Snowmobile advocates tell Senate Transportation tougher fines and better tracking would improve safety and compliance
January 31, 2026 | Senate Transportation, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont
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Cindy Locke, executive director of the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST), told the Senate Transportation committee on Jan. 30 that higher fines and better enforcement are tools to improve safety and compliance among snowmobile users.
"They'd rather chance coming to Vermont and getting a ticket because the ticket for no registration or no trail pass is a little over $200," Locke said, explaining that regular season trail passes cost about $1.95 to $2.35 and that the price differential can encourage noncompliance by out‑of‑state riders. Locke said VAST has been discussing a fine increase for no registration and for missing trail passes to encourage legal, insured riding.
Locke described VAST’s enforcement funding and reporting: Vermont statute directs $5 from each Vermont registration into VAST’s law enforcement program, and Locke estimated VAST’s enforcement budget at about $106,000. She said ticket receipts are modest — "we make about $10,000 a year," which VAST uses to contract with law enforcement and to award equipment grants.
The group tracks who issues tickets and compiles invoices and reports from contractors; Locke said VAST maintains an in‑house Salesforce database tied to its financial system and has QR codes on every trail pass so officers can verify purchases in real time. She reported roughly 20,000 VAST members and roughly 800 tickets in a recent year, though she said annual counts vary with winter conditions.
On safety, Locke described a statewide safety‑ambassador program (about 40 volunteers), a zero‑alcohol policy on trails and close coordination with state police, fish and wildlife, sheriffs and some municipal departments to patrol and respond to incidents. Locke said most accidents involve riders going beyond their skill or riding while impaired, rather than structural trail failures.
Locke offered to provide additional information and asked committee members to consider the public safety argument in weighing any changes to fines. No committee vote took place; Locke and committee staff agreed to follow up with additional data if requested.
"They'd rather chance coming to Vermont and getting a ticket because the ticket for no registration or no trail pass is a little over $200," Locke said, explaining that regular season trail passes cost about $1.95 to $2.35 and that the price differential can encourage noncompliance by out‑of‑state riders. Locke said VAST has been discussing a fine increase for no registration and for missing trail passes to encourage legal, insured riding.
Locke described VAST’s enforcement funding and reporting: Vermont statute directs $5 from each Vermont registration into VAST’s law enforcement program, and Locke estimated VAST’s enforcement budget at about $106,000. She said ticket receipts are modest — "we make about $10,000 a year," which VAST uses to contract with law enforcement and to award equipment grants.
The group tracks who issues tickets and compiles invoices and reports from contractors; Locke said VAST maintains an in‑house Salesforce database tied to its financial system and has QR codes on every trail pass so officers can verify purchases in real time. She reported roughly 20,000 VAST members and roughly 800 tickets in a recent year, though she said annual counts vary with winter conditions.
On safety, Locke described a statewide safety‑ambassador program (about 40 volunteers), a zero‑alcohol policy on trails and close coordination with state police, fish and wildlife, sheriffs and some municipal departments to patrol and respond to incidents. Locke said most accidents involve riders going beyond their skill or riding while impaired, rather than structural trail failures.
Locke offered to provide additional information and asked committee members to consider the public safety argument in weighing any changes to fines. No committee vote took place; Locke and committee staff agreed to follow up with additional data if requested.
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