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Lately there has been much activity in the world of pocketbikes and the law. Persented for you today are some recent rulings and laws regarding pocketbikes in the US.

You will note that some of these local laws also quote state laws which prohibit the use of pocketbikes on streets, bicycle paths, sidewalks and other places. I found many more references than these but chose these only for their content or clarity.

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prince william county, virginia
drivers must be 16 years of age or older.
“go-peds” cannot be capable of exceeding 30 mph. if they have been modified, they are illegal.
violations of these laws may result in the issuance of a traffic summons and vehicles being towed.

truckee california
pocket bikes are not legal to be operated upon town streets, sidewalks, and parking lots or within residential housing areas. operating one is a violation of the california vehicle code and subjects the operator to penalties as listed in the vehicle code, including, but not limited to, fines and impounding of the vehicle.

wisconsin department of transportation
under wisconsin law, pocket bikes that can exceed 30 miles per hour fall into the statutory definition of “motorcycle” set forth in section 340.01(32), wisconsin statutes. therefore, a person operating a pocket bike on a highway is also required to hold a motorcycle (class m) license. a driver who possesses only a class d, or regular, license (or who possesses no license) can be issued a citation for operating a motorcycle without a license. the penalty for riding a motorcycle without a class m license is a forfeiture of about $180, and results in the assessment of three demerit points.

milpitas california
drive a pocket bike on the road and you will be stopped and may be cited for several violations, including an unsafe vehicle (24004 cvc). the officer may also tow the bike under section 22651 (o) cvc, as an unregistered vehicle, and 22651 (p) cvc, if you are not properly licensed. if you are unlicensed, your pocket bike may be impounded for up to 30 days. the fees for that impound can be $1300 or more.

city of washington utah
a person may not operate a mini-motorcycle on any public property, highway, or path, unless:
a. the mini-motorcycle is registered for highway use in accordance with utah code, title 41, chapter la motor vehicle act, and
b. the operator is licensed to operate a motorcycle in accordance with utah code, title 53, chapter 3, uniform driver license act.
2. a person may not operate a mini-motorcycle on any public sidewalk.
3. an owner may not authorize or knowingly permit a person to operate a mini-motorcycle in violation of this section.

texas municipal league
h.b 995 (vo) – pocket bikes: would: (1) prohibit the operation of a “pocket bike” (mini-motorbike) on a public highway; and (2) authorize a court to impose a penalty of $750 or the forfeiture and destruction of the pocket bike for such an offense.

broken arrow oklahoma
go-carts, golf carts, all-terrain vehicles (three or four wheel atv’s), “mini motorcycles”, or motorcycles designed for off-road use, or any other “play vehicle”, whether powered by an electric motor or gas engine, cannot be legally operated on city streets or highways in the state of oklahoma. a license plate on a motorized device does not make it street legal to operate. the size of the vehicle, the engine size, dot approved equipment and insurance requirements dictate what can legally be operated on public roadways. contact local law enforcement if you have any questions. any adult violating this law in the city of broken arrow can be cited for violating broken arrow city ordinance 23-21. any parent/guardian of a minor 17 years of age or younger who is observed in violation of this ordinance can be issued a citation.

harrisburg pennsylvania
under the pennsylvania vehicle code, motor scooters are classified as motor vehicles. to be legally operated on the road, a motor scooter is required to be registered, inspected and insured. however, many scooters do not have the equipment requirements needed to pass inspection. unlike a conventional motor vehicle, motor scooters are unenclosed vehicles that expose the operator to the risk of an immediate, unprotected impact with other motor vehicles and pedestrians, without the benefit of safety equipment such as fenders, turn signals, lights or tires suitable for highway use. moreover, many of the motor scooters are not certified to meet federal motor vehicle safety standards, minimum federal equipment standards required for all new vehicles, which are manufactured for use on the roadways.

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As you can see many towns, cities and states are breaking down on owners of pocketbikes. According to some of those fines above, riders have been a serious problem in some places.

In addition, many of these cities also made note of dealers selling pocketbikes to people and telling them that they are legal to drive on streets because they are "scooters". That is patently false in most cases.

Please check your local town/city/state/province laws to ensure that you aren't breaking the law when riding your pocketbike. It is up to you to ensure that what you are doing is legal.

This article was written by Bruce Peresky for pocketbikeforum.com. Copying is permitted provided you give credit to http://www.pocketbikeforum.com

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i live like 10 minutes away from Prince williams county but are go peds the same as superpocketbikes?