Before you drive a scooter or moped, you have to make sure that it’s property insured. In most states, you have to get some insurance for your scooter or moped. The amount you have to get usually depends on your vehicle’s engine size and top speed.
Most of the time, you can get a motorcycle insurance policy for your scooter or moped, but some companies offer separate insurance specifically for mopeds or scooters. Either way, getting insurance for a moped or scooter insurance is usually cheaper than for a motorcycle.
What’s the difference between a moped and scooter?
Every state has its own definition of a moped and scooter, which are sometimes grouped together as “micromobility devices.” But insurance requirements can change depending on if it’s a moped or a scooter.
But in general, here’s the difference between a moped and a scooter:
Mopeds usually have an engine that’s smaller than 50cc and may also have pedals. They’re not safe for highway driving, but you might be allowed to use your moped on other public roads.
Scooters usually have engines that are larger than 50cc and might be allowed on highways. Instead of pedals, scooters have a flat surface that the driver can rest their feet on while they travel.
Depending on where you live, these definitions can flip, meaning that what’s considered a scooter in one state could be considered a moped in another.
If you own a scooter or a moped, it’s best to contact your DMV to make sure that you know your state’s laws for your vehicle.
Do you need insurance for a moped or scooter?
The insurance requirements for a moped or scooter vary by state, but they usually come down to how powerful your moped or scooter is.
In many cases your local laws will only require insurance for your moped or scooter if it has an engine that is stronger than 50cc. Otherwise, insurance will be recommended, but not mandatory.
Along with insurance for your moped or scooter, you may also be required to have the right protective covering, registration, and license type according to your state’s rules.
Does motorcycle insurance cover scooters and mopeds?
Most of the time, you can cover your scooter or moped with generic motorcycle insurance, and most car insurance companies also sell motorcycle insurance.
There are also a few companies that specialize in covering motorcycles and other two-wheeled vehicles, like Dairyland and Markel.
Whether or not you’ll need specific moped or scooter insurance instead of a regular motorcycle policy will depend on the company.
Requirements for moped and scooter insurance
Since each state has different rules about what is considered a scooter or moped, they also have different insurance requirements, some of which are more complicated than others.
For example, in New York mopeds and scooters are a part of the same group of “limited-use” vehicles. This means your vehicle’s class (A, B, or C) tells you whether you need insurance for your moped or scooter. Your vehicle’s class is determined only by its top speed.
In states like Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, and California, it’s much more straightforward. In these states, you have to get insurance for all mopeds or scooters with engine sizes or brake horsepower higher than a certain amount:
California: produces at least 4bhp
Colorado and Colorado: engine larger than 49cc
Florida: produces at least 2 bhp
You should check the requirements in your own state to ensure that you get the right amount of coverage for your scooter or moped. You should also check for state-specific laws about helmets and which lanes you can use.
How much is insurance for mopeds and scooters?
Insurance for mopeds and scooters is much cheaper than the average insurance premium for a car or motorcycle. Plus, if you already have separate car or home insurance, you might also be able to bundle your moped or scooter insurance for a discount.
We compared the cost of moped insurance in New York City and found that, on average, moped insurance for our sample driver costs $123 for a minimum-coverage policy and $703 for a policy that includes comprehensive and collision coverages.
Policy details | Progressive | GEICO |
|---|---|---|
Minimum-coverage | $146 | $99 |
Full-coverage | $773 | $632 |
Rates for a 30-year-old owner of a Honda Metropolitan
The reason why mopeds and scooter insurance is so much less expensive than coverage for a larger car or bike comes down to power. The weaker the engine, the less likely a scooter or moped is to cause serious damage to another car or driver.
What does moped and scooter insurance cover?
Like insurance for a car or motorcycle, moped and scooter insurance covers the property damage and injuries that you cause other drivers. Moped and scooter insurance can also cover damage to your own vehicle and belongings depending on your coverage.
Just like car insurance, a full-coverage policy for a moped or scooter will include:
Liability insurance: Covers the cost of the other driver’s injuries and damage when you’re responsible for an accident.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage: Covers your bills when you’re in an accident caused by someone without any insurance or enough insurance.
Collision coverage: Pays to repair or replace your own moped or scooter after it’s damaged in a collision, regardless of fault.
Comprehensive coverage: Pays to repair or replace your own moped or scooter after it’s damaged by something other than a collision, like damage from flooding, fire, vandalism, or theft.
Companies that insure mopeds and scooters usually offer a few insurance add-ons, or endorsements, that you can include (at an additional cost) to increase your coverage. Common add-ons include:
Roadside assistance coverage: Covers the cost of roadside labor if your moped or scooter breaks down. This includes towing, winching, jump starts, and tire changes.
Trip interruption coverage: Pays for food, lodging, and transportation if your moped or scooter breaks down and you’re far away from your home address.
Carried contents and belongings coverage: Pays to repair or replace any of your personal items that are damaged or lost while you’re riding your scooter or moped.
→ Read more about the different types of car insurance
How to get insurance on a moped or scooter
Mopeds and scooters aren’t as common as other types of motorcycles, but the process for getting insured is mostly the same as it is for other drivers. [1] Before you get insurance, you will have have some info about you and your moped or scooter at the ready, like:
Your name, address, and driver’s license number
Whether your license has a motorcycle endorsement
Your moped or scooter’s VIN
Your vehicle’s engine size and top speed
Where your moped or scooter is kept when you’re not riding it
When and where you completed any past motorcycle driving course
Next, you’ll also have to decide how much moped or scooter insurance you want. Use your state’s minimum-coverage amounts as a starting point and add as much liability insurance as you can afford (even if you don’t get a full-coverage policy).
Even though mopeds and scooters aren’t as powerful as cars or conventional motorcycles, you still don’t want to have to pay out of pocket after an accident.
Once you know how much coverage you need, make sure that you also compare rates to get the best price, just like you would if you were buying insurance for a regular car.
Do you need insurance for an electric scooter?
No, you don’t technically need insurance for an electric scooter. But even though electric scooters are even less powerful than mopeds and gas-powered scooters, it might be worth insuring your e-scooter if you drive it a lot on your city’s roadways or riding paths.
Your existing health insurance would cover you if you were injured while riding an electric scooter. You could also make a third-party claim with another driver’s insurance if they injure you while you’re riding.
But you might need to get an umbrella policy — or a separate insurance policy that offers excess liability coverage — to make sure you have enough coverage in the event you cause an accident.
Frequently asked questions
Is scooter insurance cheaper than motorcycle insurance?
On average, scooter insurance is cheaper than motorcycle insurance. That’s because scooters are less powerful and can’t do as much damage as motorcycles. This limits the size of any potential liability claims and results in a cheaper rate.
Does insurance cover scooter damage?
Yes, but only if you add comprehensive and collision coverage to your scooter or moped insurance policy. Minimum-coverage scooter insurance would only cover the damage and injuries that you cause to others.
What is multi-scooter insurance?
If you have multi-scooter insurance, it just means that you have coverage for all of your scooters under the same policy. With multi-scooter insurance, you can usually still adjust the amount of insurance that each of your scooters has. You might do this if you wanted full-coverage for one scooter but not another.
Methodology
We found the average cost of moped and scooter insurance by gathering quotes from Progressive and GEICO for a sample driver living in New York City. These rates reflect the cost to insure a 2017 Honda Metropolitan with minimum and full-coverage amounts of insurance.
