Registration and Title Changes
(COLUMBUS) – Effective, September 23, 2008, Ohio law will now allow titling and registering of three-wheel motor vehicles as motorcycles if the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin indicates the vehicle meets the federal specifications of a motorcycle.
“Due to the challenging economic times we are facing, there has been an increased interest in purchasing three-wheel vehicles to conserve gas,” said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Henry Guzmán. “Until now, these vehicles have not been street legal in Ohio, so drivers in our state haven’t been able to benefit from the advantages of owning them.”
An increasing number of motor vehicle manufacturers are designing a variety of vehicles with three wheels, a bench or bucket seat, a steering wheel, and an enclosed cabin. Most of these three-wheel vehicles meet the federal definition of a motorcycle and the federal safety standards, and are therefore classified as a motorcycle. Ohio’s previous definition of a motorcycle did not include language that allowed a vehicle with a bench seat to be titled and registered as a motorcycle.
“Until now, because of its bench seat, we had not considered titling or registering these vehicles as motorcycles,” said BMV Registrar Mike Rankin. “Starting Tuesday, the BMV will begin titling any three-wheel motor vehicle as a motorcycle when presented with the proper evidence to make services more convenient to Ohioans.”
Operators of these vehicles must comply with Ohio’s motor vehicle laws, including the helmet law, which requires those with less then one year motorcycle driving experience to wear a helmet. The driver must be properly license to operate the vehicle and have a motorcycle license or a motorcycle endorsement on their valid operator’s license and comply with Ohio’s financial responsibility laws.
