trike license

[oneup]

in the USA do you ride your trikes purely on motorcycle licenses, or can you trike on a car license in some states. that apparently is the situation in Australia. if you can trike on a car license, which states allow it. It would be good if my wife Elise could ride at least part of our journey.

 

[rmrc51]

in the USA do you ride your trikes purely on motorcycle licenses, or can you trike on a car license in some states. that apparently is the situation in Australia. if you can trike on a car license, which states allow it. It would be good if my wife Elise could ride at least part of our journey.

Good question. Here in Virginia, your need a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license and I believe New York is the same. At least that's how it was a few years ago. I'm sure folks from other states will advise soon.

 

[Gold Rush]

in the USA do you ride your trikes purely on motorcycle licenses, or can you trike on a car license in some states. that apparently is the situation in Australia. if you can trike on a car license, which states allow it. It would be good if my wife Elise could ride at least part of our journey.

It's been a long time since I went abroad but I seem to recall having to have an International Driver License. Do you not need one of those? If so then I'd expect you wife will also and that document will determine what either one of you can drive where... You might do some checking on that before you get too far into your plans.

Hope you have a GREAT trip.

 

[A WINGER]

Florida requires a m/c endorsement or trike endorsement.
A

 

[Lakeman]

No motorcycle endorsement in SC, they consider the trike a 3 wheel car.

 

[rhino 2]

New Jersey' Requires a Motorcycle Endorsement.

 

[jackpoet]

Texas requires a motorcycle endorsement on anything with three wheels. I have heard rumors that some cops are claiming using tow-kit or such which leaves 4 wheels on the ground, then it no longer qualifies as a motorcycle, but wouldn't put any trust in that.

 

[hdruss]

Jeff - I'd be happy to research each state on your tour and email you with their requirements - Russ

 

[bentrider2249]

Kansas requires a motorcycle endorsement on your dl.

 

[riverrat]

Arkansas requires a motorcycle endorsement.

 

[vstrommer]

Minnesota requires an endorsement....

 

[Gorilla]

Hi, I can not be absolutely positive but I believe all states by agreement recognize other states driver license requirement. If your state did not require an endorsement to ride a trike and I stopped you in Florida I have to recognize your home states requirements. This is as long as you are just a visitor to Florida. Once you go beyond visitor status then you have to meet Florida's license requirements and get a Florida license. As a foreign visitor this principle still applies. I as a police officer in Florida will recognize what you are required to have in your country even though I do not know what those maybe.

 

[bigthom]

here in illinois you need a motorcycle endorsement to ride a 2 wheeler and if you dont also test on a trike they give you a j restriction...17 i think it is, and conversely if you test on 3 wheels you also get a j restriction restricting you from riding a 2 wheeler...what a wonderful state i live in...greedy, crooked, a bunch of other words i wont say politicians!

 

[Sundance6911]

Virginia DMV sponsors and excellent motorcycle safety course for the sidecar or trike. It's generally two days for the intro course. To locate it google "motorcycle safety center of VA, Inc". When you pass the course you are issued at 30 day permit that is valid along with a Virginia Driver's license. Then for a one year period, the pass certificate can be used to get a motocycle classification on a valid VA driver's license with a waiver of the skills test and knowledge exams. It's how I got licensed and was a good investment of time and money.

Sundance 6911

 

[oneup]

thanks to everyone for the information, and especially to HDRUSS, if it wont take too much time, any information you can find will be greatly appreciated

 

[Tinbasher]

I have a feeling that in the US foreign visitors are legal to drive what they are licenced for at home so if your wife has the B1 category on her licence she should be covered. B1 was issued automatically with B until recently.

 

[rhino 2]

Many years ago, My Sons were stopped in NC for having blue lights mounted in the grill of their truck. The lights were not on [ not lit] but very noticeable [wig-wags] They have Jersey licenses and Jersey firefighter plates.
But the Officer still had to call his HQ to see if the lights were legal in NJ'
They are and they went on their way, But it still took some time to figure it out.

 

[Tinbasher]

From the US Embassy uk web page. Whilst it refers to renting a car it should apply to renting a trike as well, I can't think that your wife will be the first UK Trikers to want to rent.

Will my British driver's license be adequate for renting a car?
The U.S.A. has an agreement with most countries whereby the renter's full national driving license may be used for a period of up to one year in the U.S.A. This applies to the full U.K. driving license. Provisional licenses are not acceptable.

Most car rental companies require that you have held a full license for at least one year, regardless of age. The minimum age for renting a car is normally 21 although it can be as high as 25. Often an additional charge is levied on drivers who are under 25 years of age.

International Driving Permits are generally not required in the U.S.A but it is helpful to carry one. If they are taken, they are only valid in conjunction with a full national driving license. They should not be accepted on their own. It is recommended that drivers who possess a full national license that is in script other than Roman, i.e. Cyrillic or Arabic, should also obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP).

Young drivers may wish to obtain an International Driving Permit to use as a photo ID, in place of a passport, for entry into bars and nightclubs where the minimum age for entry is 21 years.

If you have endorsements on your license, do check with your rental company that these do not present a problem.

We suggest that you check the requirements of your prospective automobile rental company by contacting them direct.

 

[Woolie]

In Texas foreign drivers can drive what they can legally drive in their home country IF Texas drivers are legal to drive in their country. So if I can travel to Australia and drive any vehicle I can drive in Texas legally then you can travel to Texas and drive any vehicle you can legally drive in Australia. I would think that most states have some regulation similar to this regulation but I don't know that. The USA does not issue or offer any kind of provisional licenses for tourists. See chapter 1 paragraph 5 of the attached document. This makes your licenses legal, now insurance is a different subject. You probably need to contact your local agent and visit with them about coverage in the USA. You may want to purchase insurance from a company in the USA to guarantee coverage. Your home agent may provide a letter certifying coverage in the USA. Our insurance is good in Canada but not in Mexico. When we traveled into Canada we were advised to purchase Canadian Insurance, the adviser (a rental car agent) said "if you are involved in an accident it will be worth it to avoid the hassle you will go through without it". The adviser didn't offer the coverage. If after visiting with your agent you want to check on adequate insurance I would contact Geico or Progressive online and ask them a few questions about coverage and costs.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/internetforms/Forms/DL-7.pdf