New year brings new rules for Hawaii moped owners

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The new year brings new rules for moped owners in Hawaii.

Starting Jan. 1, owners will have to pay for annual vehicle registration and safety inspections, as well as for license plates.

"One mirror is required, left or right, the horn has to be heard from 200 feet away and headlights have to be seen from 200 feet away," said Stafford Montgomery, owner of Montgomery PowerSports.

The Iwilei business is one of about 40 locations on Oahu that will offer moped safety checks.

Hawaii and Maui counties already require the annual inspection.

Everything from brakes to tires to controls and steering will need to be checked. Battery and wires must have secure, tight connections and exhaust systems cannot emit a noise louder than 100 decibels at half throttle.

Mopeds, however, aren't required to have turn signals and owners don't need to show proof of insurance in order to pass the safety check.

"The average moped is supposed to do no more than 30 mph and have only 1.5 horsepower to operate the vehicle, but we know they're going a lot faster," said Montgomery.

Terrance Young went to purchase some missing parts for his moped on Friday. He said he's not too happy with the new rules, but will comply.

"It's going to add a lot of costs for a lot of people, especially students and people who are poor," Young said.

Moped registration will cost $27 a year. The annual safety check will be around $13. There is a one-time $5 fee for a license plate and 50 cents a year for a sticker.

Those who don't register their moped or fail to inspect them could face a $100 fine. Anyone caught using a fake tag, license plate or illegally removing one from a moped can be fined up to $500.

To view the moped inspection handbook, click here.

To see a list of moped inspection locations, click here.