Office of Legislative
Research
Research
Report
October 29, 2015
2015-R-0253
Phone (860) 240-8400
Connecticut General Assembly
Office of Legislative Research
Stephanie A. D'Ambrose, Director
Room 5300
Legislative Office Building
Hartford, CT 06106-1591
MOTOR SCOOTER REGISTRATION
By: Paul Frisman, Principal Analyst
Christine McCluskey, Legislative Librarian
ISSUE
Why does Connecticut not require registration of
motor scooters? Has there been any recent
legislation requiring their registration? What are
some of the laws that apply to motor scooters?
How many states require that motor scooters be
registered? This report has been updated by
OLR Report 2020-R-0257.
SUMMARY
Motor scooters belong to a class of motor vehicles
that include motorcycles and mopeds (bicycles
with attached motors). Under Connecticut law,
these vehicles must be registered if they have
engines of 50 cubic centimeters (cc) or larger.
Motor scooters with smaller engines need not be
registered.
This was not always the case. Prior to 1976, state
law regarded what it called "bicycles with attached motors" as motorcycles, which
had to be registered. That changed when the legislature enacted PA 76-250. That
act removed “bicycles with helper motors” from the law’s motorcycle requirements
and placed them instead under the laws governing bicycles.
The legislature did so, in part, at the urging of moped manufacturers, distributors,
and dealers, who touted mopeds as possessing more of the qualities of bicycles
than motorcycles. One industry representative testified that mopeds were “easy to
operate, simple, safe, low-fuel consuming, and much closer to a bicycle in terms of
operation.” The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) supported the reclassification.
WHAT IS A “MOTOR
DRIVEN CYCLE?”
By law, a motor scooter is
considered a “motor driven
cycle.” This category includes
any of the following, as long
as it has a seat at least 26
inches high and a motor
displacing 49 cubic
centimeters or less: a (1)
motorcycle, (2) motor scooter,
or (3) bicycle with attached
motor (CGS §§ 14-1 (52) and
14-286).
Motor driven cycles are not
considered motor vehicles and
therefore do not need to be
registered.
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2015-R-0253
In 2008, the legislature revised this law, eliminating references to "bicycles with
attached motors" and “bicycles with helper motors” and creating instead the much
broader category of “motor driven cycles.” As with bicycles with helper motors,
motor driven cycles were not considered motor vehicles and thus did not need to be
registered. Bicycles with attached motors and certain motor scooters and
motorcycles were considered motor driven cycles if they had a (1) seat at least 26
inches high and (2) motor that produced no more than five brake horsepower (PA
08-150).
In 2013, the legislature changed the upper limit of this engine specification from
the production of five brake horsepower to a capacity of 50 cc (PA 13-271).
Since 2009, legislators have introduced four bills that would have required the
registration of motor scooters or motor driven cycles. All four bills died in the
Transportation Committee.
Connecticut law generally restricts where drivers can operate motor driven cycles
and imposes other safety requirements.
According to AAA, 20 states require registration of mopeds and similar vehicles.
MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION
Connecticut law requires motor vehicles to be registered. By law, motor scooters
with engines of 50 cc or more are considered motorcycles, which are a type of
motor vehicle, and therefore must be registered. Motor scooters with engines of 49
cc or smaller are considered motor driven cycles, which are not considered motor
vehicles.
By law, a motor driven cycle is any of the following with a seat at least 26 inches
high and a motor displacing less than 50 cc: a (1) motorcycle, (2) motor scooter, or
(3) bicycle with attached motor (CGS §§ 14-1 (52) and 14-286). All motor driven
cycle operators must have a driver’s license, regardless of the vehicle’s engine size.
Other vehicles that do not require registration include golf carts and certain golf-
cart type vehicles, farm tractors, lawn mowers traveling slower than four miles per
hour, and other vehicles not suitable for highway use (CGS §§ 14-12 & 14-1 (53)).
RECLASSIFICATION OF MOTOR-ASSISTED BICYCLES - 1976
Prior to 1976, all motor-assisted bicycles, including mopeds, were considered
motorcycles and subject to the laws regulating motorcycles, including registration.
In that year, however, the legislature enacted PA 76-250, reclassifying as bicycles
certain of these vehicles, which the act termed “bicycles with helper motors.”
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Among other things, this reclassification eliminated the requirement that they be
registered. The act was supported by, among others, moped manufacturers,
distributors, dealers, and DMV.
The category of motor-assisted bicycles that were reclassified as bicycles were
those with motors of less than 50 cc piston displacement, rated at not more than
two horsepower, capable of no more than 30 miles per hour, and equipped with
automatic transmissions and operable pedals. The act required riders of bicycles
with helper motors to have a driver’s license, barred them from traveling at more
than 30 miles per hour, and prohibited them from operating on a sidewalk, limited
access highway, or turnpike.
Testimony on Reclassification
Paul Zimmerman, executive director of the Motorized Bicycle Association, testified
in support of the bill (SB 625) at a March 22, 1976 Transportation Committee
hearing. Zimmerman noted that mopeds had been popular in Europe for about 30
years, and that a number of states had enacted or were considering legislation
similar to Connecticut’s.
The bill, he said, “recognizes the motorized bicycle for what it is, a unique vehicle,
easy to operate, simple, safe, low-fuel consuming, and much closer to a bicycle in
terms of operations as it has pedals, hand brakes, and since its speed and power is
limited to lower than that of a 10-speed bicycle.”
The legislature adopted some of Zimmerman's recommendations, including
removing them from the definition of motorcycle and thus from classification as a
motor vehicle. Continuing to regard mopeds as motor vehicles, Zimmerman said,
did not make sense when most of them were being sold in bicycle stores.
DMV Commissioner Stanley Pac also testified in support of the bill. Pac also
recommended some changes to the bill, including limiting engine size to 50 cc and
engine performance to two brake horsepower. These limits, Pac said, “would keep
the speeds down under 30 miles an hour and would…make them much safer.” The
law as enacted included these provisions.
Legislators debating the bill on the floor of the House and Senate touted mopeds’
fuel economy. Representative Tulisano said the bill “would be a great
encouragement to energy conservation.” Senator Rome said mopeds were “a
vehicle whose time has come, not only for environmentalists, but enthusiasts of the
out-of-doors, fun, safety, and economy.”
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SUBSEQUENT CHANGES IN THE LAW
Creation of Class of “Motor Driven Cycles” - 2008
In 2008, the legislature revised the law to redefine a bicycle with a helper motor as
a “motor driven cycle” (PA 08-150). It eliminated some of the previous
requirements for such a vehicle, such as the maximum production of two brake
horsepower, and instead defined a motor driven cycle as a motorcycle, motor
scooter, or bicycle with an attached motor with a seat height of at least 26 inches
and a motor that produces five brake horsepower or less. These vehicles, like
bicycles with helper motors, were not considered motor vehicles and therefore did
not have to be registered.
The change in the law decided the question of whether small motor scooters were
to be considered bicycles or motorcycles by classifying them in the newly created
category of motor driven cycles.
Change in Motor Specifications - 2013
In 2013, the legislature modified the engine specifications for motor driven cycles
by replacing the requirement that they produce five brake horsepower or less with
the requirement that have a capacity of less than 50 cc piston displacement (PA 13-
271).
LAWS APPLYING TO MOTOR DRIVEN CYCLES
The laws that specifically apply to motor driven cycles and their operators include
the following:
An operator must have a driver’s license (CGS § 14-286).
Operators cannot drive on any sidewalk, limited access highway, or turnpike
(CGS § 14-286).
When traveling on a highway where the speed limit exceeds the motor driven
cycle’s maximum speed, operators must travel in the right hand lane or
shoulder, except when preparing to turn left at an intersection or into or from
a private road or driveway (CGS § 14-286).
Operators and passengers under age 18 must wear motorcycle helmets (CGS
§ 14-289g as amended by PA 15-46).
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BILLS REQUIRING REGISTRATION OF MOTOR DRIVEN CYCLES
Since 2009, four bills requiring registration of motor driven cycles or motor scooters
have been introduced. The Transportation Committee did not report any of them
out of committee. The bills were SB 659 (2009), HB 6032 and HB 6034 (2013) and
HB 5536 (2015).
We were able to find testimony only for HB 6034, which would have required
registration and motor vehicle insurance for all motor driven cycles, regardless of
engine size or horsepower.
Both Representative Luxenberg, who introduced the bill, and Ronald Trinks, who
testified in favor of it, focused on the bill’s insurance requirement and not the
registration aspect in their testimony.
STATE MOPED REGISTRATION LAWS
According to the AAA Digest of Motor Laws website, 20 states require registration of
mopeds and similar vehicles, such as motorized bicycles and scooters with engines
smaller than 50 cc. These states are Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North
Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
More information on mopeds can be found in a March 9, 1981 OLR Report and OLR
Reports 82-R-842 and 2004-R-0683.
PF/CM:bs
