Allamakee County Corner

by Deb Winke, Allamakee County Recorder

The renewal period for all Snowmobiles, ATVs, ORVs and ORMs started September 1. Off Highway Vehicles, which include all of the above, are renewed every year prior to December 31 to avoid penalty. The fee to renew a current OHV is $17.75.  If the OHV is not current, a $5.00 penalty applies.
All Off Highway Vehicles must display a current registration decal if operating on trails, public land or ice and have the registration certificate on board. All renewals are done by the County Recorder’s Office. Renewals can be done by mail if you return the renewal postcards that we will be sending out, or your current registration certificate along with payment to the Allamakee County Recorders Office. They can be done over the counter from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday with the same information. A $1.00 additional fee is charged for postage if done by mail.
All recreational vehicle registrations, titles, and liens, including boats, are processed on a statewide electronic system called Recreational Vehicle and Vessel Registration System or RVVRS. RVVRS renewals are only done in County Recorder Offices or online with the DNR. This statewide system was implemented in 2012.    
All newly owned machines must be registered through the County Recorder’s Office in the owner’s county of residence.
All snowmobiles, resident or non-resident, operating on public land, public ice or designated snowmobile trails are required to display a valid DNR user permit. The user permit decal must be affixed to the machine to be legal.  All user permits can be purchased starting September 1 each year and are valid for the remainder of the year plus the entire following calendar year. DNR user permits may be obtained at any license vendor  or County Recorder Office that sells hunting and fishing privileges.  The cost is $17.75.  
A nonresident must register their vehicle in their state to operate a snowmobile in Iowa. If their state does not require registration they only need to display a current user permit.
A snowmobile that was manufactured before 1984 can purchase a one-time lifetime Antique Snowmobile registration for a fee of $26.75. Registering their snowmobile as an antique snowmobile exempts the owner from an annual registration fee. But a current DNR user permit is required if it is operated on public land, public ice and/or designated snowmobile trails.
As of July 1, 2014, there is no longer a provision in Iowa law that provides for a farm registration for off-highway vehicles. The vehicles that had been registered with a farm registration before July 1 will be grandfathered and still in effect. If a vehicle is considered to be exempt from registration and sales tax due to farm use, the owner has two choices, they can choose to register with the DNR paying the regular amount of $17.75 and receive current decals, which expire December 31 of each year, or to not register the vehicle at all.  We would encourage all farm use machine owners to at least register and title their machine the first time to establish ownership.  
So once again, the renewal period for all Snowmobiles, ATVs, ORVs and ORMs started September 1 and runs through December 31, 2015.