Committee hears mixed testimony on bill to raise snowmobile registration fees

Committee staff explained SB 5234 would raise annual snowmobile registration fees from $50 to $75 and the vintage fee from $12 to $18, effective Sept. 30, 2026, with an estimated one-time systems cost of about $19,000 and roughly $500,000 in added annual revenue. The fee deposits to the snowmobile account administered by Washington State Parks.

Brian Considine, external and legislative relations director for Washington State Parks, said the program supports 89 motorized snow parks and 2,300 miles of designated trails; Parks has seen registrations drop and closed 14 parks because of funding shortfalls. ‘‘This is a user fee,’’ Considine said, and the increase would support grooming, sanitation and enforcement contracts.

Justinian Davis (chair, Snowmobile Advisory Committee), Dean Meakin (president, Washington State Snowmobile Association) and other proponents said the program needs stable revenue and that many clubs and users support targeted increases. By contrast, Greg Figg, a club president, opposed the method of raising the funds, arguing the program’s decline and the prevalence of unregistered snowmobiles require a broader program overhaul rather than a single, steep fee hike.

No committee action or vote was recorded; the hearing closed after public testimony.