Do you know if you can register a motorcycle without a license in Massachusetts? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.
Obviously, if you want to drive a motorcycle in Massachusetts, you are going to need a motorcycle license. It would be illegal to ride it on the road otherwise.
But, can you register a motorcycle without a license in Massachusetts? Yes, in order to register a motorcycle without a license in Massachusetts, you need the following:
• Liability insurance.
• The title to your vehicle, or proof that you now legally own the vehicle
• Odometer disclosure statement from a professional
Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
Do you have to register a motorcycle in Massachusetts?
Yes.
It is a legal requirement to have that motorcycle registered.
The purpose of registering the motorcycle is to ensure that it is tied to your name. There are a couple of reasons for this.
The first is something that we hope will never happen to you. This is to tie the motorcycle to the commission of a crime.
So, if the motorcycle is used in a crime, the first person to be contacted will be the one that owns the registration to the vehicle. So, if you don’t report your vehicle as stolen before this, then you could be running into a few issues.
The second is for taxation purposes. If you are planning to drive on the roads of the state, then you are going to need to be taxed for that.
At all times, you should have your registration details to hand. If you do not supply a police officer with details of your registration if you are pulled over or questioned for some reason, then you could end up running into a few problems.
Obviously, you don’t want this to happen to you!
Read also: How To Get a Title For a Motorcycle Without Title in Ohio (Bike w/no Title)
Is registering and having a title to the vehicle the same?
No. They are two completely different processes.
The bulk of people will need to register their motorcycle and own the title to the motorcycle.
The purpose of registration, as we said, is to put the vehicle in your name. You will be provided with plates for your vehicle. It is the registration that will lead to taxation while you are on the roads.
The purpose of the title is to show that you are the legal owner of the vehicle. Only the legal owner of the vehicle will be able to sell it.
Not all motorcycles in Massachusetts will need to have a title (nothing made before 1973 needs to have one), but all vehicles that drive on the roads will need to be registered.
Can you register a motorcycle without a license in Massachusetts?
You absolutely can.
You do not need to provide proof that you can legally ride that motorcycle. All you need to do is provide proof that you own that vehicle.
We suppose the DMV is going to trust that you won’t be taking it out on the road until you are legally able to do that.
In order to register a motorcycle without a license in Massachusetts, you are going to need the following:
- Liability insurance. It is important that you meet the minimum limits for motorcyclists here. They will be slightly lower than liability costs for car owners. If you are purchasing your insurance from within the state, which you should do, then the insurance company will always offer at least the minimum insurance.
- The title to your vehicle, or proof that you now legally own the vehicle (we will discuss this more in a short while)
- Odometer disclosure statement from a professional
Of course, you will also need to be able to give them the fee for registering your motorcycle.
Obtaining the title for a motorcycle in Massachusetts
Chances are that the whole reason why you are now registering a motorcycle is that you have just purchased yourself one.
This does mean that you will need to ensure that the title is switched over to your name. This will happen at the same time that you register your motorcycle.
Once again, you do not need to have a license to be able to do this.
It is worth noting that Massachusetts is one of the only states in the USA that does not check the VIN for any motorcycle that you purchase.
Most states will check it against a database of stolen vehicles. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that you should be trying to register a stolen motorcycle.
They will catch you. It is, however, something that does speed up the process a little bit.
In order to register the motorcycle title in your name, you will need the following.
You will need to have the bill of sale to prove that you purchased the motorcycle. This should include the VIN of the motorcycle, details of the person that you purchased the motorcycle from, etc.
You will also need to bring along the signed title certificate. The name on this certificate should match up with the details on the bill of sale.
If the seller cannot provide you with the title to the motorcycle, then we suggest that you do not purchase it. This is just going to end up causing problems for you without one.
The process for registering a motorcycle in Massachusetts
In order to register a motorcycle in Massachusetts, then you are going to need to head to the DMV.
You are going to need to bring along all of the documents that we mentioned before. If you were given the vehicle by somebody i.e. you do not have a bill of sale, then at least try and get them to hand over details confirming that they have given you the vehicle.
The process of registering a motorcycle in Massachusetts shouldn’t really be all that difficult. The process just involves you signing a few forms.
The DMV team will then go over all of the documents to ensure that you do genuinely own the vehicle that you are claiming to own.
If everything is in order, then you will be handed the plates to your motorcycle. These will need to be placed on the vehicle.
If somebody else held the registration for the motorcycle in the past, then they will be removed.
If that person held the registration out of the state, then they may need to go to their own DMV to ensure that they are not taxed for the ownership of the vehicle.
Once your vehicle has been registered, you are done. You don’t need to do anything else. However, you will receive a bill every single year to pay the tax on the vehicle.
Remember, each year, your vehicle is also going to need to undergo a safety inspection. This applies even if you are not taking your vehicle on the road.
This is the only way that you are going to be able to hold onto the registration for your vehicle.
Conclusion
You do not need a license to obtain the registration to a motorcycle in Massachusetts. If that vehicle is going to go on the public roads in the state at any point, then it needs to have a legal registration tied to it.
This means that you will not be able to drive the vehicle while you are learning unless it is in your name.
Thankfully, the DMV are going to make this process as quick and as easy as possible for you. As long as you have the necessary documents, a motorcycle registration will happen on the same day.
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References
https://www.motorcyclezombies.com/register-title-motorcycle/
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