vehicles and snowmobiles operating in areas authorized by the Common Council, it shall be unlawful to operate any minibike, go-kart, all-terrain vehicle or any other motor-driven craft or vehicle principally manufactured for off-highway use on the City streets, alleys, parks, sidewalks, bikeways, parking lots or on any public lands or private lands or parking lots held open to the public. The operator shall at all times have the written consent of the owner before operation of such craft or vehicle on private lands.
A. 
Definitions. The following definitions shall be applicable in this section:
HIGHWAY
All public ways and thoroughfares and bridges on the same. It includes the entire highway right-of-way width, not limited to the actual traveled portion, but also includes the shoulders, ditches and other areas adjacent thereto.
MINIBIKE
Any motorized vehicle primarily used for transportation or sport, including, but not limited to, motorcycles, off-the-road trail bikes and motorized bicycles.
MOTORIZED VEHICLE
Any self-propelled device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported.
SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLES
Any motorized vehicle primarily used for off-the-road use, including but not limited to, go-carts, all-terrain vehicles and all other vehicles not registered pursuant to Chapter 341, Wis. Stats., but not snowmobiles.
B. 
Operation of minibikes and self-propelled vehicles. No person shall operate a minibike or self-propelled vehicle in the City of Princeton in the following manner:
(1) 
At a rate of speed that is unreasonable or imprudent under the circumstances.
(2) 
In any careless way so as to endanger the person or property of another.
(3) 
While under the influence of intoxicating liquor, fermented malt beverages, narcotics or other controlled substances.
(4) 
In such a way that the exhaust of the motor makes an excessive or unusual noise.
(5) 
Without a functioning muffler.
(6) 
Upon any public highway, street or alley, or upon any sidewalk or parkway in the City of Princeton unless such vehicle is registered as required by Chapter 341, Wis. Stats., and its operation and operator are specifically permitted to operate the said vehicle by the Wisconsin Statutes.
(7) 
Upon any slide, ski or skating area, except for the purposes of serving the area or crossing the places where marked.
(8) 
Upon any lands owned, operated or leased by the City of Princeton.
(9) 
Upon a cemetery, burial ground, school or church property, without the express consent of the owner.
C. 
Liability of parent or guardian. No parent or guardian of any child under the age of 18 years shall authorize or permit such child to violate any of the provisions of this section. Any child under the age of 18 years who shall operate a minibike or self-propelled device shall be presumed to be operating said vehicle under the authority of a parent or guardian.
D. 
Penalties. Any person who shall violate this section shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a forfeiture as prescribed by § 1-3 of Chapter 1, Article I, Construction and Penalties, for each and every offense, together with the costs of prosecution and in default of payment of such forfeiture and costs of prosecution shall be imprisoned in the county jail not to exceed 30 days.
[Amended 2-27-2018 by Ord. No. 01-2018]
[Added 9-28-2021 by Ord. No. 02-2021]
A. 
Routes. The City of Princeton hereby ordains all municipal streets and state highways in the City are authorized for the operation of ATV/UTV traffic.
[Amended 8-26-2022 by Ord. No. 04-2022]
B. 
Hours of operation. ATVs and UTVs may only be operated on an approved ATV route between 5:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight, year round (January 1 through December 31).
C. 
Operators shall abide by all traffic laws unless further restricted by this chapter.
D. 
No ATV or UTV shall operate at a speed greater than 35 miles per hour unless a reduced speed is otherwise required by state statute or municipal ordinance.
E. 
All ATVs and UTVs must operate with fully functional headlights, taillights and brake lights.
F. 
All ATV and UTV operators shall ride in single file on the extreme right-hand side of the paved portion of the roadway. Operation on a gravel shoulder in areas where there is not a curb/gutter is prohibited unless yielding the right-of-way.
G. 
All ATV and UTV operators and passengers under 18 years of age shall wear protective headgear while operating on roadways within the City limits.
H. 
No person under the age of 16 may operate an ATV or UTV on any portion of a municipal roadway.
[Amended 8-26-2022 by Ord. No. 04-2022]
I. 
Every person who operates an ATV or UTV on any portion of a municipal roadway shall have in his/her immediate possession a valid motor vehicle operator's license and shall display the license document upon demand from any law enforcement officer, state patrol officer, inspector under § 110.07(1), Wis. Stats., or conservation warden.
J. 
No ATV or UTV may be operated on any designated ATV route if the ATV/UTV does not meet all applicable federal noise and air pollution standards.
K. 
No person may ride in or on any part of an ATV/UTV that is not designated or intended to be used by passengers.
L. 
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a forfeiture as prescribed by § 1-3 of Chapter 1, Article I, Construction and Penalties, for each and every offense, together with the costs of prosecution, provided no person shall forfeit an amount in excess of the maximum fine or forfeiture allowed in the Wisconsin Statutes, for the same offense and further provided that the penalty and forfeiture for parking violations on highways shall be the amount applicable to such violations by owners or operators of motor vehicles under Chapter 360, Vehicles and Traffic, of the Code of the City of Princeton.
[Amended 8-26-2022 by Ord. No. 04-2022]
M. 
Enforcement.
(1) 
This chapter shall be enforced by any officer employed by the City of Princeton, the Green Lake County Sheriff's Office, or any other law enforcement official as set forth in § 23.33(12), Wis. Stats.
(2) 
Uniform citation for highway violations. The uniform traffic citation promulgated under § 345.11, Wis. Stats., shall be used for violations of this article relating to highway use except as herein provided.
(3) 
Parking violations. The special traffic citation described and defined in Chapter 360, Vehicles and Traffic, shall be used for enforcement of violations of rules of the road relating to parking of vehicles adopted by reference in § 372-1 of this chapter.
(4) 
Other violations. All violations of this article not described in Subsection M(2) or (3) shall be enforced in accordance with §§ 66.0114 and 66.0111, Wis. Stats. Stipulations of guilt or no contest may be made as provided in § 66.0114 (1)(b), Wis. Stats., in substantially the form provided in the uniform traffic citation within five days of the date of the citation for such violation. Bail deposits may also be made under § 66.0114, Wis. Stats.
(5) 
Police Department to receive stipulations and penalties. Stipulations, forfeited penalties and deposits for obtaining release from arrest authorized under this article may be accepted at the Police Department.
(6) 
Forfeiture penalties and deposits. Except otherwise provided in § 345.26, Wis. Stats., and the deposit schedule adopted by the State Board of Circuit Court Judges thereunder, required penalties and deposits or bail not including costs or fees for violation of this article shall be established by the schedule adopted by the Common Council.