Scooters and mopeds — Illinois Permit Test

A scooter or moped driver must obey all signs, signals and traffic laws and is subject to most of the laws about bicycles.

A moped is slower than traffic and smaller than a car, so both sets of rules apply. Nothing about it exempts the rider from signals.

A scooter or moped driver must obey all signs, signals and traffic laws and is subject to most laws regarding the use of bicycles.

A scooter with an engine under 150cc is a motor-driven cycle and requires a Class L motorcycle license.

Engine size decides which license you need. Under 150cc it is the L, and above it the M.

If the scooter has an engine with less than 150cc displacement, it is a motor-driven cycle, and a Class L motorcycle license is required.

A scooter with an engine of 150cc or more is a motorcycle and requires a Class M license.

At 150cc the machine keeps up with traffic, so Illinois asks for the full motorcycle license. The number is the whole of the test.

If the scooter has an engine with 150cc displacement or greater, it is a motorcycle, and a Class M license is required.

A moped may be driven on any valid Illinois driver’s license if its combustion engine is 50cc or less and it does not require the operator to shift gears.

A moped that small is slow enough that Illinois treats it as ordinary driving. Gears are named because shifting is what makes a machine a motorcycle.

A moped may be operated with any valid Illinois driver’s license. If a combustion engine is used, it may not exceed 50cc displacement and may not require the operator to shift gears.

A moped or scooter carrying two people must have a seat and a footrest for the passenger.

A passenger with nowhere to put their feet grabs the rider instead. The footrest is what keeps them from steering the machine.

Mopeds or scooters carrying two people must have a seat and footrest for the passenger.

A low-speed electric scooter weighs less than 100 pounds, has two or three wheels, handlebars and a floorboard, is powered by an electric motor and human effort, and has a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour.

Four conditions have to hold before the lighter rules apply. Above any of them it is a different vehicle with different rules.

A low-speed electric scooter is a scooter that weighs less than 100 pounds and has 2 or 3 wheels, handlebars, and a floorboard that can be stood on while riding, that is solely powered by an electric motor and human propulsion and has a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour.

A person must be 18 or older to operate a low-speed electric scooter, and no more than one person may ride it.

No license is needed, so the age is the only check there is. One rider is the other half of the rule.

You must be 18 years of age or older to operate a low-speed electric scooter.

Which rules does an Illinois moped rider follow?

Signs, signals and most bicycle laws. A moped is slower than traffic and smaller than a car, so both sets of rules apply. Nothing about it exempts the rider from signals. Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, p.44: “A scooter or moped driver must obey all signs, signals and traffic laws and is subject to most laws regarding the use of bicycles.”