Moped drivers: Are you ready to register with NC DMV?

Attention moped motorists: The DMV wants you.

Starting Wednesday, North Carolina requires moped owners to register their small, low-power scooters with the state Division of Motor Vehicles.

Mopeds previously were exempt from most motor vehicle licensing and registration laws. Now, under a 2014 law, DMV will require moped owners to get the same registration cards and license plates issued for motorcycles.

And – barring an unexpected veto by the governor of separate legislation that cleared the General Assembly this week (House Bill 148) – moped owners also will be required to carry liability insurance, starting in July 2016.

Driving without a license plate carries a penalty of $25 plus court costs. The requirement for moped registration takes effect July 1, but legislators forgot to mention a deadline for compliance. DMV Commissioner Kelly Thomas asked for leniency in the early days.

“When appropriate, please consider issuing warning tickets rather than citations during the first thirty days the law is in effect,” Kelly said in a memo to police, sheriffs and other officers.

Lt. Jeff Gordon of the State Highway Patrol said troopers will provide a 60-day grace period. Moped drivers without license plates will be ticketed starting in September. Before that, they’ll just receive warnings.

State law defines a moped as: “A vehicle that has two or three wheels, no external shifting device, and a motor that does not exceed 50 cubic centimeters piston displacement and cannot propel the vehicle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour on a level surface.”

Moped drivers must be at least 16 years old and wear motorcycle helmets. Mopeds sometimes are the choice of motorists who have lost their licenses for driving while intoxicated or other traffic violations.

It’s still legal to drive a moped without a driver’s license. But to register with DMV, the moped owner must:

▪ Provide a driver’s license or state ID as proof of identity.

▪ Provide the moped manufacturer’s certificate of origin. If no certificate is available, the driver can fill out a DMV moped form (MVR-58) as proof of ownership.

▪ Pay the registration fee: $18 per year. Some counties also charge an additional transit tax: $15 in Durham and Orange, $5 in Wake and $1 in Randolph.

The legislation requiring insurance coverage for mopeds cleared the Senate on Tuesday on a 39-8 vote and was sent to Gov. Pat McCrory for his signature.

Nobody knows how many mopeds are buzzing around on the streets and highways of North Carolina. DMV officials have offered a rough estimate: 25,000.

This story was originally published June 25, 2015 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Moped drivers: Are you ready to register with NC DMV?."