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No license penalty

231K views 42 replies 35 participants last post by  cbjason 
#1 ·
I have a driver's license, but what's the penalty for driving without a motorcycle endorsement?

I live in FL, they require you to take a safety course before you get it, but the waitlist was over a month. I can't wait that long. I know how to drive it, and have on a regular basis. I'm just scared of getting pulled over.
 
#3 ·
In Minnesota it is just like driving a car w/o a license. You will get a tag and NBR (no bail required). You must also provide proof of insurance and title. You can not get insurance w/o the license so you will most likely get tagged for that as well. Your bike would be impounded also. You would have to trailer it out. Could get expensive real quick. I am assuming similar law in Florida.
 
#5 ·
In California you would be cited and your bike would be impounded. As stated previously not having a license would almost certainly mean you don’t have insurance and in our state that is an almost automatic suspension of your license, along with a very hefty fine, between six hundred and a thousand dollars depending on the county.
 
#6 ·
I live in Arkansas and the penalty for no license is generally a ticket and you have to walk the bike home. I've been pulled over once and I was lucky and got off with a warning. I had tags and insurance. I never put the bike on public roads till I had tags and insurance, because I was less of a target with tags. I'm not promoting riding without a license, but if you ride responsibly and don't try to stunt on public roads most likely you will never be noticed by police. I still don't have my license and just haven't made time to go get it. I ride a little aggressive on the roads so I will need to slow down for sure.
 
#8 ·
I can hire a bike in Florida on my UK Licence but I cannot buy one to keep at my place in Davenport as I have to get a Florida Licence which automatically expires the moment I leave the country to come back to the UK
If I had to do a safety test as well I would never get to ride those fantastic Florida roads
 
#9 ·
I started the required motorcycle safety course last night. It was mostly classroom stuff going on, but the majority of the people there last night were people who had been caught riding without their moto endorsement. One guy at my table said a cop saw him, ran his plate, saw that he didn't have his endorsement and pulled him over.

In the entire class of 24, only 2 or 3 people actually had no experience, even though the class is designed for people like that.

Good thing is, I didn't hear any stories of bikes getting impounded, just getting citations, that could possibly be waived by the judge if the course is completed by then. Seems pretty lenient in FL right now, maybe because the law was just passed last summer, who knows.
 
#12 ·
philkop
Personally I think that is some pretty poor advice. What happens if you get in an accident? What happens if an officer runs your bikes license and finds out the owner doesn’t have a motorcycle endorsement. The officer doesn’t need to pull you over to run your bikes license. I believe the motorcycle safety course should be mandatory for all riders but that is just my opinion.
 
#13 ·
Agreed, Perry. I took the MSF course and enjoyed it. I also feel more relaxed and more prepared for things that might happen while I'm out there riding, and there are guys who've been riding for twenty and thirty years who took the course and said that they learned things. There's no GOOD reason for NOT taking a safety course, IMHO.
 
#16 · (Edited)
which is great, and I plan on taking the course too, but here was my predicament.

I was going to Iraq, I got rid of my cage(sold it). This old motorcycle was the only wheels I had for 3 months. with a total of 3 supervised hours on a bike, this thing is my mode of transportation. had a rack on the back and a bungee cord if I needed to transport something.

I rode it for about a month with no license(but a permit) simply cause its just what I had to do. I got my M endorsement and then it was legit.

edit: plunking down 50 bux for a socket wrench set turned out to be the best investment of my life, if I couldn't get it running, I wasn't going nowhere.

Now I'm guessing the OP needs the bike to get to work, get the groceries, and uses a bike as a daily driver, so waiting isn't always an option.
 
#14 ·
If you have the means to take the course by all means take it. I just moved here so i'm a little low on cash at the moment. I plan to take it once i get settled and have a steady income. Im just saying i have been riding without a motorcycle license and have yet to be pulled over.
 
#15 ·
I think most of us can understand and sympathies with financial hardship, especially in these times. However if you should get stopped, cited and possibly get your bike towed then that will just add to the lack of funds. Some people view the law as a tool to restrict individual freedom however in the most part it is there for our protection. I also realize that our government has decided that they need to protect us from ourselves but that is a different matter
 
#22 ·
In Indiana there are 2 kinds of permits

Permit # 1 is for under age people and or also people with no drivers license this is called a temporary permit only allows you to take the MSF class. no street riding permitted this permit requires you to pass a written test only to get the license you must pass the MSF class and hold the full permit after you pass the class for 6 months before you can get the moto license.

Permit #2 is the regular full permit if some one has a driver license and is not under age this is what they get it requires a written test only and proof of drivers license and age. It requires helmet and allows expressway riding and secondary streets but no passengers, or night time riding allowed.
after holding this permit for 6 months you can take the test to get your license. or you can take the written test and pass the MSF class and after 6 months you get a waver for your license. If you weight the 6 months first ten take the MSF class you can go strait to the license branch and get your license .

I have permit # 2 had it since 8-08 had it 8 months so far.

I have to admit I have broke all the rules WOOPS! my bad.:eek:
1) I have took the bike around the block a few times with out the helmet
while I was working on it to get it running right
2) I took my wife for a 10 mile ride 1 time.
She kept bugging me to take her on a ride.

3) I ride to work all the time in the early morning around 5:40am Still dark.
The ride home is legal at least, don't that count? :D

I try not to do any thing that draws attention to me or my bike
by the PO PO.
 
#18 ·
Take the course, there is a good reason Fla. passed the law, there are too many riders that don't have a clue down here in Fla....If you get stopped for any reason, and you don't have an endorsement it may end up costing you more than the course... not only that but the course my save your life......fortunately I got my endorsement before the law went into effect, but I have been riding for many years... once you have a few miles under your belt, take the Advanced riders course, it more fun than you might expect.. and then you really will be a rider, not just a driver. Hope I did not offend anyone, but there are too many riders that don't know how to ride, see it every day, cant make a u turn, dragging feet... etc etc... you guys know who I am talking about....

Capn
 
#19 ·
Wow, getting a license in Iowa is lenient (no written test from what I remember and a short riding test which I passed my second time on a motorcycle and it wasn't even mine!) I borrowed another guys 500cc dirt bike and completed the course with it on the first try.

Although no license here would be expensive. About $400-500 no license fee, $800 no insurance fee, impounding usually costs about $300 after everything and plus you have to walk home.
 
#27 ·
Florida

Personally I like how Florida handles this. Wherever you can remove things from government and turn it over to the private sector I like. Competition keeps prices about right, I paid $149.00 about 2yrs back, and loved the class. They where instructors working because they can compete on quality and price, not a tired uncaring government worker who can't be fired.
 
#28 ·
I live in oh. I buddy of mine got pulled over going down the interstate.He didn't have a helmet on and had a passenger. He didn't have his motorcycle endorsement.The State trooper told him to get off at the next exit and head home,and that if he caught him riding again without an endorsement he will give him a ticket.In ohio you have to have your license for a year before you can ride with no helmet and carry a passenger. Most of the time the officers will let you go, the first time as long as your not doing anything stupid. You don't have to take a rider course but if you do your insurance is usually cheaper
 
#29 ·
I just got done taking the MSF course last weekend and enjoyed it immensely!!! Here in TN if you take the course and pass the written and riding exams, you can take the certificate to the DMV and they waive both of the state exams and give you the M-endorsement on your license. Still won't get out on the road for a good while until I prectice more in my neighborhood (20mph streets and wide curves)...:icon_cool:
 
#30 ·
I think the question posed by the OP requires a slighty different tact than quoting law or "take the class". I see OP is enrolled, but for others afterwards with the same question:

Sure there is a penalty for getting caught riding w/o an endorsement, almost anywhere in the land.

That penalty is surely less than the penalty you could pay for riding without proper training.
 
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