Maryland Motorcycle Insurance Requirements and Safety

Riding along Maryland’s waterways provides a relaxing way to spend a day. Even riding a motorcycle to work can make for a better day, and riding home blows the stress out of you — for at least the trip home, if you’re not riding in traffic. Motorcycles make great ways to commute long distances during good weather. But, whether you want to ride for pleasure or use the motorcycle for your daily transportation, you must have insurance and follow the State of Maryland’s safety rules and regulations.

Safety Requirements

Laws of the State of Maryland require all drivers and passengers to wear helmets. Eye protection is also required unless your bike has a windscreen. Even though you may have a windscreen, wearing eye protection is a good idea — you never know when a small pebble or a bug will get past the windscreen and cause you to possibly lose control of the bike.

If you are carrying a passenger, you must have a passenger seat and foot pegs for the passenger. There are no age restrictions for passengers, and passenger must also wear a helmet and should wear eye protection. Helmet speakers are limited to a single earphone. By law, two mirrors are required on your motorcycle. When title transfers after you purchase a motorcycle, you must have it inspected before you can register and insure it. Also, the handlebars cannot be higher than 15 inches above the seat.

The State of Maryland also prohibits earplugs unless they are custom made so as to prevent a hearing injury. They cannot block your ability to hear emergency horns and/or sirens. You may also wear hearing aids.

Off Road Requirements

If you want to operate a motorcycle off road in the State of Maryland, a helmet and eye protection are not required, though for some off road riding, such as jumping and racing, you should wear both. If you are participating in an event, the event rules may require that you wear safety gear. Insurance may not cover you if you are injured in off road racing or jumping competitions.

Minimum Insurance Requirements

The State of Maryland requires that motorcycle owners/operators have insurance. If you have a scooter or a moped, it does not need to be registered or insured, but it you must have the appropriate license to drive one. The State of Maryland defines a scooter as having a 50 cc or less engine and 2.7 or less brake horsepower. A moped has pedals and has 1.5 or less brake horsepower. The engine must also be no more than 50 cc.

You must carry a minimum of $30,000 in coverage for the injury or death of one person per accident, $60,000 for the injury or death of two or more people in any one accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Additionally, you must carry uninsured motorist coverage in the same amounts. The State of Maryland also requires that you carry personal injury protection of $2,500 for any medical expenses your passenger may incur.

When you register your motorcycle, you must fax a copy of form FR-19 to the Motor Vehicle Administration. If you change insurance companies, you must fax a new form FR-19 to the Motor Vehicle Administration. This form states that you will keep motorcycle insurance on the bike as long as you have the bike registered in your name. If you let your insurance lapse, the insurance company will notify the Motor Vehicle Administration.

Penalties for Riding Without Insurance

If you cannot show proof of insurance when you are stopped, you may be fined for the first 30 days without insurance, plus daily fine each day after 30 days. You could receive up to $1,000 in fines or a year in prison if your proof of insurance is fraudulent. You could also face revocation of your license plates and registration, plus have to pay a $25 reinstatement fee. Finally, you may be barred from registering another vehicle until you clear the current issue up with the Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Vehicle Administration and/or the courts.