Scooter laws in other parts of the world

[Deleted]

In America it varies by state as all we Americans know.

If you know of the laws in other countries please post the links you have and/or the information you know of

[reveeen]

In Canada, like the US, it varies by province.

In NB Canada:
All require helmets, under 50cc a license of some kind (including a special permit 14+), over 50cc a motorcycle license. Plates and insurance required. There are no inspections here (scooter/motorcycle) you are required to have a white light at the front, a red at the rear, and a signaling device (horn) of some kind. Fenders required to combat excessive spray (if it happens to be raining).

You are expected to follow the rules of the road, this includes a signaled turn, or stop, but hand signals are acceptable.

[aeroxbud]

In the UK all bikes/scooters need a vehicle regestration plate on the rear.Helmets must be worn. To ride any motor powered two wheeler including 50cc a license must be used. You have to do a training course that takes a day to do (CBT) to qualify for your provisional license, which lasts two years. You can ride a 50cc from aged 16 years but it must be restricted to 31 mph, and a 125cc from 17 years that is not more than 15bhp. All bikes after three years must have a ministrey of transport test every year to prove road worthyness. You can only ride on the road if your bike has a tax disc and insurance

[slawenm]

And to add to the Uk laws as I found out while pushing my bike with no helmet on even if your pushing a broken down bike you need to be wearing a helmet according to one police officer who pulled up for a check on my details he just gave me a producer and a warning for no helmet :S was a shock to me =\

also its required by law to have a red reflector at the rear of your bike another thing I've been given a warning for.

Motorcycles registered before 1st of January 1973 are exempt from tax but should display a tax free (historic) disc

if your riding off just a CBT and a provisional you need to have L plates on show cannot ride on motorways and cannot carry a human passenger, but dogs cats and even a cow if you could fit it on would be fine.

not a legal requirement to have mirrors on motorbikes too can pass an M.O.T without them at least.

[tango]

Jamaica:

Motorcycles require:

Licence plates (front and rear)
Licence disc (annual renewal, afixed in a prominent place like a windshield or special holder)
Insurance
Certificate of fitness (annual renewal)

Motorcycle rider needs:

Learner's licence (annual renewal) or Motorcycle licence (5 year renewal, test must be taken on a motorcycle that has a clutch)
Helmet

The learner's licence is a pain, but there is nothing more than paying the fee and presenting a picture (which has been notarised by a Justice of the Peace - the biggest pain, really), and filling out the form. I just went through that last week again, and will have to do it again next year when this L/L expires.

No special course is required to take the rider's exam and a driver's licence is not a pre-requisite. The written exam comprises of basic road code questions. The practical test requires the rider to do a hill start (without rolling back or stalling) and a figure 8 in two directions without stalling or placing the feet on the ground.

The certificate of fitness is another story. You have to take the bike into an examination depot. The fee is paid and the bike is examined for road worthiness. Lights, brakes, horn, suspension, and engine condition are checked and then a new certificate is issued. Just did that recently, too.

No special clothing is required, but helmets are mandatory, though you wouldn't think so from what you would see on the road.

Legally operating a motorcycle is not easier, but only slightly cheaper. Very much like the laws in UK, on which ours are based. Take it from me...neither system is designed for low-income people to get ahead in life with transportation of their own. Government gouging is the name of the game...bastards...

[aeroxbud]

Legally operating a motorcycle is not easier, but only slightly cheaper. Very much like the laws in UK, on which ours are based. Take it from me...neither system is designed for low-income people to get ahead in life with transportation of their own

True if you own a care you can get free or cheap road tax but bike tax is just down to the cc so you can have a big bike that is good on fuel and pay 5 or 6 time what a car driver is paying and doing less mpg

[lshigham]

The 49cc laws in the UK started off life as a rather large loophole that has been gradually narrowed with speed limitations, significantly smaller cc restrictions and the introduction of a CBT.

[2strokd]

Whats a CBT Luke? Is that what those lil speed checker rollers are called?

[lshigham]

Dec 30, 2011 8:16:32 GMT -5 2strokd said:

Whats a CBT Luke? Is that what those lil speed checker rollers are called?

It stands for Compulsory Basic Training, it's a days training (nigh on impossible to fail, so not really a test) that costs you £120 every two years With a CBT you can ride a 50cc restricted to 30 (yeah right!) at 16 and a 125cc with less than just under 15hp from 17 onwards.

The 30mph rule isn't really enforced around me, they just turn a blind eye. As you have to be 17 to drive a car, there are a fair few 16 year olds on 50cc's who have no other way to get about.

[2strokd]

Thanks for the info..

[slawenm]

CBT stands for compulsory basic training its a course you must undertake to ride 50cc - 125cc motorbike on the roads of the UK with a provisional license is different regs for age groups. where as its just another money con I can honestly say my friend who didnt take a CBT and rides is really deadly on the roads he had 4 accidents in 2 months and has riten off his bike.
some insurance companies will insure people without a CBT because they are after the money and wont pay out when it comes to making a claim because your not fully licensed to be on the roads as such

correction Luke you can easily fail it in fact the other person doing the CBT with me failed and was sent packing if you show you cannot be safe on the roads they will ask you to come back another day. speaking to my instructor he told me he sends people away and dosnt offer them a second try because he wont have their blood on his hands.

[lauriejennifer]

Missouri has some of the most lax rules regarding scoots I've ever seen. Though MO is one of the few remaining states with a helmet law, there is none for 50cc and under. Also, you don't need an M endorsement or insurance or registration, etc.

This is exactly why I got my little scoot as a second form of transportation. It's like having a "free" second motorcycle! No taxes, no insurance (though I will be getting insurance for mine), no extra state-mandated fees/registration. I don't even have a title OR a bill-of-sale for my scooter, and this is perfectly acceptable.

In Illinois, you need an L-class endorsement for anything (scooter or motorcycle) that is 50cc up to 150cc. Anything bigger than that, and you need a full M-class endorsement. I don't know if it is rare for states to have this graduated system. You can, of course, go straight for your full M-class if you want to.

[jmkjr72]

a graduated system used to be the standered
and when you got your endorsement for 100cc or what ever it was it doubled as your temps for the next interval

[superk]

In Germany there a couple of European laws (which apply also to France, Italy, Spain,...) and separate national laws which were above the European laws.

In case of Germany:

How to get a license:

In Gemrany we got four types of motocycle licenses and one moped test certificate which are restricted to your age and the cc of your motorcycle.

Moped test certificate (MTC)

It's not listed as a real license which is very important in the next few senteces. You're able to get this certificate up to 15 years onwards. You only have to pass a small exam with some basic traffic rules. The test costs usally about 150€. You're able to move mopeds and scooters up to 25km/h. You're not allowed to take someone with you because the moped test certificate only includes one-seated vehicles. If your seat is large enough you have to install the so called "Moped-Bag". Just a ridicolous belt-bag.



Not that fast, so many people open the limitation and get cought by the police for driving too fast. It's pretty hard to divide between usual scooters with class M (next point) and moped up to max. 25km/h. They both got the same license plate and the only optical difference is the "moped-bag" which is disassembeld pretty fast...



(This is the "insurance license plate" which changes every 1. march. Why? I will explain it later on)


Class M

This is the first "real" driving license (allowed with 16). You're allowed to drive vehicles up to 50cc with a VMax of 45km/h (some exceptions with 50km/h and 60km/h). Now you're also allowed to take someone with you. This license costs about 600-800€, depends on your driving school. This class contains also the MTC.

Class A1 open and closed

This is the "small" Class A which includes all motorcycles up to 125cc. If you're under 18, because you're also allowed to start this license with 16, you're regulated to 80km/h (A1 closed). If you're over 18 (A1 open) you're not regulated in your speed and allowed to use the german "Autobahn". It costs about 900-1100€ and it's pretty unpopular because the Class A costs just a 100 to 200€ more and opens you more opportunities. Class A1 contains M and the MTC. The so called "125er" also have a special license plate format which is the same size like the US-License plate.

Class A restrained and Class A

The last class is the class A restrained and the normal class A, which is accessible to you if you're 18. It allows you to drive any motorcycle with no limitations in cc. If you're beginnger, for example with 18 you have to decelerate your bike to 31kw until you have two years of driving experience. If you're over 25 the 2 years expired. This license costs about 1100€ and 1300€ and contains all other motorcycle classes.

Always helmet
If you do not wear a helmet, it will cost you 40€ and 1 penatly point.

Class B (Car up to 3,5t) also contains M

Class B also allows you to drive a scooter which is pretty popular. In the late 1970s class B also contains A1 closed (age-limitation is dropped). No extra training on a scooter is necessary.

No taxes, only insurance
Licenses are only allocated to vehicels which have to pay a specific tax amount, mostly it depends on your cc. Every vehicle under 50cc is tax-free but is still subjected to insurance. That's why it's only a "insurance license plate" and not a usual license plate you maybe know from Germany. It changes the color every year on the 1. march. It's pretty dumb and prettly old-fashioned but that's how they check if you got a valid insurance plate. The color changes from black to blue to green.

50km/h and 60km/h exception

The 45km/h-Law takes effect with the EU-Traffic conference in 2002. All scooters under 50cc (all the class M-Scooters) are now regulated to 45km/h to have equal standards. All scooters builed before 2002 still have the 50km/h-Law of Germany which existed before. All scooters, especially the famous "Simson Schwalbe", were regulated to 60km/h (old GDR standards). If you have one of these scooters, you're still allowed to drive the 50km/h or 60km/h nowadays.