Mopeds and Scooters: What the Law Says

To operate a moped or scooter, you must be at least 14 years of age and hold a Class 6D driver's licence. Registering your moped or scooter as well as wearing a helmet are mandatory, not to mention that you must obey the Highway Safety Code. Modifying a moped or scooter is prohibited.

In brief

According to the Code, a moped or scooter is a passenger vehicle having 2 or 3 wheels, equipped with an electric motor or a motor having a cylinder capacity of not more than 50 cc with an automatic transmission and having a maximum speed of 70 km/h.

If the vehicle does not meet this definition, it is considered to be a motorcycle.

Requirements

Driver's licence and conditions

To operate a moped or scooter, you must hold a Class 6D licence.

Conditions for obtaining a Class 6D licence

• Be at least 14 years of age
• Pass the Road Safety Education Program – Operating a Moped or Scooter driving course given at an accredited driving school
• Pass the SAAQ's knowledge test
  • If you are under age 18, you must present the Consent of a Person Having Parental Authority (PDF, 128.7 KB)⁠ form
• Pass the vision test

Other driver's licence classes authorize the operation of a moped or scooter

The following licences automatically authorize their holder to operate a moped or scooter:

• motorcycle licence (Classes 6A, 6B and 6C)
• passenger vehicle driver's licence (Class 5)
• probationary licence of any other class, except for Class 8 (farm tractors)

Vehicle registration

In order to be authorized for road use, mopeds and scooters must be registered.

Strict rules to obey

Demerit points and zero alcohol

If you have fewer than 5 years of experience

• You are subject to the zero-alcohol rule
• You must have fewer than 4 demerit points on your record

If you have 5 or more years of experience

• You are subject to the zero-alcohol rule until age 22
• You are subject to the intermediate demerit point bracket, that is:
  • under age 23: 8 points
  • ages 23 and 24: 12 points
  • age 25 and older: 15 points
• No passengers allowed if you are under age 16

Protective helmets are mandatory and must comply with standards

Under the Protective Helmets Regulation⁠ ⁠, every person riding on a moped or scooter is required to wear a helmet that complies with one of the following manufacturing standards:

• DOT FMVSS 218 (United States Department of Transportation)
• Snell Memorial Foundation
• ECE Regulation 22 (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe)
• CAN-3-D230 (Canadian Standards Association)
• Specifications for Protective Headgear for Vehicular User Z90.1 (American National Standards Institute)
• British Standards Institute

Points to remember

Businesses specialized in helmet sales or rentals must supply helmets that comply with current manufacturing standards.

Mandatory equipment for mopeds and scooters

The best way to ensure that you can see and be seen properly is to obey the law. All mopeds and scooters are required to be equipped with the following:

• one white headlight
• one red taillight
• one red brake light at the rear
• turn signal lights:
  • 2 red or amber lights at the rear
  • 2 white or amber lights at the front
• rearview mirrors
• a braking system (acting on the front and rear wheels) in good working order
• a muffler and exhaust system in good working order and compliant with regulatory requirements regarding noise levels

Prohibited manoeuvres

For safety reasons, certain manoeuvres are prohibited on a moped or scooter, including riding:

• between two rows of vehicles moving in adjacent lanes (lane splitting)
• between the road shoulder and another vehicle moving in the same lane
• between a row of vehicles moving in one lane and a row of vehicles parked in that same lane
• on a limited access highway
• on sidewalks
• on bikeways

Offenders face a fine of $100 to $600, depending on the offence committed.

Modified mopeds and scooters are prohibited!

Modifying a moped or scooter to increase its power or maximum speed is prohibited, since the vehicle would no longer meet the definition of a moped or scooterA 2- or 3-wheel passenger vehicle equipped with an electric motor or a gasoline-powered engine with a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cc and an automatic transmission..

If you are pulled over:

• you face a $200 to $600 fine
• your “fake moped or scooter” could be towed and impounded for 30 days, depending on the offences observed

Non-compliant mopeds and scooters are also prohibited!

A new ministerial order prohibits⁠ ⁠ the operation of non-compliant mopeds and scooters, whether on the road, sidewalks or bikeways.

A moped or scooter that is built according to applicable Canadian standards must have a compliance label affixed by the manufacturer featuring, among other things, the vehicle identification number (VIN), the manufacturing date and the type of vehicle.

Many vehicles covered by the order were equipped with an auxiliary pedal close to the back wheel and sold as motorcycles, mopeds or scooters that are not required to be registered and whose drivers do not need to hold a driver’s licence.

The order also covers non-compliant motorcycles. Visit the web page regarding motorcycles⁠ ⁠ for more information.

Offenders face a fine of $300 to $600.

Maximum speed of 70 km/h

A moped or scooter has a maximum speed of 70 km/h. A moped or scooter that can go faster no longer meets the official definition of a moped or scooterA 2- or 3-wheel passenger vehicle equipped with an electric motor or a gasoline-powered engine with a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cc and an automatic transmission. and is actually considered to be a motorcyclePassenger vehicle, other than a power-assisted bicycle, having two or three wheels that has at least one characteristic different from the characteristics of a moped..

In such a case, your moped or scooter registration as well as your Class 6D licence are no longer appropriate to operate your vehicle.