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Washington D.C. Scooter Laws

While slightly different Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. all make it simple by defining in law only two classes of two wheeled vehicles: motorcycles and motorized bicycles (try reading New York and Ohio laws with their four tiers each of two-wheelers, yikes!).

Here are the WASHINGTON D.C. laws, which are by far the strictest of the three local jurisdictions.

DEFINITIONS:

Washington, D.C. law does not define scooters, heck, D.C. barely mentions motorcycles and doesn't even really mention mopeds in it's code. In the District of Columbia all scooters are motorcycles. Aprilia SR50s and Scarabeos are motorcycles. Kymco Cobras and Peoples are motorcycles. A Hyosung Sense is a motorcycle. A Yamaha Vino is a motorcycle. A Vespa ET2 is a motorcycle and an ET4 is for sure a motorcycle. A Derbi GPR50 is definitely a motorcycle. Etc, etc. In D.C. a motorcycle is *ANY* two-wheeled vehicle (DC ST § 50-1501.01).

Except when according to the Motorized Bicycle Act of 1976 the two-wheeler is a "motorized bicycle", and in order to qualify as such your bike must have pedals. So only true mopeds and bicycles with motors attached are "motorized bicycles".

DRIVER'S LICENSE:

To drive scooter or motorcycle in D.C. you must have a driver's license with a motorcycle endorsement (or valid learner's permit) to drive a motorcycle (DC ST § 50-1401.01). The motorcycle exam consists of a written exam and a road test.

To drive a motorized bicycle or moped in D.C. you must have a driver's license with a motorized bicycle endorsement to drive a motorcycle (DC ST § 50-1401.01). The motorized bicycle exam consists of only a written exam.

D.C. has a study guide for the written license test online: http://dmv.dc.gov/info/forms/dltest_pdf.shtml

Failure to have the proper endorsement can result in a $300 fine and up to 90 days in jail. And that jail part is no joke, *I* got to spend a night in one of Saint Marion's finest beds back in the 80s for having an invalid permit.

If your dealer has told you that you do not need a license to ride a scooter in D.C., then THEY ARE LYING.

D.C. does not offer motorcycle safety classes.

REGISTRATION:

All motor vehicles in Washington, D.C. must have a title, registration, and display plates (DC ST § 50-1501.02). The annual fee is $30 for motorcycles ("Class D") and $10 for motorized bicycles ("Class E") (DC ST § 50-1501.03 ).

Motorcycles over 25 years old, or that are over 15 years old and are of a make (not model) no longer sold, may display antique historic plates. Good luck finding the one person at the DMV who knows about antique motorcycle plates.

If your dealer has told you, that you do not need plates in D.C. then THEY ARE LYING. If they try to sell you a bike without a title, they are trying to screw you over.

Failure to display license plates can result in a fine of up to $300 (usually $100 for a first offense).

INSURANCE:

All motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, and motorized bicycles are required to carry a liability insurance policy (DC ST § 31-2403).

Geico 800-861-8380, Bike-Line 800-236-2453, and Bros Club 800-236-4647 will write insurance for many 50cc bikes (Geico will even cover illegal Chinese bikes like Geelys). The big multi-line carriers (State Farm, Nationwide, Allstate, et al.) will cover your scooter if only if you have a car or maybe a house with them. Progressive, the largest motorcycle carrier in the USA, doesn't write policies in Washington, D.C.

Failure to have insurance in D.C. on your bike can result in a $300 fine and a 30-day suspension of your driver's license (hmm, that fine is probably less than the cost of the policy even on a 50cc).

INSPECTION:

All motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, and motorized bicycles must submit to a bi-annual inspection (DC ST § 50-1101).

HELMETS:

Helmets and eye protection are required at all times for riders of all all motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds.

OPERATION:

All motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, and motorized bicycles must abide by the same rules that car drivers must abide by.

PARKING:

In D.C. motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, and motorized bicycles may be parked in any parking space provided for a four-wheel vehicle. D.C. also provides many motorcycle meters downtown, unfortunately unlike some big cities they do not provide posts next to these meters to chain your bikes to. Motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, and motorized bicycles may not be parked on *public* sidewalks. ($100 fine)

FREEWAYS:

Any motorcycle, scooter, moped, or motorized bicycle that can safely keep up with traffic is allowed on a D.C. freeway or interstate.

Those are the laws. Whether the police choose to enforce them or you choose to obey them is a different story. And while D.C. has the strictest (and worst written, frickin' illiterate lawyers) laws, it also has the laxest enforcement.But don't confuse lax enforcement with no enforcement. MPD does have two officers on their force whose sole job it to enforce the motorcycle laws. That's an awfully expensive risk to take assuming that your bike with no paperwork won't end up on the police auction block down in Blue Plains.

If you don't like the laws fine. Act on everything you learned in your high school civics class. Write your councilmembers, mayor, and delegate and ask to change the laws.