What Are the Best Street Legal Scooters? 50 CC or 150 CC?
- on March 28, 2023
- Categories: Articles
Both are street legal. The real question is which set of rules you want. A 50cc usually rides on a regular driver's license in the moped class. A 150cc is legally a motorcycle in most states — more capable, more paperwork. Pick by the speed limit of the roads you actually ride.
“Street legal” is doing a lot of work in this question. Almost every scooter sold for road use is built street legal. What changes with displacement is not the machine's legality — it is what your state asks of you.
50cc vs 150cc, on the things that matter
| 50cc | 150cc | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal class in most states | Moped / motor-driven cycle | Motorcycle |
| License typically needed | Regular driver's license | Motorcycle license or endorsement |
| Top speed | 28–35 mph | 55–65 mph |
| Comfortable road speed | Up to about 35 mph | Up to about 55 mph |
| Fuel economy | Roughly 90–120 MPG | Roughly 65–85 MPG |
| Highway | No | No, realistically |
| Insurance | Often optional | Often required |
What actually makes a scooter street legal
The hardware side is standard on machines built for road use:
- •Headlight, tail light and brake light wired for road use
- •Turn signals and mirrors
- •A horn
- •DOT-approved tires
- •A title that can be registered for road use — the part people forget, and the one that cannot be fixed with parts
Choose by your road, not by the spec
This decision is simpler than it looks. Think about the roads you will ride most often, not the longest trip you might one day take.
- •25–35 mph streets — neighborhood roads, a campus, a small town core. A 50cc is genuinely right, and the easier licensing is a real saving.
- •40–45 mph roads — a 50cc becomes the slowest thing on the road, which is unpleasant and not safe. Go 150cc.
- •Anything faster — neither. You want 250cc or a motorcycle.
The mistake we see most often is buying a 50cc to avoid the endorsement, then discovering the commute includes a 45 mph stretch. The licensing saving does not survive that.
Three street-legal options
Two moped-class machines and one that is legally a motorcycle in most states.
See the full range of scooters, mopeds and trikes. If you are unsure which class your roads call for, call 877-667-6289.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a scooter street legal?
Lighting, mirrors, a horn, DOT-approved tires and a title that can be registered for road use. Most 50cc and 150cc scooters sold for road use ship with all of it. The part that varies is what your state then requires from you: license class, registration and insurance.
Is a 50cc scooter street legal without a motorcycle license?
In many states yes, on a regular driver's license, because sub-50cc machines fall into a moped class. It is the most common arrangement but not universal, and a few states require an endorsement at any size.
Is a 150cc scooter street legal?
Yes, and it is normally classed as a motorcycle. That usually means a motorcycle license or endorsement, registration and often insurance. It is street legal in more places than a 50cc, but with more requirements attached.
50cc or 150cc: which should I buy?
Answer it with the speed limit of the roads you will ride. Under about 35 mph, a 50cc is enough and is easier to license. At 40 to 45 mph a 50cc is holding up traffic and a 150cc is the right machine.
Can a street legal scooter go on the highway?
Not a 50cc, and not realistically a 150cc either. Highway riding starts at around 250cc. Every state prohibits mopeds from interstates.
Want the licensing detail before you commit? Our guide to scooter and moped licensing explains the three variables every state uses. For running costs, see typical moped gas mileage.
