Is Snowmobile Insurance Required?
Written by
Christine Lacagnina has written thousands of insurance-based articles for TrustedChoice.com by authoring consumable, understandable content.
Reviewed by
Cara Carlone is a licensed P&C agent with 20 years of experience. She has her P&C license in RI and TX and holds CPCU, API, and AINS designations.
Snowmobiles provide winter enthusiasts with plenty of recreational and competition opportunities. While these special vehicles can provide exciting and rewarding experiences, they can also pose huge potential hazards to you and your family without the right protection. Fortunately, a snowmobile insurance policy can help cover your risks like liability, theft, vandalism, and more. It's also important to be aware that snowmobile insurance may actually be required where you live.
An independent insurance agent can help you get matched to the right snowmobile insurance policy. They'll help you get set up with the ideal amount of coverage for your unique snowmobile. But first, here's a deep dive into snowmobile insurance, including if and when it's required.
Is Snowmobile Insurance Required with Ownership?
Whether snowmobile insurance is required depends largely on where you live. A handful of states require you to have at least liability insurance for your snowmobile, including the following:
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
- New York
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
Other states may make snowmobile insurance optional, but you'll often need a trail permit before you can have access to local trails. Trail permits must be purchased by the rider, and costs vary by location.
Why Should You Get Snowmobile Insurance If It's Not Required?
Expenses related to any property damage or bodily injury caused to third parties by your snowmobile would have to come out of your own pocket if you didn't purchase snowmobile insurance. About 200 deaths and 14,000 injuries are reported to be caused by snowmobile accidents every year.
Without coverage, you'd also be responsible for all costs to repair your snowmobile if it got physically damaged in an accident or to replace it entirely if it was stolen. These costs alone can make having snowmobile insurance worth it, even if it's not required by your state. An independent insurance agent can further explain why having snowmobile insurance is critical before you ride.
Are Snowmobiles Covered by My Homeowners Insurance?
Snowmobiles are typically not covered by a homeowners insurance or renters insurance policy. However, you may have a couple of options to get coverage for your sled.
Snowmobiles are sometimes covered by motorcycle insurance policies, depending on the insurance company. You may also be able to find a combination of ATV insurance and snowmobile insurance in a single policy from a local carrier.
What Does Snowmobile Insurance Cover?
Snowmobile insurance is meant to protect not only your special vehicle but also your liability as its owner and operator. Policies can vary based on your unique needs, but the basics covered by snowmobile insurance often include:
- Bodily injury and property damage liability: These coverages can help reimburse you for legal fees in case you cause injury or personal property damage to a third party with your snowmobile, and they sue you.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This coverage can reimburse you if a third party causes a collision with your snowmobile and doesn't carry any or enough insurance of their own to cover their portion of the damage.
- Collision coverage: This pays for damage to your snowmobile from a collision with another object, regardless of fault.
- Comprehensive coverage: This pays for damage to your snowmobile due to a non-collision event such as a flood or theft.
- Towing and roadside assistance coverage: This coverage can help pay for emergency services if you're stranded on the trail with a dead battery or due to another disaster.
- Medical payments coverage: This can pay for necessary medical treatments to you and/or your passengers after a snowmobile accident, regardless of fault.
- Accessories coverage: This coverage can help reimburse you for damage to other items related to your snowmobile, such as a trailer, and for theft of your other equipment, like helmets.
An independent insurance agent can help you customize a snowmobile insurance policy to best meet your needs.
Repair vs. Replacement Costs
You might be reimbursed differently for repair or replacement costs for your snowmobile than you would be for a car under auto insurance. Consider if your snowmobile got cosmetically damaged to the point that its repairs would exceed the snowmobile's value. Your insurance company might limit the reimbursement you can receive and only pay to repair your snowmobile or equipment to the point of being functional but not restored to its cosmetic status as it was before the damage.
Generally, if a snowmobile incident results in a total loss, the insurance company would pay out the actual value of the snowmobile, which factors in depreciation rather than the replacement cost. Some insurance companies may offer replacement value as an endorsement during the first year or two. Work together with an independent insurance agent to get matched to a snowmobile insurance policy that includes the option for replacement value if this is important to you.
The Importance of Comprehensive Coverage
Having comprehensive coverage under your snowmobile insurance can help you receive reimbursement for incidents that aren't collision-related. Many potential disasters, like fires, theft, vandalism, collisions with deer or other large animals, and storm damage, aren't covered by collision coverage. Having comprehensive coverage can help ensure that you get to repair or replace your snowmobile after a much wider variety of incidents.
Without comprehensive coverage, you'd have a much greater likelihood of having to cover the cost of a disaster involving your snowmobile out of your own pocket. Your independent insurance agent can help you find a snowmobile insurance policy that includes comprehensive coverage or add this important protection to your policy if you don't have it already.
Do I Need Coverage Year-Round for a Snowmobile?
Having a year-round snowmobile policy helps offer the best protection possible. Because theft and other incidents can still occur in the off-seasons when your snowmobile isn't in use, the additional cost of a year-round policy can easily be worth it. If you need to transport your snowmobile to another location without riding it, snowmobile policies can provide coverage for incidents that occur during their transport as well.
Having the right kind of snowmobile insurance can help you keep enjoying your ride for many years to come. You'll need to make sure to get a policy with every type of coverage that matches your unique needs. An independent insurance agent is your greatest ally when it comes to helping you find the coverage you deserve at the most affordable rate possible.
How Much Does Snowmobile Insurance Cost?
Snowmobile insurance isn't typically expensive, especially considering the cost of coverage vs. the cost to replace your snowmobile if it was deemed a total loss. Snowmobile insurance policies are available for an average of just $200 per year.
However, the cost of your coverage can vary depending on the following factors:
- Make and model of the snowmobile
- Your location
- Total value of the snowmobile
- Your prior claims history
- Coverage limits and deductibles
An independent insurance agent can help you find affordable snowmobile insurance near you.
Other Important Considerations for Snowmobile Insurance
Snowmobile policies are much narrower than auto insurance policies, even though snowmobiles are a special type of vehicle themselves. Snowmobile policies may have certain restrictions to them that vary by insurance company, including:
- Drivers of a certain age
- Certain members of the household
- Other drivers who do not live in the household
So, one person’s snowmobile policy may cover them and all other members of their household who want to use the vehicle, while another driver’s policy may not.
Also, someone’s snowmobile policy may allow other friends, relatives, or neighbors to operate the vehicle, while other policies absolutely restrict any drivers not belonging to the same household. Be sure to get familiar with your specific policy’s restrictions before you hit the trails.
Get Snowmobile Coverage
Our independent agents shop around to find you the best coverage.
Why Choose an Independent Insurance Agent?
Independent insurance agents simplify the process by shopping and comparing insurance quotes for you. They have access to multiple insurance companies, ultimately finding you the best snowmobile insurance coverage, accessibility, and competitive pricing while working for you. And down the road, they can help you update your coverage and even file snowmobile insurance claims for you.
FAQs about Snowmobile Insurance
Snowmobile insurance typically covers the individual or the owner of the vehicle, their spouse and family members, and the vehicle itself. Snowmobile insurance policies may also provide coverage on non-owned machines.
For example, your policy may allow coverage in the event your neighbor borrows it, but it might not. The owner of the snowmobile should always be covered regardless of the specific policy, but other drivers may not be.
Snowmobile insurance can be sold in two different ways. Insurance companies may package a snowmobile policy in either of the following manners:
- By selling you a special auto insurance policy for a “miscellaneous vehicle.” Anywhere the policy lists this wording, for example, it’s simply replaced by “snowmobile.”
- By rewriting a new policy with completely different wording and extra bells and whistles.
The way your specific insurance company writes your snowmobile insurance policy might affect the coverage you get from it. That’s why it’s so important to work closely together with your independent insurance agent to find a policy that offers exactly the kind of coverage you’re looking for.
If you have a snowmobile insurance policy and your snowmobile gets stolen, that coverage would respond first. Your homeowners policy might or might not cover a stolen snowmobile.
If you have homeowners insurance but not snowmobile insurance, the coverage may be limited if your snowmobile gets stolen from your home. There are too many limitations for special vehicles under homeowners insurance to know the answer without reviewing your specific policy.
Make sure to check with your independent insurance agent about whether or not your homeowners insurance would cover your snowmobile at home or elsewhere. If you’re worried about the replacement value of your snowmobile if something happens to it, the best course of action is just to get coverage for it. Better to be safe than sorry when working with expensive equipment rather than have to pay costs out of pocket for it later.
Snowmobile operator minimum age requirements vary by state. Each state has its own operational laws regarding the use of special vehicles like snowmobiles.
For example, in Texas, starting at age 14, you can operate one as long as you take an approved motor safety class. But once you turn 18, you’re no longer required to take the class and obtain a safety certificate to operate a snowmobile. Review your area’s laws before looking into getting a snowmobile.
No, auto insurance won’t cover your snowmobile while it’s being transported somewhere in your car. However, your homeowners insurance policy might.
Homeowners insurance provides coverage for personal property stored in your car, even if you’re away from home. However, there may be exclusions or limits that prevent your snowmobile from being fully covered. Review your specific policy with your independent insurance agent to be sure.
https://www.progressive.com/answers/snowmobile-insurance-101/
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