Rhode Island § 31-10.1-1 § 31-10.1-1. License required.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 31-10.1-1 — § 31-10.1-1. License required.

Rhode Island § 31-10.1-1

Title 31Motor and Other vehicles

Ch. 31-10.1Special Licenses for Motorcycles, Motor Scooters, Low-Speed Vehicles and Other Motor Driven Cycles

This text of Rhode Island § 31-10.1-1 (§ 31-10.1-1. License required.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-1 (2026).

Text

§ 31-10.1-1. License required.
(a) No resident of this state, except those expressly exempted in this chapter, shall
            drive any two-wheeled (2) motorcycle or motor-driven cycle upon a highway in this
            state, unless the person shall first obtain a special license as an operator under
            the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, motorized bicycles and motor scooters
            with a motor rated not more than four and nine-tenths horsepower (4.9 h.p.) and not
            greater than fifty cubic centimeters (50 cc), which is capable of a maximum speed
            of not more than thirty miles per hour (30 m.p.h.), shall be exempt from the provisions
            of this secti

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§ 31-10.1-1. License required.

(a) No resident of this state, except those expressly exempted in this chapter, shall drive any two-wheeled (2) motorcycle or motor-driven cycle upon a highway in this state, unless the person shall first obtain a special license as an operator under the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, motorized bicycles and motor scooters with a motor rated not more than four and nine-tenths horsepower (4.9 h.p.) and not greater than fifty cubic centimeters (50 cc), which is capable of a maximum speed of not more than thirty miles per hour (30 m.p.h.), shall be exempt from the provisions of this section. No person shall be licensed pursuant to this chapter unless he or she shall be at least sixteen (16) years of age or unless the person previously has been issued a full operator's license or a limited provisional license and has satisfied the requirements of § 31-10.1-3(a) or is already licensed under a prior act of this state. Any person under the age of eighteen (18) duly licensed under the prior act shall be eligible to have his or her license renewed in the same manner as persons over the age of eighteen (18). All licenses issued pursuant to this chapter shall reflect any requirement of the operator to wear a helmet pursuant to § 31-10.1-4.

(b) No resident of this state, except those expressly exempted in this chapter, shall drive any three-wheeled (3) motorcycle or motor-driven cycle upon a highway in this state, unless the person shall first obtain a special license as an operator under the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, motorized bicycles and motor scooters with a motor rated not more than four and nine-tenths horsepower (4.9 h.p.) and not greater than fifty cubic centimeters (50 cc), which is capable of a maximum speed of not more than thirty miles per hour (30 m.p.h.), shall be exempt from the provisions of this section. No person shall be licensed pursuant to this chapter unless he or she shall be at least sixteen (16) years of age or unless the person previously has been issued a full operator's license or a limited provisional license and has satisfied the requirements of § 31-10.1-3(b) or is already licensed under a prior act of this state. Any person under the age of eighteen (18) years duly licensed under the prior act shall be eligible to have their license renewed in the same manner as persons over the age of eighteen (18) years. All licenses issued pursuant to this chapter shall reflect any requirement of the operator to wear a helmet pursuant to § 31-10.1-4.

(c) Any person currently licensed pursuant to this chapter, prior to March 1, 2022, shall continue to be permitted to operate both two-wheeled (2) and three-wheeled (3) motorcycles and motor-driven cycles without further examination.

(d) The holder of a special license as an operator under the provisions of this chapter who has a limited provisional license may drive the motorcycle only at times when the license holder could drive a motor vehicle without supervision pursuant to § 31-10-6.

Legislative History

P.L. 1967, ch. 27, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 324, § 15; P.L. 1992, ch. 364, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 371, § 3; P.L. 1998, ch. 386, § 3; P.L. 2006, ch. 11, § 2; P.L. 2006, ch. 12, § 2; P.L. 2021, ch. 412, § 1, effective March 1, 2022; P.L. 2021, ch. 413, § 1, effective March 1, 2022; P.L. 2024, ch. 41, § 2, effective August 31, 2024; P.L. 2024, ch. 42, § 2, effective August 31, 2024.