Denver Scooter Laws
Colorado State law is scooter friendly. Before 2010, scooters were classified either as "motorized bicycles," if they have an engine smaller than 50cc, or as "motorcycles." A change in the law that takes effect July 1, 2009, changes the term for scooters under 50cc to "low-power scooter." Laws for the two scooter types vary slightly, but are easy to understand.
Other People Are Reading
-
Driver's Licence Requirement
-
A driver's license is required to operate a scooter on any Colorado roadway. However, a motorcycle endorsement is only required for scooters over 50cc. Scooters under 50cc do not require a special endorsement.
Insurance Laws
-
Before July 1, 2010, low-powered scooters were not required to carry liability insurance. Colorado House Bill HB09-1026 changes this. All scooters are required to carry liability insurance as of July 1, 2010.
-
Parking Regulations
-
Parking regulations will vary by the specific municipality, but in the city and county of Denver, scooters under 50cc are considered "motorized bicycles." The city has not followed the state's lead in re-classifying scooters under 50cc. As such, a scooter under 50cc can be parked on the sidewalk in or hear a bike rack. Some cities, like Arvada, have banned sidewalk parking for scooters entirely.
Registration
-
All scooters must be registered in Colorado. Scooters under 50cc are inexpensive to register. Instead of a license plate, they require a registration sticker. This sticker is $5.25 and is good for three years. Scooters over 50cc require a motorcycle license plate that must be renewed annually.
Helmets
-
Helmets are required for riders under 18 years old. However, although they are not required for people over 18 years old, they are highly recommended. Although scooters are not a high-speed mode of transportation, head injuries in scooter accidents are a common injury.
Speed Limit
-
Although the posted speed limit is the ultimate upper limit, scooters under 50cc are currently required to be engine limited to 30 mph. This is usually accomplished via an engine governor, which is easily removed. As a result, the upper speed limit will change to 40 mph for scooters under 50cc in areas with higher posted speed limits. Scooters over 50cc will still be covered exclusively by the posted speed limits.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo: Michal Zacharzewski; stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1058831)
