(1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, no person shall operate, nor have in his possession at any staging area, any snowmobile within the state unless such snowmobile has been registered and numbered in accordance with the provisions of this article. The division is authorized to assign identification numbers and register snowmobiles.

(b) The division shall employ snowmobile agents, including dealers and licensing agents serving as such for the division, for snowmobile registration pursuant to section 33-12-104. The agents shall take the registration application and issue a temporary registration and shall forward the application to the division, which shall issue the registration. Snowmobile dealers employed as licensing agents for snowmobile registration are authorized to issue annual registrations and shall retain a commission of up to one dollar, as authorized by the division, for each registration issued.

(2) (a) Every dealer shall require a purchaser of a new or used snowmobile sold at retail from the dealer's inventory to complete a registration application and pay the registration fee before the snowmobile leaves the dealer's premises, except for those snowmobiles purchased for use exclusively outside of this state. Any dealer who does not comply with this paragraph (a) is guilty of a class 2 petty offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars.

(b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 95, p. 339, § 5, effective July 1, 1995.)

(c) Each snowmobile owned by a dealer for rental purposes shall be registered pursuant to this section upon payment of an owner's fee as provided in paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section.

(3) (a) For all or any part of a year beginning October 1 and ending September 30, the original and each renewal registration fee to be paid by an owner must be in the amount specified by the commission by rule.

(b) The fee for replacement of a lost, mutilated, or destroyed registration or validation decal shall be as specified in section 33-12-101.

(4) (a) For each year beginning October 1 and ending September 30 or portion of the year for which the registration is made, the amount of the registration fee for all snowmobiles owned by a dealer or manufacturer that are operated for demonstration or testing purposes only must be in the amount specified by the commission by rule.

(b) Dealer and manufacturer registrations are not transferable and shall be distinguished by appropriate means by the division from the registration required for owners other than dealers and manufacturers.

(5) A registration certificate shall be issued without the payment of a fee for snowmobiles owned by the state of Colorado or a political subdivision thereof upon application therefor.

(6) No registration under this section is required for the following snowmobiles:

(a) Snowmobiles owned by any agency of theUnited States, another state, or a political subdivision of either, when such ownership is clearly displayed on the machine;

(b) Snowmobiles owned by a resident of another state or country if such snowmobiles are covered by a valid license of such other state or country and such snowmobiles have not been within this state for more than thirty consecutive days;

(c) Snowmobiles used strictly on private property for private, noncommercial purposes;

(d) Snowmobiles used only in sanctioned snowmobile races, including any racing snowmobile brought into the state which is exempt from registration in the state where the owner of said snowmobile resides.

(7) (Deleted by amendment, L. 95, p. 339, § 5, effective July 1, 1995.)

(8) All registrations shall expire at the end of the year for which issued. Application for renewal of registration for the succeeding year shall be made at such time and in such manner as the division shall prescribe.

(9) Any person who operates a snowmobile in violation of this section is guilty of a class 2 petty offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of fifty dollars.