A Non-Groomed Permit at $75

A $75 non-groomed permit can be a practical choice if your New Brunswick rides are on trails that are not groomed for winter use. The important question is not only what the sticker costs, but where it lets you ride, when those trails are open and what other documents you need. Here’s how to assess the permit before you buy.

What the $75 non-groomed permit covers

A trail permit is permission to use participating club trails under the applicable trail rules. It is not the same as vehicle registration, insurance or permission to ride anywhere in the province. Each serves a different purpose, and one does not replace the others.

The non-groomed permit is intended for access to non-groomed trails. In broad terms, these are trails maintained for riding without the grooming associated with the winter trail network. A trail may still be marked, managed and maintained by a club even if it is not groomed. Non-groomed does not mean unmanaged or open in every condition.

The listed price for this permit is $75. Treat that as a price to verify before purchasing, rather than a guarantee that the amount will always be current. Permit prices and the details of a permit program can change. Check with the trail federation, a participating club or an authorized seller before you pay. For a wider comparison of permit types and their listed prices, see [New Brunswick Trail Permit Cost in 2026] and [New Brunswick Groomed vs Non-Groomed Permits].

The practical value of a non-groomed permit depends on your plans. It may suit you if:

• You mainly ride during seasons when non-groomed trails are available.
• The routes you want to use are part of the non-groomed network.
• You do not need the additional season covered by a groomed permit.
• The difference in permitted access matches the trails near your home, camp or usual riding area.

It may be a poor fit if your regular rides depend on groomed winter routes or if you expect a single permit type to cover every trail you might encounter. Before choosing, check the trail information for the area you plan to ride, not just the permit name.

Question	Non-groomed permit	Groomed permit
Main distinction	Access to non-groomed trails	Includes access associated with groomed trails
Listed price to verify	$75	$145
Best fit	Riders whose planned routes and season suit the non-groomed network	Riders who need access to groomed trails as well
What it does not replace	Registration, insurance or local permission	Registration, insurance or local permission

The comparison is about permit category, not a promise that a particular trail is open. Trail access can depend on the route, its operating season, current closures and club notices. Review What a Three-Season Trail Means in Practice if you are trying to understand how a non-groomed season differs from a four-season option.

A permit also does not make an ATV or UTV legal to ride on a public road. Road use is governed by separate rules and can depend on the road, local bylaws and any required authorization. A sticker for a trail network should be understood as trail access, not general road access.

How to decide whether non-groomed is the right choice

Start with where you actually expect to ride. A lower permit price is not much of a saving if it does not give you access to the routes you plan to use. Make a short list of the areas you want to visit, then check whether those routes are in the non-groomed network and whether they are open during your intended riding period.

Do not rely on the word “non-groomed” alone to tell you the condition or difficulty of a trail. A trail that is not groomed may still have rough ground, water crossings, narrow sections, exposed rock or seasonal restrictions. Weather, maintenance and local conditions also affect whether a route is suitable. Check for current information before setting out and be prepared to change plans if a corridor is closed.

A simple decision process can help:

1. Choose your likely riding season. List the months or conditions when you expect to ride. Do not assume that every trail is open all year.
2. Identify your routes. Use current trail maps and club notices to locate the corridors you want to use.
3. Check the permit category. Confirm that each planned route is covered by the non-groomed permit, rather than assuming that every marked trail accepts every permit.
4. Compare the extra access. If you also need groomed trails, compare the non-groomed option with the groomed permit. The listed groomed price is $145, but confirm current figures and coverage before buying.
5. Confirm how the permit applies to your machine. Ask whether it is assigned to one machine and what to do if you change machines or ride more than one.
6. Check all separate requirements. Make sure the machine is properly registered and insured for the riding you intend to do, and carry the required documents.

The trail network and the permit are only part of the decision. Your trip may involve a club corridor, a public road, a private woodlot or a connecting route that is not part of the permit network. Each can have separate access conditions. A permit does not override a landowner’s restrictions or a closure notice.

If you usually ride only one local area, ask the local club which permit category is appropriate for the trails it maintains. For longer rides, check all the regions on your route. A permit that suits a familiar loop may not answer the access question for a trip into another part of the province.

The New Brunswick Groomed Trail Permit and New Brunswick’s Non-Groomed Trail Permit can help clarify the distinction between the categories. For a more direct purchase comparison, Which Riders Are Better Off on a Non-Groomed Permit focuses on the kind of riding that may make the lower-cost option a better match.

What the permit does not replace

A common source of confusion is treating “registered,” “insured” and “permitted” as if they were interchangeable. They are separate requirements. Before riding a club trail, check each one.

Registration concerns the machine and its legal identification. A trail permit does not register an ATV or UTV, and a registration certificate does not provide access to club trails. For a general registration overview, see New Brunswick ORV Registration Explained.

Insurance is another separate matter. Trail access does not establish that your machine has the required coverage. Confirm the applicable insurance rules for your vehicle and how you plan to ride. Keep proof available in the way the rules require. If you need a closer look at riding on trails, see New Brunswick Requires Insurance on Trails.

Trail access comes from the applicable permit and is limited by the terms of the trail system. It does not grant access to every road, private property, Crown land or recreational area. Check land access and route conditions separately.

Safety and operating rules still apply. A permit does not excuse a rider from helmet, age, passenger, speed, equipment or road-crossing requirements. The rules can vary with the rider’s age and the type of place being ridden. If your route may include a road, check New Brunswick ATV Road Rules Explained rather than assuming that a trail permit authorizes the connection.

Vehicle suitability matters, too. A trail may have a bridge limit, a narrow section or a condition that makes it unsuitable for a particular machine or riding group. A permit does not guarantee that every route is appropriate for every vehicle. Use trail notices and sound judgment, and do not ride around barriers or closures.

Before leaving, check that you can produce the documents required for your trip. Registration, insurance proof, a trail permit and any relevant safety certificate are not the same document. Requirements about what to carry and how to show it can matter during an inspection. Four Things to Carry on a New Brunswick Trail is a useful companion when preparing your machine and paperwork.

If you are buying a permit for a second ATV or UTV, do not assume one sticker or permit can be moved freely between machines. Verify the rules before placing it. The permit may be linked to the machine or its identifying details, and moving a sticker without permission could leave the second machine without valid access. Check [New Brunswick Permit for a Second Machine] if you have more than one vehicle in the household.

Buying the permit and preparing to ride

The permit may be available through participating clubs, dealers or other authorized sellers. Availability and purchase procedures can vary, so confirm where you can buy it and what information you need to provide. If you prefer to buy locally, a club can also be a useful place to ask about nearby trail access and current conditions. See How to Buy a New Brunswick Trail Permit for the purchase routes to check.

Before paying, ask the seller or club to confirm:

• That the permit is the non-groomed type you intend to buy.
• Which trails and operating seasons it covers.
• Whether the permit is associated with a particular machine.
• How and where to attach the sticker.
• What to do if the sticker is damaged or lost.
• Whether any reciprocity applies to the places you plan to ride.
• Which documents you need to carry.

Follow the sticker placement instructions rather than choosing a convenient spot on your own. A sticker that is poorly placed may be hard to inspect, become damaged or fail to meet the system’s requirements. The placement guidance in [New Brunswick Permit Placement on a Machine] can help you check the correct location before attaching it. If you make a mistake, do not assume you can simply peel it off and transfer it; contact the seller or permit administrator for direction.

Keep your purchase confirmation and any paperwork that accompanies the permit. If a sticker is unreadable, peels off or is damaged, find out how replacement works before the next ride. Do not use a damaged sticker as a reason to ride without confirming whether it remains valid. [New Brunswick Permit Replacement If Lost] covers the steps to check when a sticker goes missing.

Plan the ride as carefully as the purchase. Download or save the route information you need before entering an area where cellular service may be limited. Check for closures, maintenance work, weather impacts and route changes. If a trail is closed, respect the closure even if your permit is current. The permit gives access under the trail system’s conditions; it is not permission to bypass a blocked section.

For a day trip, give someone your route and expected return time, carry suitable clothing and basic equipment, and consider what you will do if a machine breaks down. Remote trail riding can involve long distances from services. The cost of the permit is a small part of the trip-planning question; knowing the route and being prepared are just as important.

Reciprocity, membership and changes in plans

A permit’s relationship to other places is often called reciprocity. In practical terms, reciprocity may allow a rider with a permit from one jurisdiction to use certain trails elsewhere, subject to the participating systems’ rules. It should not be read as a universal pass for every trail or every province.

If you plan to ride outside New Brunswick, check the current agreement for the destination and the exact permit you hold. Agreements can change, and a permit accepted in one neighbouring jurisdiction may not be accepted in another. Confirm before travelling, especially if you are crossing a provincial or international border. The pages on New Brunswick Reciprocity With Nova Scotia and [New Brunswick Reciprocity With PEI] can help you identify what to verify for those destinations. Riders considering Quebec or Maine should check the current arrangements rather than relying on an old sticker, a friend’s past trip or an outdated map.

Membership benefits can be connected to buying a trail permit, but the details should be confirmed with the organization selling it. A permit price may include membership in a club or federation, or the permit may be linked to membership in another way. Ask what the purchase includes and whether it applies to the particular permit you are buying. New Brunswick Permit Equals Membership explains why this connection matters to riders.

If your plans change after you buy, contact the permit seller or administrator before moving the sticker to another machine or assuming that a refund is available. Transfer and refund policies are separate from the general trail-access rules. A permit intended for one machine may not automatically transfer with ownership, and a new owner may need to complete their own purchase process. See New Brunswick Permit Transfers Between Machines for the transfer issue and [Refunds on a New Brunswick Groomed Trail Permit] for refund questions.

The simplest approach is to treat a non-groomed permit as one part of a ride-ready checklist: confirm the price and coverage, check route access and operating dates, make sure the machine’s registration and insurance are in order, and carry the documents required for your ride. If anything is unclear, ask the club or seller before you set out. That is easier than discovering at a trailhead that the permit category, sticker or paperwork does not match your plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the non-groomed permit always $75?

The listed price is $75, but permit prices can change. Confirm the current amount and the permit’s coverage with an authorized seller or the trail organization before buying.

Does a non-groomed permit allow winter riding?

The permit category alone does not guarantee winter access. Check the operating season and current status of the specific trail. Non-groomed trails are not the same as groomed winter trails.

Does the permit replace ATV or UTV registration?

No. Trail permission, vehicle registration and insurance are separate requirements. Check that each is in order before riding.

Can I use one permit on two machines?

Do not assume so. Confirm whether the permit is associated with a particular machine and whether transfer or use on a second vehicle is allowed.

Can I ride outside New Brunswick with this permit?

Possibly, where a current reciprocity arrangement applies, but acceptance depends on the destination and its rules. Verify before travelling.

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.