PA Motorcycle Insurance Requirements
What Pennsylvania law requires before you ride, and the gaps the state minimum leaves open for you and your passenger.
Yes, you need insurance to ride on Pennsylvania roads. Every registered motorcycle must carry the same minimum liability as a car: $15,000 bodily injury per person, $30,000 bodily injury per accident and $5,000 property damage (15/30/5), under 75 Pa.C.S. §1786(a) and §1702. It pays for others' injuries and damage, not yours or your bike's. For coverage beyond the minimum, see our Pennsylvania motorcycle insurance overview. Gas scooters and mopeds follow their own rules.
The $5,000 medical benefit that's mandatory on a PA car policy doesn't apply to motorcycles (§1711), and under §1714 riders and passengers can't collect first-party benefits from a car policy, even their own. That can leave your medical bills and your passenger's uncovered, so ask about medical payments coverage on your bike policy. Don't waive underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage on the bike lightly: in Erie v. Mione (2023), the PA Supreme Court enforced the household-vehicle exclusions in a family's car policies against a rider who had waived UIM on his bike, so he got no UIM from them. Results depend on your policies' wording.
The §1705 tort election is written for private passenger vehicles, which §1702 defines as four-wheeled, so a motorcycle isn't one. If your bike's declarations page shows a tort election anyway, send it to us and we'll ask the carrier what it applies to. Limited tort on your car and hurt riding? Ask an attorney how that affects your claim; our full tort vs. limited tort guide covers the car side.
PennDOT makes you certify insurance at registration and renewal (§1786(b)). Riding uninsured can bring a $300 fine and three-month suspensions of both the bike's registration and your operating privilege (§1786). In winter, dropping coverage on a bike that's still registered can get its registration suspended for three months (unless the lapse is under 31 days and the bike isn't ridden), so surrender the plate and registration card or use PennDOT's Seasonal Registration, and ask us about a lay-up policy first.
Under §3525, riders and passengers under 21 must wear an approved helmet, as must riders 21+ without two full calendar years of motorcycle licensure or an approved safety course; the FAQ below covers the exceptions and the eye-protection rule.
Under §1505, a Class M learner's permit lasts up to one year, can't be renewed and allows riding only from sunrise to sunset, with no passenger except a licensed instructor. If you aren't licensed for another vehicle class, you must also ride under the instruction and immediate supervision of a licensed motorcycle operator. To get the license, pass the skills test or a free PA Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP) Basic or Intermediate course, which waives it. Riders under 18 need six months on the permit, 65 supervised hours certified by a parent or guardian, and the course (§1505(e)). In our office, summer is when motorcycle policies get bound; you'll need yours before you register the bike or take a skills test on it. Start a motorcycle quote or see what drives motorcycle insurance cost in PA.
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Frequently asked questions
Who pays my medical bills after a motorcycle crash in PA?
Not your car policy's first-party benefits. Under §1714, motorcycle riders and passengers can't collect them from a car policy, and §1711 doesn't require medical benefits on a motorcycle policy. After a crash, your bills may be paid by another driver's liability coverage if that driver was at fault, by your own UM/UIM if that driver has too little insurance or none, and by medical payments coverage on your bike policy if you bought it (check the policy's own terms). Your passenger draws on the same sources, plus your bike policy's liability coverage if you caused the crash and the policy covers passengers, so ask us to check yours.
Who has to wear a helmet in Pennsylvania?
Every rider and passenger under 21, unless they're in a three-wheeler with an enclosed cab, which is exempt at any age. A rider 21 or older must also wear one unless they've held a motorcycle license for two full calendar years or completed a safety course approved by PennDOT or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. A passenger 21 or older riding with an exempt operator can go without (§3525(d)). Approved eye protection is required at any age, except in a three-wheeler with an enclosed cab (§3525(b)).
Can I cancel my motorcycle insurance over the winter?
Before you cancel, ask about a lay-up policy. Some carriers let you keep comprehensive (theft, fire, vandalism) on a stored bike while liability and the other riding coverages pause, though not every carrier offers it. Either way, dropping liability on a registered bike means surrendering the plate and registration card when you cancel or registering under PennDOT's Seasonal Registration. If you skip both, the lapse exception covers only a gap under 31 days with the bike not ridden (§1786(d)(2)(i)), so a winter-long cancellation can trigger a three-month registration suspension. Instead of serving it, you can pay a $500 civil penalty plus the restoration fee and furnish proof of insurance, no more than once in any 12-month period (§1786(d)(1.1)). If you use Seasonal Registration and apply for or get a reduced premium because of it, your insurer doesn't have to cover anything that happens during the months the bike isn't registered (§1307(a.1)), so don't ride then, and ask whether theft or storage damage is still covered. If you have a loan or lease, your lender usually requires comprehensive and collision the whole time, and a gap in coverage can make your next policy cost more.
Is uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage required on a motorcycle?
Insurers must offer UM/UIM, but buying it is optional, and you can reject it only by signing the state's rejection forms (§1731). Think hard before waiving UIM on the bike: declining it on a motorcycle policy can leave you with no UIM at all if your household's car policies carry household-vehicle exclusions, as the rider in Erie v. Mione found. Outcomes depend on policy wording. Whether UIM stacks across your bike and car policies changes how much is available after a crash, so we'll walk through your forms with you.
What counts as proof of motorcycle insurance in PA?
An insurance ID card, on paper or on your phone (§1786(c)). By registering the bike, you agree to show proof to PennDOT or a police officer who asks for it.
Do I need insurance to take the Class M skills test?
Yes. For a skills test at a PennDOT Driver License Center, you must bring a motorcycle with valid registration, proof of current insurance and a valid inspection sticker. Finishing a PAMSP Basic or Intermediate course waives the skills test.