Michigan moped laws have specific licensing, registration and insurance requirements that riders need to know about. Riders also need to know the rules of the road to safely operate a moped so they can avoid accidents with cars or pedestrians and what their legal rights are if they are involved in an accident with a car and suffer injury. Finally, riders need to know the state age and helmet requirements to legally operate this type of vehicle.
What is considered a moped in Michigan?
According to Michigan moped laws, a moped is a 2- or 3-wheeled vehicle. Its motor does not exceed 100 cubic centimeters of piston displacement. Its top speed on a level surface is 30 mph. And its power drive system does not require the operator to shift gears.
Do you need a license to drive a moped in Michigan?
As indicated in the Michigan moped laws, you do not need a license to drive one in this state if you have a valid driver’s license. If you do not have a driver’s license then you will need to obtain a “a special restricted license” to operate this vehicle from the Michigan Secretary of State.
You must be at least 15 years old to legally operate this vehicle in Michigan. No road test is required.
Rules to safely operate a moped on Michigan streets
As stated in the Michigan moped laws, here are the rules to safely operate this type of vehicle on the road:
- It must have at least one head lamp mounted between 54 inches and 24 inches above the ground that can illuminate people and vehicles at least 100 feet ahead. (MCL 257.685(2) and (4); 257.702(1))
- It must have at least two brakes – one on the front wheel and one on the back wheel – that can be operated by hand or foot. (MCL 257.705(1)(b))
- It must have a horn that can be heard under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet. (MCL 257.706(a))
- It must have at least 1 rear lamp that emits a red light which can be seen from 500 feet behind. (MCL 257.686(1))
- It must have one rear stop lamp that emits a red or amber light when the brakes are applied and can be seen from 100 feet behind. (MCL 257.697(a)(1) and (b); 257.697b)
- It must have a tail lamp or separate lamp that casts a white light on its registration decal that makes it clearly legible from 50 feet to the rear. (MCL 257.686(2))
- It must have a muffler. (MCL 257.707(1))
- The Michigan moped laws state that a moped must have a rearview mirror. (MCL 257.708)
- It must have a permanent and regular seat that is attached to the vehicle. (MCL 257.658(1))
- The handlebars must be no higher than 30 inches from the lowest point of the undepressed saddle to the highest point of the handle grip of the operator. (MCL 257.661a)
- An operator must keep both hands on the handlebars. (MCL 257.661)
- A moped and a low-speed vehicle shall have permanently affixed to their frame a manufacturer’s identification number. (MCL 257.217b)
- A person propelling a bicycle or operating a motorcycle or moped shall not ride other than upon and astride a permanent and regular seat attached to that vehicle. 257.658(1)
- A person less than 19 years of age operating a moped on a public thoroughfare shall wear a crash helmet on his or her head. 257.658(4)
- A person operating the vehicle shall not pass between lines of traffic. (MCL 257.660(4))
- The vehicle shall not be operated on a sidewalk designed and constructed for pedestrians. (MCL 257.660(6))
Do Michigan traffic laws apply to mopeds?
Yes. Per the Michigan moped laws riders who drive on roads have all the same legal rights as other drivers, but operators also have the same duties as drivers of other vehicles under the traffic laws set forth in the Vehicle Code. (MCL 257.657)
Can a moped carry more than one person?
The Michigan moped laws no longer prohibits this vehicle from carrying “more than 1 person at time.” Prior to 2013, the law stated that a “moped . . . shall not be used to carry more than 1 person at a time.” However, Public Act 589 of 2012, which took effect on March 28, 2013, amended MCL 257.658(3) to eliminate the prohibition as applied to these vehicles.
How to get a moped license in Michigan
Per the Michigan moped laws, to get a license, you must be 15 or older. The Secretary of State must be satisfied that you can operate this vehicle safely. You must pass vision, knowledge and traffic signs tests, but no road test is required. You cannot obtain a moped license if you already have a valid driver’s license.
How to register a moped in Michigan
According to Michigan moped laws, because this vehicle is considered a motor vehicle under the state’s Vehicle Code, it must be registered with the Secretary of State. Your moped registration is valid for three years. A registration decal must be displayed on the rear of your moped so it is visible to law enforcement. There is a $15 fee.
If you purchase your moped from a retailer, then the retailer will obtain registration. Otherwise, you will apply for and obtain your registration from the Secretary of State. The certificate of registration issued to you by the Secretary of State includes a “decal for the vehicle.” (MCL 257.801e(1) and (2))
Do you need insurance for a moped in Michigan?
You are not required to have insurance for a moped. According to Michigan moped laws, because this vehicle is not considered to be a “motor vehicle” for purposes of Michigan’s auto No-Fault insurance law, insurance to cover medical bills, lost wages and liability in the event of an accident is not mandatory.
As the Michigan Vehicle Code states: “A moped shall not be required to be insured in the manner specified for motor vehicles under chapter 31 of Act No. 218 of the Public Acts of 1956, as amended, being sections 500.3101 to 500.3179 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.” (MCL 257.801e(1))
However, the fact that you are not required to obtain specific insurance under the Michigan moped laws for this type of vehicle does not mean that you may not need it – especially if you are hit and injured by a car or truck while riding/operating one. Because you are sharing the road with cars and trucks and there is a greater potential for serious injury, a moped owner should strongly consider purchasing moped insurance to provide coverage should a crash occur and tragedy strike. Coverages should include liability (if you hit a pedestrian, for example, this protects you for injuries you cause to the pedestrian), first-party medical benefits, wage loss reimbursement, collision, comprehensive and “uninsured motorist” and “underinsured motorist” coverage.
How old do you have to be to ride a moped in Michigan?
Per the Michigan moped laws you must be at least 15 years old to ride a moped. In order to ride this vehicle in Michigan, you must have a special restricted license to operate one (unless you already have a valid driver’s license). To obtain the special license, you must be 15 years of age or older.
Do mopeds have titles in Michigan?
According to Michigan moped laws, a certificate of title is not required in order to operate one on the roadways. (MCL 257.216(1)(k)) Nor is a title required to register this vehicle or to obtain a moped license.
No-Fault benefits after a moped accident
If you were injured in a moped accident involving a motor vehicle such as a car or truck, then you will be entitled to recover benefits under Michigan’s auto No-Fault insurance law to pay for your medical bills and lost wages while you’re recovering from your injuries and trying to rebuild your life.
Your benefits will be paid either by your own auto insurance company or the auto insurance company for your spouse or for a family member who lives with you. If no coverage is available through any of those sources, then you will apply for No-Fault benefits through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan.
Do the Michigan moped laws state anything about suing for injuries after an accident
Per Michigan moped laws, if you were an operator injured in an accident involving a motor vehicle, you can file a lawsuit and sue the at-fault driver for your pain and suffering compensation for your injuries, and under the No-Fault Act for “excess” wage loss benefits and “excess” medical benefits. These excess wage and medical claims would be your accident-related medical bills and wage loss that exceed the PIP No-Fault coverage limit, assuming your insurance policy covers your moped (you must confirm, in writing, that your auto insurance policy also covers your moped with your insurance agent).
When souped-up mopeds become motorcycles
If you soup-up your moped to make it run faster like a hot rod, you take on additional legal risk. Transforming this vehicle into a motorcycle will also expose yourself to the increased legal risk that comes along with this faster and more dangerous form of transportation.
As for the Michigan moped laws, any modification that increases your moped’s motor size beyond 100 cc’s or allows it to reach speeds above 30 mph or requires you to shift gears will have the effect of transforming it into a motorcycle.
This is significant because according to the Michigan moped laws these vehicles and motorcycles have different legal requirements for insurance (MCL 500.3103), licensing (MCL 257.312a(1) and 257.312b), helmet usage (MCL 257.658(5)) and title (ownership) (MCL 257.216(1)(k)).
But as a personal injury lawyer who has helped riders that have been seriously injured in crashes with cars and trucks, the most dangerous consequence of transforming this vehicle into a motorcycle is what happens if you get injured in an accident, such as one involving another motor vehicle.
As I explained in my previous blog post, “Speeding may cost moped enthusiasts their rights to Michigan No-Fault benefits,” you will likely find yourself being disqualified from recovering No-Fault insurance benefits and also being barred from suing for pain and suffering for your injuries and losses because at the time of the car accident you were no longer riding a moped that requires no specific moped insurance.
Instead, as a result of your modifications, you were riding an uninsured motorcycle that under state law should have been insured. Under Michigan moped laws, the penalties for driving without insurance are the most severe in the nation. They include being disqualified from No-Fault insurance benefits and even being prohibited from filing an injury lawsuit and suing the at-fault driver for compensation for your pain and suffering who caused your accident!
Injured In A Moped Accident In Michigan? Call now!
If you were injured in a moped accident in Michigan, call now (855) 781-7747 for a free consultation with one of our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers. There is no cost or obligation. You can also visit our contact page or use the chat feature on our website.
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More importantly, this client-focused approach leads to better and faster settlements for our clients. Michigan Auto Law has recovered more million-dollar settlements and trial verdicts for motor vehicle accidents than any other lawyer or law firm in Michigan. We’ve also recovered the highest ever reported truck accident and car accident settlement in the state.
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Whether or not you believe in God, read this message!!
Throughout time, we can see how we have been slowly conditioned to come to this point where we are on the verge of a cashless society. Did you know that the Bible foretold of this event almost 2,000 years ago?
In the book of Revelation 13:16-18, we read,
“He (the false prophet who deceives many by his miracles–Revelation 19:20) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”
Speaking to the last generation, this could only be speaking of a cashless society. Why? Revelation 13:17 tells us that we cannot buy or sell unless we receive the mark of the beast. If physical money was still in use, we could buy or sell with one another without receiving the mark. This would contradict scripture that states we need the mark to buy or sell!
These verses could not be referring to something purely spiritual as scripture references two physical locations (our right hand or forehead) stating the mark will be on one “OR” the other. If this mark was purely spiritual, it would indicate both places, not one OR the other.
This is where it comes together. It is shocking how accurate the Bible is concerning the implantable RFID microchip. These are notes from a man named Carl Sanders who worked with a team of engineers to help develop this RFID chip
“Carl Sanders sat in seventeen New World Order meetings with heads-of-state officials such as Henry Kissinger and Bob Gates of the C.I.A. to discuss plans on how to bring about this one-world system. The government commissioned Carl Sanders to design a microchip for identifying and controlling the peoples of the world—a microchip that could be inserted under the skin with a hypodermic needle (a quick, convenient method that would be gradually accepted by society).
Carl Sanders, with a team of engineers behind him, with U.S. grant monies supplied by tax dollars, took on this project and designed a microchip that is powered by a lithium battery, rechargeable through the temperature changes in our skin. Without the knowledge of the Bible (Brother Sanders was not a Christian at the time), these engineers spent one-and-a-half-million dollars doing research on the best and most convenient place to have the microchip inserted.
Guess what? These researchers found that the forehead and the back of the hand (the two places the Bible says the mark will go) are not just the most convenient places, but are also the only viable places for rapid, consistent temperature changes in the skin to recharge the lithium battery. The microchip is approximately seven millimeters in length, .75 millimeters in diameter, about the size of a grain of rice. It is capable of storing pages upon pages of information about you. All your general history, work history, criminal record, health history, and financial data can be stored on this chip.
Brother Sanders believes that this microchip, which he regretfully helped design, is the “mark” spoken about in Revelation 13:16–18. The original Greek word for “mark” is “charagma,” which means a “scratch or etching.” It is also interesting to note that the number 666 is actually a word in the original Greek. The word is “chi xi stigma,” with the last part, “stigma,” also meaning “to stick or prick.” Carl believes this is referring to a hypodermic needle when they poke into the skin to inject the microchip.”
Mr. Sanders asked a doctor what would happen if the lithium contained within the RFID microchip leaked into the body. The doctor replied by saying a terrible sore would appear in that location. This is what the book of Revelation says:
“And the first (angel) went, and poured out his vial on the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore on the men which had the mark of the beast, and on them which worshipped his image” (Revelation 16:2).
You can read more about it here–and to also understand the mystery behind the number 666: https://2ruth.org/rfid-mark-of-the-beast-666-revealed/
The third angel’s warning in Revelation 14:9-11 states,
“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.'”
“The coming of the lawless one (the Antichrist) is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)”
Who is Barack Obama, and why is he still in the public scene?
So what about his name? The meaning of someone’s name can say a lot about a person. God throughout history has given names to people that have a specific meaning tied to their lives. How about the name Barack Obama? Let us take a look at what may be hiding beneath the surface.
Jesus says in Luke 10:18, “…I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
The Hebrew Strongs word (H1299) for “lightning”: “bârâq” (baw-rawk)
In Isaiah chapter 14, verse 14, we read about Lucifer (Satan) saying in his heart:
“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.”
In the verses in Isaiah that refer directly to Lucifer, several times it mentions him falling from the heights or the heavens. The Hebrew word for the heights or heavens used here is Hebrew Strongs 1116: “bamah”–Pronounced (bam-maw’)
In Hebrew, the letter “Waw” or “Vav” is often transliterated as a “U” or “O,” and it is primarily used as a conjunction to join concepts together. So to join in Hebrew poetry the concept of lightning (Baraq) and a high place like heaven or the heights of heaven (Bam-Maw), the letter “U” or “O” would be used. So, Baraq “O” Bam-Maw or Baraq “U” Bam-Maw in Hebrew poetry similar to the style written in Isaiah, would translate literally to “Lightning from the heights.” The word “Satan” in Hebrew is a direct translation, therefore “Satan.”
So when Jesus told His disciples in Luke 10:18 that He beheld Satan fall like lightning from heaven, if this were to be spoken by a Jewish Rabbi today influenced by the poetry in the book of Isaiah, he would say these words in Hebrew–the words of Jesus in Luke 10:18 as, and I saw Satan as Baraq O Bam-Maw.
The names of both of Obama’s daughters are Malia and Natasha. If we were to write those names backward (the devil does things in reverse) we would get “ailam ahsatan”. Now if we remove the letters that spell “Alah” (Allah being the false god of Islam), we get “I am Satan”. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Obama’s campaign logo when he ran in 2008 was a sun over the horizon in the west, with the landscape as the flag of the United States. In Islam, they have their own messiah that they are waiting for called the 12th Imam, or the Mahdi (the Antichrist of the Bible), and one prophecy concerning this man’s appearance is the sun rising in the west.
“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.'” (Revelation 14:6-7)
Why have the words of Jesus in His Gospel accounts regarding His death, burial, and resurrection, been translated into over 3,000 languages, and nothing comes close (the Quran about 110 languages)? Because the same Spirit of God (YHVH) who created all people likewise transcends all people; therefore the power of His Word is not limited by people; while all other religions are man-made, therefore they tend to primarily stay within their own culture. The same God who speaks to all people through His creation of the heavens and earth that draws all people around the world likewise has sent His Word to the ends of the earth so that we may come to personally know Him to be saved in spirit and in truth through His Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus stands alone among the other religions that say to rightly weigh the scales of good and evil and to make sure you have done more good than bad in this life. Is this how we conduct ourselves justly in a court of law? Bearing the image of God, is this how we project this image into reality?
Our good works cannot save us. If we step before a judge, being guilty of a crime, the judge will not judge us by the good we have done, but rather by the crimes we have committed. If we as fallen humanity, created in God’s image, pose this type of justice, how much more a perfect, righteous, and Holy God?
God has brought down His moral laws through the 10 commandments given to Moses at Mt. Siani. These laws were not given so we may be justified, but rather that we may see the need for a savior. They are the mirror of God’s character of what He has written in our hearts, with our conscious bearing witness that we know that it is wrong to steal, lie, dishonor our parents, murder, and so forth.
We can try and follow the moral laws of the 10 commandments, but we will never catch up to them to be justified before a Holy God. That same word of the law given to Moses became flesh about 2,000 years ago in the body of Jesus Christ. He came to be our justification by fulfilling the law, living a sinless perfect life that only God could fulfill.
The gap between us and the law can never be reconciled by our own merit, but the arm of Jesus is stretched out by the grace and mercy of God. And if we are to grab on, through faith in Him, He will pull us up being the one to justify us. As in the court of law, if someone steps in and pays our fine, even though we are guilty, the judge can do what is legal and just and let us go free. That is what Jesus did almost 2,000 years ago on the cross. It was a legal transaction being fulfilled in the spiritual realm by the shedding of His blood with His last word’s on the cross crying out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).
For God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23). This is why in Isaiah chapter 53, where it speaks of the coming Messiah and His soul being a sacrifice for our sins, why it says it pleased God to crush His only begotten Son.
This is because the wrath that we deserve was justified by being poured out upon His Son. If that wrath was poured out on us, we would all perish to hell forever. God created a way of escape by pouring it out on His Son whose soul could not be left in Hades but was raised and seated at the right hand of God in power.
So now when we put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14), where God no longer sees the person who deserves His wrath, but rather the glorious image of His perfect Son dwelling in us, justifying us as if we received the wrath we deserve, making a way of escape from the curse of death; now being conformed into the image of the heavenly man walking in a new nature, and no longer in the image of the fallen man Adam.
Now what we must do is repent and put our trust and faith in the savior, confessing and forsaking our sins, and to receive His Holy Spirit that we may be born again (for Jesus says we must be born again to see and enter the Kingdom of God in John chapter 3). This is not just head knowledge of believing in Jesus, but rather receiving His words, taking them to heart, so that we may truly be transformed into the image of God. Where we no longer live to practice sin, but rather turn from our sins and practice righteousness through faith in Him in obedience to His Word by reading the Bible.
Our works cannot save us, but they can condemn us; it is not that we earn our way into everlasting life, but that we obey our Lord Jesus Christ:
Jesus says,
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
“And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:9)
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’
Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’
And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.'” (Revelation 21:1-8)