Missouri Motorcycle Insurance Requirements

The State of Missouri is one of the states that allows a motorcycle owner/operator to provide methods of financial responsibility other than liability insurance. If you do not want to purchase liability insurance or have a difficult time getting motorcycle liability insurance from traditional insurance agencies, you can place a $60,000 bond on deposit with the Department of Revenue or file a real estate bond with the Department of Revenue. If you are a dealership, you may self-insure.

Do I Need Insurance?

You need to purchase an insurance policy or provide other means of financial responsibility if you drive a motorcycle or scooter. If your vehicle has two or three wheels and can go faster than 30 mph, it most likely needs to be insured.

If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, less than three gross brake horsepower, has an engine smaller than 55 cc and will not go faster than 30 mph, you do not have to register the bike.

Minimum Insurance Requirements

If you opt to purchase motorcycle insurance in the State of Missouri rather than providing other means of financial responsibility, you must purchase a policy that has a minimum of:

• $25,000 for the injury or death of one person in any one accident,
• $50,000 for the injury or death of two or more people in any one accident, and
• $10,000 for property damage.

The law also requires you to have uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 for bodily injury per person and $50,000 for bodily injury per accident.

Depending on the type of motorcycle you have and other financial factors, you may want to purchase more than the minimum amounts of liability insurance. Shop around for different types of insurance and the cost of the premium for your motorcycle insurance.

Penalties for Not Maintaining Financial Responsibility

If you get caught driving without insurance or, if you have insurance, but do not have proof of insurance or proof of another method of financial responsibility, you could face severe penalties, especially if it is not your first offense.

Penalties for failure to provide proof of motorcycle insurance include one or more of the following:

• A supervision order wherein the State of Missouri monitors you;
• Four points on your driving record;
• Having your license suspended;

Penalties for driving without motorcycle insurance at all include:

• Automatic license suspension
• Fees
• You will have to file a Form SR-22 for three years if you are involved in an accident and do not have insurance

To ensure that your policy does not lapse, be sure to post a reminder to yourself to pay the premium each month. If it’s affordable, pay the year’s entire premium up front so you don’t have to worry about it. In the alternative, some insurance companies will automatically withdraw the payment from your bank account or a credit or debit card.

Safety Regulations Required by Missouri

Missouri does not have a law that states an insurance company cannot cover you if you do not abide by the state’s safety regulations. However, should you get into an accident and the investigation reveals that your violation contributed to the accident, the insurance company may elect to not pay the claim or may drop you completely, depending on the wording on your policy.

Missouri requires riders to wear helmets. There are no restrictions on helmet speakers. Eye protection is not required, though it is advisable that both the owner/operator and rider wear eye protection. A passenger seat and foot pegs are not required, but if you want to give someone a ride, you should have both. There is no passenger age restriction for Missouri.

Missouri does not require the bike to have mirrors, but having at least one mirror makes it easier to see what is behind you, especially if you want to turn across traffic or change lanes. The handlebars cannot be higher than 15 inches above the seat.

Insurance Discounts

Some insurance companies give discounts for save driver and for having a clean record, in addition to wearing a helmet. These discounts are not required by law, so if you are trying to save on insurance premiums, ask before you purchase the insurance.