Warner
Member
I sent the following inquiry to the Illinois DMV on their web-form. In the past I have gotten fairly quick replies to such inquiries. I sent this on Friday and as of now (Tuesday morning) I have not gotten a response yet. I'm very interested to see what they say. I saw several cops (including a state cop) on my way home from work yesterday. Usually if I see them first, I let off the throttle, idle, and pedal until I'm clear from them....just to avoid any unneccessary hassle. There have been times where they passed me from behind (when I've been going 30+ and not pedaling) and so far I haven't had a problem. I do obey all the traffic laws, wear a helmet/gloves, and have a flashing tail light (and headlight that I use when it's dark or kind of dark). Anyway, here's my letter:
"I have a question regarding motor-assisted bicycles. I want to make sure that I’m legal, and thought that registering it as a moped would be the correct way. I was told by a fellow rider who contacted you (the IL DMV) that he was told the following:
You cannot register a bicycle as a moped at all in Illinois, because Illinois will only register vehicles that have a (standard-format 17-digit) VIN. Bicycles don't have VINs, and you can't make one up--the prefix has to be one assigned to a vehicle manufacturer registered with the federal Dept. of Transportation.
Also, the bearing of a VIN indicates that the motor vehicle qualifies as some current federal classification of motor vehicle (this is the only way it can legally be applied to any vehicle) and a bicycle won't qualify in any federal classifications of motor vehicles. This is why bicycle manufacturing standards are regulated by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, and not the Department of Transportation.
To register a vehicle you either need an existing title, a title record (in the case of applying for a lost title) or a MCO (Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin, in the case of a new vehicle). To get a title your bicycle would need a VIN (which you can't get for it) and to get an MCO it would have had to qualify into some federal motor vehicle specification (and bicycles won't qualify in any federal motor vehicle class).
There is a provision in the motorcycle codes that says that "any vehicle which does not have a VIN shall be issued one by the state", but if you ask about this (as I did) the DMV will tell you that they will only do this for vintage and antique vehicles that qualified as motor vehicles at the time of their manufacture.
A motorized bicycle with an engine that falls under the moped restrictions (2 hp or <50cc or 30 mph level top speed) is still considered a bicycle, and as far as the state is concerned doesn't require that you hold any license, or maintain registration or insurance.
Furthermore, Motor vehicle insurance in IL won't cover a motorized bicycle at all, because in IL, auto insurance policies are not required to cover vehicles that are not titled or registered, and you cannot title or register a bicycle.
Please confirm that this is correct – thank you!
Warner"
"I have a question regarding motor-assisted bicycles. I want to make sure that I’m legal, and thought that registering it as a moped would be the correct way. I was told by a fellow rider who contacted you (the IL DMV) that he was told the following:
You cannot register a bicycle as a moped at all in Illinois, because Illinois will only register vehicles that have a (standard-format 17-digit) VIN. Bicycles don't have VINs, and you can't make one up--the prefix has to be one assigned to a vehicle manufacturer registered with the federal Dept. of Transportation.
Also, the bearing of a VIN indicates that the motor vehicle qualifies as some current federal classification of motor vehicle (this is the only way it can legally be applied to any vehicle) and a bicycle won't qualify in any federal classifications of motor vehicles. This is why bicycle manufacturing standards are regulated by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, and not the Department of Transportation.
To register a vehicle you either need an existing title, a title record (in the case of applying for a lost title) or a MCO (Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin, in the case of a new vehicle). To get a title your bicycle would need a VIN (which you can't get for it) and to get an MCO it would have had to qualify into some federal motor vehicle specification (and bicycles won't qualify in any federal motor vehicle class).
There is a provision in the motorcycle codes that says that "any vehicle which does not have a VIN shall be issued one by the state", but if you ask about this (as I did) the DMV will tell you that they will only do this for vintage and antique vehicles that qualified as motor vehicles at the time of their manufacture.
A motorized bicycle with an engine that falls under the moped restrictions (2 hp or <50cc or 30 mph level top speed) is still considered a bicycle, and as far as the state is concerned doesn't require that you hold any license, or maintain registration or insurance.
Furthermore, Motor vehicle insurance in IL won't cover a motorized bicycle at all, because in IL, auto insurance policies are not required to cover vehicles that are not titled or registered, and you cannot title or register a bicycle.
Please confirm that this is correct – thank you!
Warner"