Markell signs moped bill into law
Flanked by state and local officials beneath the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, Gov. Jack Markell signed House Bill 283 into law Aug. 7.
HB 283 redefines a gasoline-powered moped by engine displacement and wheel size only and adds a definition for electric powered mopeds.
Moped registration will include vehicle identification number (VIN) verification, which can be performed at the Division of Motor Vehicles or off-site.
This bill waives inspection and allows the owner to request an offsite VIN verification from DMV. This is similar to the current low-speed vehicle legislation.
Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, was the primary sponsor of the bill. He said the outdated laws associated with mopeds came to light earlier this year when constituents raised concerns about having to go to the DMV to have their mopeds inspected, which meant crossing through a number of busy and dangerous intersections.
Additionally, if Delaware visitors who bring mopeds or tripeds are not required to register them in their home state, they will also not be required to register them in Delaware.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
