Trail permits & registration
Two things make a snowmobile legal on Michigan's designated trails: a current registration and a trail permit. Both are easy. Riding without them is not.
The short version
- Registration: your sled must be registered (Michigan or your home state/province) and display the decal.
- Trail permit: required on state-designated snowmobile trails. Buy it through the Michigan DNR's license system or from a local agent, dealer, or club — many U.P. gas stations sell them.
- Where the money goes: permit dollars fund the grooming program — the fuel, machines, and repairs behind the trails you ride. When a club grooms your favorite run, your permit helped pay for it.
Prices and rules are set by the state and can change — check the Michigan DNR for the current season's permit price before you buy, and carry the permit on the sled, not in your wallet.
Riding in from Wisconsin?
Michigan and Wisconsin both run border trails. A Michigan trail permit covers Michigan trails; Wisconsin riding needs Wisconsin's own pass. Our western U.P. town pages flag the border crossings riders ask about.