If you’re at least 15 and don’t have a Minnesota driver’s license, you need a Minnesota motorized bicycle operator’s permit before riding a moped on public roads. The permit comes from the state’s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) after you complete a safety course, pass a knowledge test, pass a skills test, and pay the fees, which start at $6.75. If you already hold a Class D or commercial driver’s license, you can skip the permit entirely and ride under that license.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 169.223 – Motorized Bicycle
What Counts as a Motorized Bicycle
Minnesota defines a motorized bicycle as a bicycle powered by an electric or liquid-fuel motor with a piston displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or less and no more than two brake horsepower. It also cannot exceed 30 miles per hour on flat ground with no more than a one-percent grade.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 169.011 – Definitions
Cross either threshold and the state treats the vehicle as a motorcycle, which means a different license endorsement, higher insurance, and separate registration rules. Pedal-assist electric bicycles are a separate legal category and are not covered by the motorized bicycle permit.
Who Needs This Permit
A valid Minnesota driver’s license (Class D or any commercial class) is enough on its own to operate a motorized bicycle. No endorsement is needed.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 169.223 – Motorized Bicycle
The motorized bicycle operator’s permit exists for people who don’t have a driver’s license: teenagers as young as 15, and adults who haven’t chosen to get one. Without either credential, riding a moped on any public roadway is illegal.3Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 171.02 – Drivers License Requirements
Getting the Instruction Permit
Minnesota uses a two-stage process. First you earn a 30-day instruction permit; then you pass a skills test for the full operator’s permit.
To qualify for the instruction permit, you must be at least 15 and bring the following to a DVS exam station:
- A certificate of completion from a state-approved moped safety course, which covers moped laws, safe riding techniques, helmet use, traffic strategy, and the effects of alcohol and drugs
- Proof of identity, such as a birth certificate or passport
- A certified parental approval slip if you’re under 18, available at DVS exam stations
At the station you take a vision screening and a knowledge test on Minnesota traffic laws and rules for two-wheeled vehicles. Pass the test, pay the $6.75 exam fee, and you receive the 30-day instruction permit.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual
The instruction permit is a practice credential, not a full riding privilege. It only allows you to ride within a one-mile radius of your home.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual
Taking the Skills Test
Once you’ve practiced, schedule a skills test with DVS in person, by phone, or online at drive.mn.gov. Bring your instruction permit, current proof of insurance on the moped you’ll use for the test, a DOT-approved helmet, and eye protection. Applicants under 18 need another parental approval slip.
The examiner watches you start, ride tight circles, make quick stops, execute right and left turns, change lanes, and handle stop signs or traffic lights.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual Pass the test and DVS issues your motorized bicycle operator’s permit.
Fees and How Long the Permit Lasts
Fees are set by Minnesota Statutes Section 171.02, subdivision 3, and depend on your age:
- Written exam and 30-day instruction permit: $6.75
- Operator’s permit issued before age 21: $9.75, valid until you turn 21
- Renewal at age 21 or older: $15.75, valid four years
- Duplicate permit: $5.25
A first-time applicant under 21 pays $16.50 total: $6.75 for the instruction stage and $9.75 for the operator’s permit.3Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 171.02 – Drivers License Requirements
Registration and Insurance
The permit is only half of what you need. The moped itself must be registered with DVS, display current registration tabs, and be renewed annually. You can handle registration at any DVS deputy registrar’s office. Electric-assisted bicycles are exempt from registration; motorized bicycles are not.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 168.012 – Exempt Vehicles
Every registered moped must carry liability insurance for property damage and injury to others, and you’ll need to show proof of coverage at your skills test.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual Line up insurance before you start the permit process.
Rules Once You’re Riding
Equipment rules come from Section 169.223.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 169.223 – Motorized Bicycle Operators and passengers under 18 must wear protective headgear meeting the federal bicycle helmet standard (16 CFR Part 1203); at 18 and older, helmet use becomes optional under state law. A moped may be operated at night if it has a headlight and taillight meeting motorcycle lighting standards. Every new moped sold in Minnesota is required to come with a headlight. If you’re buying used, check both lights before riding after dark.
On the road, ride as close to the right-hand curb or edge as is safe. You can move left only to pass another vehicle going the same direction, to prepare for a left turn, or to avoid hazards like parked cars, debris, or narrow lanes. Sidewalk riding is prohibited except for the most direct path between a driveway, alley, or building and the roadway. Motorized bicycles are also barred from bicycle paths and lanes reserved for nonmotorized traffic. Standard traffic signals and signs apply.
Passengers are generally not allowed. The one exception: if the operator is under 16 and riding on a motorized bicycle permit, a parent or guardian may ride along, but only if the moped has a seat and footrests for a second rider. Giving a friend a lift is a traffic violation regardless of your age or license status.
Riders under 16 face extra limits during the 30-day instruction permit: riding is confined to a one-mile radius around your home, and additional motorcycle instruction permit restrictions from Section 169.974, subdivision 2 apply except where Section 169.223 overrides them (such as permitting nighttime riding with proper lighting). These extra limits fall away when you turn 16 and hold the full operator’s permit.