Legislation Listing

[loquin]

I've spent some time accumulating the statutes, by state (and, at least one Canadian province,) of everything I could find which deals with motorized bicycles.

In some states, they're handled as bicycles, in some as 'motorized bicycles,' in some, as mopeds, in some, as 'pedalcycles,' in some as 'motor-driven cycles,' and in some, as motorcycles. And, some states don't have anything that I could find. In a few, you could possibly treat a motorized bike as a 'slow-moving vehicle.' Especially if you're carrying around a bag of natural fertilizer ...

I tried to determine, from the statutes, how motorized bicycles would be interpreted by the state. I COULD BE WRONG! So, don't interpret what I've done as gospel. Think of it as a starting point for you to locate information that you may be able to use.

The format is:
ST State Name

Statute Identifier
Statute Description
● Hyperlink to the online source​

The list is here, as a series of web pages, with navigation links at the bottom of each page.

I've also saved the entire list as a PDF file, but, some of the links are garbled. (you can highlight & copy the link, then paste it into your browser if it's coming up as a bad link. Note that when you do, at the position of the garbled character, there's an extra space in what was pasted that needs to be removed.) The web page link doesn't have that issue - only the PDF file.

As you find new links, PLEASE post them in the Legislative Listing Updates forum. That way, until I get to updating the Legislative Listings info, there's a permanent link to the updates/new laws in one location.

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DISCLAIMER: These lists should NOT be construed as any form of legal advise or legal authority - they are just links to information that may be of use to you - a starting point, if you will, to educate yourself on your local laws regarding motorized bicycles. If you have need of legal advise, contact a local attorney.
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[mralaska]

The way I am reading the laws, in NH a motorized bicycle is a motor vehicle only as it applies to requiring a valid driver license to operate it. If it has over 5 hp it then it appears to become a motorcycle but it seems motor assisted bicycles have quite a bit of latitude. You can also register it as a moped, in which case you can get a special license to operate but you are limited to 2 hp, 50cc, the ability not to exceed 30mph in one mile, and cannot require the use of shifting gears.

In short; NH would read Yes if less than 5hp, valid DL required with any powered assist (according to my layman's interpretation of the laws)

The above is my creative interpretation of the regulations after spending some time agonizing over the regs. The rules are vague enough there seems to be some confusion even among registry officials. A lot of people think we are limited to 50cc but I think the moped regulations are muddying the waters a bit more.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/indexes/default.html

I did a fifty mile jaunt today through several of my neighboring towns and had several close encounters with the police. A couple of them waved, a few others gave me a real hard once over, but none of them pulled me over. I have a feeling some of them will be going over the books tonight to see if they should have pulled me over. I talked to a guy at the local gossip corner who told me about a guy in my town that put a chainsaw powered friction drive on his bike and got stopped for doing 45 in a 25 but that was the only ticket issued.

 

[SirJakesus]

I've had no negative police encounters. I'm either totally ignored by them or they wave and smile. I'd say thats a pretty good indication of their legality in this state. I have registered and non-registered MB's. Not a problem with either of them.

 

[VTBikeman]

Anyone have stats on the # of accidents motored bikes are involve in?
VT Bike man

 

[sparky]

95%? Almost everybody's had to of had some kinda accident. Just how serious of an accident are you looking for? (just being rhetorical, i'd have no clue either way)

 

[VTBikeman]

Thanks,
I haven't had one and I'm not planning on it, but no one does.
Any accident that involves personal injury or cause property damage would count. I want to get a feel for how safely people ride and whether the motorized bike really needs to be looked at as a moped requiring insurance or not.
I want to talk to our state senator about the insurance requirements and I would like to know where states get their information to require it.
I still don't see these as any more dangerous than a bicycle. but I want to make a case for that.

 

[sparky]

Check out the accident thread. Typically seems to be taking your eyes off the road, just like any vehicle. I don't know of too many serious accidents from MBs, tho. My accident with a non-motorized bicycle was worse than any accident I've seen yet. There was another guy who also just posted about how he didn't leave enough room for himself on the shoulder, and another car hit him. Seeing enough road ahead of you (which means a couple feet on the right-hand side, too!), ESPECIALLY at nighttime, should ensure a safe return home. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't still be a lil' paranoid.

As for the legislation thing, there's a couple threads where we try to come up with a list of states that don't define motorized bicycles, and then have this entire site email/snail mail/call/etc. the "slow" states in the same week and get them to do something quickly. Here's a few of those threads, which one of them you're also in (excellent PDF loquin!):

http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=12682
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=13282
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=14529

 

[machiasmort]

Loquin,

LOL, "Especially if you're carrying around a bag of natural fertilizer"... Technical Support here in NY (DMV) State Capitol, told me it was illegal to put a motor on a bike period! When I asked what section of Law I was in violation of??? They clammed right up!!!

I might just call and ask, If I had a bag of manure over my shoulder and it had a hole in the corner??? Would I be in violation of pooper scooper laws on my ten speed??? What if I had my hair in a poney tail??? LOL This is funny but not really. These people want to govern with laws written in the 1910's. In NY, I could make my own motorcycle from scratch, my own car from scratch, but not a simple moped. They said I'd have to be on a list of registered moped manufacturer's to gain NY registration!

 

[sparky]

Has this been completed for a while?

I was going to start looking stuff up, but it seems that Loquin has done 99.7% of it all. Or maybe it was done before, but its purpose wasn't to accomplish answering a simple yes or no to each state's question of legality??

Some people might not see the PDF link above easy enough.... but it should answer most n00b questions, and it's here: http://www.oquin.com/msc/MB_Statutes.pdf

I'd still try to double check those laws that Loquin lists. It at least makes it a lot easier to find the traffic sections which are most relevant to your questions.

 

[robert van zee]

fremont /newark ca. most of the cop are ***.... ! but so far so good ! the law ,lic. 30 mph ,but who countintg ,when i lived in S.F. no one even gave it a secoend thought ! robert van zee/rocket-man