The rules for riding a moped (essentially a bicycle equipped with a motor) and a scooter (a hybrid of a motor scooter and a scooter) are regulated by regulations in the field of road safety. We’ll tell you whether it’s possible to ride a moped or scooter in Russia without a license, who and how can get a license to drive these vehicles (TS), and what sanctions can be applied to rule violators.
Driving license categories for driving a moped or scooter
Everything has become both simpler and more complex with the introduction of new categories a few years ago. Previously, a driver's license was not required to operate a scooter, but now it is required. So what kind of driver's license is needed for a moped? The answer is simple - category "M" . It is easy to open it; you just need to pass a theoretical exam on your knowledge of traffic rules, if you have already reached the age of 16 , as well as a practical exam.
It will also be automatically opened upon receipt of a license to drive a motorcycle, car or truck.
Can a scooter driver be fined or not?
Fines are imposed for:
- lack of VA;
- driving a scooter under 14 years of age;
- if your ID is lost or stolen;
- expired driving license.
Important: do not forget that a citizen of the Russian Federation can obtain a license only after reaching 16 years of age. If a person does not have driving rights, then the inspector has the right to issue a fine from five to fifteen thousand. If a teenager who has not yet turned 14 rides a scooter, the fine is imposed on the parents.
A traffic police inspector has the right to seize a vehicle if the driver does not have a license and place it in a fine parking lot. It is possible to pick up a scooter from the site after payment, since there is a charge for transport on the site. But if the driver’s license is brought to the driver before the tow truck arrives, if it was forgotten at home, then the vehicle will not be confiscated.
If, when stopped by an inspector, you do not have a license, and the reason for this is their theft, then you are still a violator, and you will be given a fine. If a driver's license is stolen, the driver must contact the police department and write a statement according to the established procedure.
After the application is written, the driver will be issued a temporary license, which gives the right to drive the vehicle. After two months, a duplicate license will be issued and it will be permanent.
An expired driver's license is a violation. Penalties are provided in accordance with the law. Penalties will apply if you give your scooter to a person without a motor vehicle license.
Do I need to get a license for a scooter?
What penalties are there for repeat violations?
If a scooter driver’s license is revoked and he is caught riding a scooter on the road, the fine will be 30,000 rubles. But there is an alternative punishment for driving while deprived of a driver’s license - arrest for 15 days, or correctional labor for 200 hours.
If you are caught riding a scooter without a license and its capacity is less than 50 cubic meters, then you will be punished with penalties. You are allowed to drive without a license only during courses, that is, during training driving, and then only with an instructor.
How to avoid getting a fine when riding a scooter
Following these rules will help you:
- ride on the right side of the road or on a track intended for bicycles;
- do not obstruct pedestrians;
- operate with two hands;
- drive with headlights on;
- do not transport heavy loads;
- a passenger may be on a scooter if the vehicle is designed for this. The same applies to transporting children;
- U-turns can only be made on a single-lane road;
- the scooter must have decals installed;
- do not cross the road at the zebra crossing.
According to Russian legislation, what can you drive without a license?
You don't need a license if you are moving to:
- a bicycle without a motor;
- unicycle;
- quad bike across the field;
- wheelchair;
- lawnmower.
Without a driver's license, you can drive motor vehicles that are classified as sports equipment - motorcycles and mopeds for motocross. This equipment has very powerful engines, but driving it on public roads is strictly prohibited.
Vehicle license
To answer the question of how many cubes you need a license for a scooter, just look at the latest edition of the Code of Administrative Offenses or the official website of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate . Now a driver's license with an open category "M" is required to drive anything, even a moped or scooter with a 50 cubic centimeter engine. And traffic police officers, by the way, regularly stop small-capacity motorcycles and check documents, so it’s not worth the risk.
Up to 50 cubic meters
This is where the moped category comes in handy. According to the rules, a moped is considered a two-wheeled vehicle with an engine of no more than 49.9 cubic centimeters and a maximum speed of up to 50 km/h . But no one has been paying attention to the second part of this long-outdated criterion, born in the USSR. Some Aprilia RS50 can easily accelerate to more than 100 km/h, but it still falls under the “M” category . still need .
More than 50 cubes
the “A1” subcategory was introduced , allowing you to drive motorcycles with an engine capacity from 50 to 125 cc. cm. Horsepower is not taken into account, as is the maximum speed, although de jure it should not exceed 4 kW. You can also open the “A1” subcategory . For a moped you need an M license, and for a motorcycle like the Yamaha YBR-125 you need an A1 license. That is why, by the way, many motorcycle schools began to massively purchase 150 cc Chinese bikes instead of the time-tested YBR-125, since they can be passed immediately to category “A”, which gives the right to drive any motorcycle at all.
From 150 cubic meters
Officially, there is no such division at all, since motorcycles with an engine of 125 cc or more fall under category “A” , which can now be taken from the age of 18 (previously it was possible from the age of 16).
The gradation is quite strange, since there is much less difference between a 50 cc scooter and a motorcycle with, for example, a 250 cc engine than between a similar small-capacity bike and a sportbike like the Yamaha YZF-R1. Category “A” included all motorcycles en masse, from budget “Chinese” and Soviet “Izhi” with Voskhods to incredibly powerful sportbikes and heavy touring Harley-Davidsons.
Legal Basics of Operating a Scooter in 2021
In order to talk substantively about legal issues, you must first decide on the object of the conversation. It is advisable to do this with links to official documents that can be cited to confirm what has been said.
What is a scooter?
There is no such term in current Russian laws, standards, regulations, and instructions. The only source of information that can be found in the media is Wikipedia. This, of course, is far from something that can be unconditionally believed, but, for lack of anything better...
This electronic encyclopedia states that a scooter is a term for a foreign analogue of a motor scooter. This means that we need to temporarily change the original name and conduct part of the further searches for a new one.
Motor scooter in Russian laws
In official documents, the term is found only in GOSTs with instructions and regulations for various tests: braking, speed, load capacity, etc., etc. The definition of a scooter as a vehicle is not found in them. There is a Russian standard 52051 that classifies mechanical transport.
It contains definitions:
- Two- and three-wheeled mopeds (power – up to 4 kW, volume – up to 50 cubes, speed – up to 50 km/h)
- Motorcycles - two-wheeled single and with a sidecar and tricycles, with engine capacity and speed exceeding 50 cubic meters. cm and 50 km/h respectively.
A scooter, as a vehicle with two or three wheels, fits these descriptions.
Motor scooters produced in the USSR had the following technical characteristics:
- “Vyatka” – passenger, 148 cc, 5.5 kW, 70 km/h
- "Ant" - cargo, three-wheeled, 199 cubic meters. cm, 11 l. With. (~ 8.25 kW), 60 km/h.
Now you can reverse the name change - call the scooter a scooter and carry on further discussions with it.
Most of today's models exceed those of mopeds in one of their technical characteristics. Usually their stated speed is more than 50 km/h. It is possible that there are standards on the market that fit the norms.
Fine for not having a license for a scooter
It’s one thing if the driver doesn’t have a driver’s license at all and has never received one, and quite another if he just left it at home. In the latter case, the forgetful driver will face a modest fine of 500 rubles , but a lot of time will have to be spent, since the traffic police inspector will need to check the veracity of his words. But violators who never had a driver’s license will face a fine of 5,000 to 15,000 rubles . The exact figure here remains at the discretion of the inspector. The answer to the question of whether you need a license for a moped is clear - yes, you do , if you don’t want to pay huge fines.
Avoidance of punishment
The law does not provide for this. Of course, the inspector may let the offender go, but what are the chances of that? The same law directly obliges him to remove the driver from driving and issue him a fine for not having a driver's license . And attempting to bribe an inspector is a criminal offense.
What's the fine?
Meanwhile, violators will face a serious fine! Do not doubt that, once in the field of view of the traffic police, the moped driver will certainly be stopped, even if he has not violated anything, has a helmet on his head, and a fire extinguisher in his hands!
And if you also do not have a license for a scooter, punishment is inevitable. A report will be drawn up against you under Part 1 of Article 12.7 of the Code of Administrative Offenses for driving a vehicle without a driver’s license. The materials will be handed over to the head of the traffic police, who will impose a fine of 5 to 15 thousand rubles.
The procedure for registering rights to a scooter
Having reached the age of 16 , you must contact any traffic police department that issues driver's licenses. It is enough to submit the appropriate application, pay the state fee and pass the exams. You first need to pass a medical examination and undergo training at a motorcycle school, which is necessary in order for you to be allowed to take the exam. Everything is quite serious, but upon receipt of any license by a driver who has reached the age of 18, the “M” category will be opened automatically.
Who can get rights
To legally drive a moped, it is enough not to have health problems that are incompatible with driving, which must be confirmed by a medical board . At what age can you get a moped license? As already written above, from 16. But you will have to undergo a medical examination and training at school together with other drivers; the law does not make exceptions here. If you want to get a scooter, it is better to obtain a driver's license in advance, as this process can take quite a long time.
Where does the training take place?
Anyone wishing to open the “M” category must study at any accredited motorcycle school . Most of these institutions offer assistance in learning to drive both motorcycles and cars, and finding the nearest school will not be difficult. Driving a moped is a fairly simple process, and after a couple of lessons, any beginner will get the hang of it.
Cost of education
It depends on the specific motorcycle school you apply to. Typically, terms start from one month, and the price includes both theoretical training and practical training. On average, you will have to pay 11-12 thousand rubles .
Required documents
To obtain permission to take the exams, you must provide all the documents from the list:
- General passport
- Application (written to the traffic police)
- Results of passing a medical examination in psychiatric and drug treatment clinics
- Certificate 003-В/у (results of a routine medical examination, during which the general state of health is checked)
- Receipt for payment of state duty
- Photo size 3x4
Features of passing the exam
The first stage of passing the traffic police exam will be theory . It includes questions on knowledge of traffic rules and first aid rules . If the theory is successfully passed, the student is allowed to take the second stage . It consists of practice on the site , and takes place in three stages. Each day, inspectors select three exercises to pass. One critical mistake is allowed - if it doesn’t work the first time, you can try again.
Questions and answers
Is it possible to drive a scooter with category “B”?
Yes, this is allowed . The Federal Law “On Road Traffic Safety” directly allows drivers with any open category of license to drive a scooter with an engine up to 50 cc. see. Even if you haven’t changed your old-style driver’s license for a long time, you don’t need a separate “M” category.
110cc moped - what category is this?
Everything up to 50 cubic meters is category “M”. From 50 to 125 cubic meters - subcategory “A1”. Motor vehicles over 125 cubic meters belong to category “A”.
What do you need to ride a moped?
Driver's license category "M", motorcycle helmet. Compulsory motor liability insurance is not required; registration of your vehicle with the traffic police is also not required.
How many cubes can you drive on highways?
Motorcycles with an engine of 125 cc and above are allowed on highways marked with the appropriate sign.
What is possible and what is not?
For owners of vehicles of category M, there are some prohibitions, as well as mandatory conditions for driving on public roads.
What must a moped driver do?
- You are only allowed to drive a moped wearing a special protective helmet. The motorcycle helmet must be fastened. The fine for driving without a helmet is 1,000 rubles. By the way, the same fine can be issued for wearing a helmet but not fastening it.
- By the way, in case of an accident between a car and a scooter, if the driver of the scooter is not wearing a helmet, the driver of the car will not be punished. The reason for this decision will be the lack of a helmet - the scooter rider is to blame for his injuries.
Important! The passenger is not required to wear a helmet (see paragraph 24.8 of the Rules).
- The transported cargo should not significantly protrude beyond the dimensions of the vehicle or interfere with control.
- At night, driving is permitted only with working lights. The scooter must have reflective elements.
- When driving during the day, the vehicle must only move with the low beams or running lights turned on. They should be turned on immediately before driving.
Remember! Remember to turn on the lights when driving during the day. This measure will allow other road users to see you in advance. Thus, you will avoid injuries, danger to health and life, and unnecessary material costs.
- You need to drive as close as possible to the right edge of the lane.
Prohibited to do
- It is prohibited to maneuver on the road or maneuver in traffic jams.
- Throw your arms while moving. According to the rules, the driver is required to hold the steering wheel with at least one hand while driving.
- Towing a scooter is prohibited. Towing another vehicle with a scooter is also prohibited. Only a side trailer is allowed, like a sidecar for a motorcycle.
- It is prohibited to transport large and heavy cargo. In this case, even a red ribbon tied at the end of the load does not help.
