3 Moped Laws You Should Know
Every state has three basic laws dealing with mopeds. Helmets, though a good idea are not required in most states after the age of 18 or 19 so they are not an acceptable measure of law. The degree of regulation is dependent upon the state, but all have some regulation involving three distinct regulation or limitations. These regulations deal with engine power, brake power and top speed. Every state is different however, so make sure you do your research when trying to stay legal with your moped.
Engine Power: In the United States there is regulation that mopeds cannot exceed a certain output. In most states the limit is 50cc (cubic centimeters). The highest output an engine can have in the states is 130cc in Kansas. The output is related to the moped being a chain propelled machine instead of an internal combustion engine. Internal combustion engines are also often considered motorcycles whether they exceed 50cc or not.
Brake Power: Like the engine power, brake power is monitored by the regulations. On the average the limit is below 3.0 horse power. The higher the horse power the stronger the stopping power of the brakes. You don’t want too high of stopping power on your brakes because if you stop too suddenly with the front you are bound to flip the moped. The highest brake power allowed by any state is 3.5 horse power allowed by Kansas.
Top Speed: States have regulated laws that mopeds cannot exceed a certain mile per hour. The average top speed is 30 miles per hour. Keeping this in mind however, moped speeding is not a highly enforced offense, thusly if a moped is going faster than 30 miles per hour it isn’t likely to be stopped as long as it isn’t exceeding posted speed limits. Mopeds are not allowed on any interstate highway, whether they can go the speed limit or not. In some states, any road that has a speed limit higher than 35 miles per hour will prohibit moped operation.
In some states a minimum speed is actually required. In Iowa for instance your moped is required to be able to go at least 20 miles per hour on a three percent grade, otherwise the moped is not street legal. While driving even at your top speed, mopeds must be ridden on the same side as the flow of traffic, they are considered vehicles and can be cited and impounded for riding on the opposite side of the road.
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