The 2015-2016 winter will bring a new snowmobile registration system to Wisconsin. You will need a snowmobile registration and a trail pass.
The way that the system is set up the trail pass money ends up going to the building and maintenance of trails. AWSC club members get discounted trail passes, so it encourages people to join snowmobile clubs. In the end the clubs get more money for trails and more members.
The WI registration is $30 for three years. The trail pass will be available from the DNR and at registration stations. They are $30 per year. Again you need both a registration and a trail pass.
Instead of giving the DNR $30 for that trail pass you can join an AWSC member snowmobile club and get trail passes for $10 per snowmobile through the AWSC. Usually a club membership is about $20, so it is even money on the first trail pass and you save $20 per trail pass on the rest of your sleds.
It is important to get started early to get the AWSC deal. You need to join a club, get the AWSC number, and buy the trail pass from their web site.
Non-residents will need a valid registration from their state and a non-resident trail pass ($50 per snowmobile).
Non-residents can register their snowmobiles in WI and get the same deal as residents.
Here is a link to a WI DNR web page on the new registration system.
http://dnr.wi.gov/permits/snowtrailpass.htm
Here is a link to the AWSC information page..
https://www.awsc.org/About-Us/WI-Trail-Pass-Info/WI-Trail-Pass-Q-A.aspx
Here is a link to purchase the trail passes after you have joined a club..
https://www.awsc.org/Trail-Pass-Registration/Order-Passes-Online.aspx