Motorcycle Insurance Requirements in North Carolina

North Carolina is one of the best places for recreational motorcycle riding, and its temperate weather — for a lot of the year — encourages people to ride motorcycles to work. Before you can ride your bike in the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the beach or to work, you must establish financial responsibility.

Ways to Establish Financial Responsibility

There is only one way to establish financial responsibility in the State of North Carolina. You must purchase motorcycle insurance. North Carolina requires you to have minimum insurance coverage, but that coverage isn’t usually enough for an accident. Depending on the type of motorcycle you have and other financial responsibilities you have, you may want to purchase higher limits.

North Carolina requires you to have $30,000 to cover injury or the death of one person in any one accident, $60,000 for the injury or death of two or more people in any one accident, and $25,000 for property damage.

The insurance company is required to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles when your policy starts and when you cancel your policy or otherwise let it lapse. You should always have your insurance card with you when riding, as the penalties for not showing proof of insurance and/or riding without insurance can be steep.

Penalties for No Proof of Insurance or No Insurance Coverage

Once you cancel your insurance policy or let it lapse, your insurance company will notify the Department of Motor Vehicles, which then causes a Form FS5-7 to be sent to you. If you let your insurance lapse, you must fill out the form and send it back to the Department of Motor Vehicles with the fine listed. If you do not, the Department of Motor Vehicles will most likely suspend your registration for 30 days.

To get your plates/registration reinstated, you must wait the required amount of time. Once the time frame has passed, you may have to pay a $50 fine, a license plate fee, and a $50 service fee. Then, you will need to complete form FS-1, which shows your new coverage.

Safety Requirements

The State of North Carolina requires all owner/operators and riders to wear a helmet. There are no restrictions on helmet speakers. Eye protection is not required, though it is a good idea to wear eye protection, as something as small as a piece of dust could get into your eyes and cause you to lose control of the bike.

North Carolina requires you to have a passenger seat and passenger foot pegs to carry a passenger. There is no age restriction on passengers. Your bike is also required to have at least one mirror. North Carolina does not have handlebar height restrictions.

Off Road Requirements

In the State of North Carolina, helmets and eye protection are not required for off road motorcycles, but are required to ride an ATV. North Carolina also has a minimum age: Children under 16 can operate a motorcycle with a 90 cc or smaller engine; and children under 12 can operate a motorcycle with a 70 cc or smaller engine. Children under eight years of age cannot ride a motorcycle.

If you are riding an off road motorcycle and do not go on a public highway, you do not need a license to ride. The motorcycle does not have to be titled or registered, but it is recommended that you do title the bike, so you have proof of ownership in the event of theft.

Registration

Before you can register your motorcycle, you must get it insured. Once you get it insured, bring your driver’s license — or get your license if you haven’t already, proof of insurance, title or out-of-state registration card, and lien release from a lien holder if applicable.

Fill out the title application form and notarize it. You will also need a $40 fee as of 2012. If your motorcycle is less than 10 years old, you will need an odometer statement, and, if you bought the motorcycle from a dealer, you will need a damage disclosure statement.

Once you give all of that information to the person at the license plate renewal office, you will receive a license plate. The Office will mail the title to you, or if you have a lien on the motorcycle, to the lien holder.