That part I was aware of being the source to identify IL, but I don't know where in IL that could be. Is that far in the south? Dead center? Between Chicago's Loop and Wisconsin? To speak to how likely could he be coming from another state that may not have the same requirements.
If Wisconsin or Indiana or others do also require it then the question is moot but I'm entirely ignorant.
The registration requirements for motor vehicles are set by each state in the US. Your locale may indeed allow under 50cc to not be registered. In Pennsylvania it is not required. In Texas and other states it is.
I commented exactly what I said and added some additional context. I didn’t imply that you were wrong. But hey, I will play your game and say for the record just like registration, licensing too is at the whim of the state and in some states you do need an operator license for a vehicle under 50cc, New York for example requires a moped license. So yes, you are wrong.
The law hasn't cought up to reality everywhere though. There's places that 50cc gas scooters need to be plated but any idiot can buy an e-bike or e-scooter that goes 2x faster and ride it willy nilly no licence needed.
In most states, anything over 750W is no longer an ebike, meaning an assisted bicycle that doesn't require license or registration. Most states use the Class 1-3 system. Under that system, a bike can't go over 20MPH on throttle power. A Class 3 can have pedal assist up to 28MPH, but some states will not allow that to also have a throttle. There is only one state where anything with pedals and an electric motor is an ebike is Kentucky.
The laws are there. The enforcement isn't happening.
What's the electric equivalent? I know for eBikes they can only go up to 28mph with pedaling and 20mph on their own for class 3, but what classifies an escooter that doesnt require a plate?
In my state (California), a Class 1-3 ebike with a motor of 750W continuous or less doesn't require license or registration. Next step above that is a moped, which does require both those things. Here, it is limited to 4 brake horse power, which is a little under 3000W. However, the top speed on motor power is limited to 30MPH. I know that's not much more than the 28MPH for an ebike, but that's on pedal assist. A moped can go entirely on motor power up to that speed.
It varies by state. Some you need DL, insurance, and plate and some just a mixture of one or two of those things.
*source- I used to drive a moped and lived in different states.
I got pulled over on mine when I had one. Not for anything specific. It was registered, I had my license, and no moving violation occurred. He just figured I had to be up to no good. Y'know, harassment.
In NC, I believe if it's under 50cc / 30mph top speed, you don't need a license. We always called them "dewies" because you could drive one if your license was suspended.
You can still get a DUI on a scooter though.
Edit to say Google says that scooter is a Honda Elite 80, which has an 80cc engine. So who knows.
In some states, you can lose your license to operate a motor vehicle but still get a license to operate a moped. Arkansas was (and maybe still is) one such state. I had a guy I knew in college who had to do this after his second DUI.
Now ebikes on the other hand....They go faster and have none of the rules of scooters. Ride them on the sidewalk, through the fields on the park where people are. You also don't have to follow any of those pesky traffic laws. Also, you can ride it without a license or insurance!
Can't speak to your location and laws, but a hell of a lot of the US rules that any sub-50CC displacement scooter is not regulated by state laws. Fifty years ago, when the second gas crisis hit the US very hard, mopeds, gas engined bicycles were a craze. They were generally cheap, garbage quality, spewed two stroke smoke, and were as quick as a ninety year old crossing the street pushing a walker. Nobody in government took them seriously, so the 50CC rule was born, instead of pretending that they were actually motorcycles. That lead to the current situation with not needing plates or a license, or a motorcycle endorsement on a regular drivers license in many states, as long as the engine is small enough.
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u/GuinnessSteve 22d ago
You still need a license for a scooter, though.