Can a Pit Bike Be Registered for Use on the Road?
Even when the moto world is looking towards the innovation given by electric motorcycles, the popularity in the pit bike community has grown rapidly with no sign of stopping. Whether you ride moto, street bikes, or stunt bikes, these tiny but mighty mini thumpers are sure to catch your attention through social media or friends.
The wide range of uses offered by these bikes is why their following is so diverse. No matter if you want a nimble street pit bike or planning to race 110’s on dirt, a quality pit bike is sure to hold up to whatever style of riding you expect from it. The only downside is they’re not usually street legal.
Why Can’t You Street Register a Pit Bike?
Riding a pit bike can be the most fun you’ll ever have on a motorcycle. Sure, they’re some of the smallest bore engines on the market with little to offer in the suspension department, but they’re so nimble and potent that it’s like riding an overpowered BMX bike. So, what’s the issue with street legalizing a pit bike? Why do you need a license plate for a bike so small?
A few reasons could include:
Many state regulations require any motorcycle over 50cc to be registered for on road use
Genuine pit bikes are branded for offroad use only
Pit bikes don’t come with street legal lights from the factory
Emission parts aren’t installed on pit bikes
If you live in a state like California or New York, they have strict regulations in order to register as a street legal motorcycle. Here’s the kicker, you can’t simply add a horn, lights, mirrors, and turn signals to an offroad bike. Why? Because even if you add all the street legal parts, that doesn’t change the fact it’s originally manufactured for offroad use only, and branded as such on the title.
Even if you transfer the registration into a state that allows pit bikes to be roadworthy with a license plate and registration, your state would immediately turn it back into an offroad registration. This seems contradictory on the surface level because any other clean title vehicle would transfer among states without issue. The kicker here is that pit bikes are manufactured with the Off-Highway/Off-Road vehicle branding, meaning states can see what it was originally manufactured as, even if it has a street legal title.
Only Certain States Legalize Pit Bikes
A small amount of the 50 states in the United States will consider an offroad motorcycle worthy of receiving a street legal registration. States allowing this are usually lower in population or have a more lenient style of governing their roadway laws.
If you’re unsure whether the state you reside in is one of the select few that allow this or not, you can find out with a simple Google search or by checking with the local DMV/MVD. Some states will say it’s not allowed but then register for you if you contact a different county's DMV or courthouse – it truly depends on each county; especially if state statutes don’t explicitly ban the ability for off-road motorcycles to be made street legal.
If that sounds like a lot of tedious and boring work, it is. Thankfully there’s an easier way, and we’ll talk about that in a minute. For now, let’s imagine you pressed on with trying to register through your local DMV.
Inspections Won’t Help
States with overreaching regulations won’t even consider registering pit bikes for street use. They don’t care if your pit bike will pass road use inspections or not – if it was branded for off-road use only from the manufacturer they don’t care if you install every single street legal part… there’s no shot of street legalization.
Proof of Ownership Matters
While it’s rare, some states refusing to let you register a pit bike with an offroad title will allow it to become street legal if you have the bike registered for road use out of state. Chances are low of this actually happening, but with a good enough story and the right DMV worker you might actually have a chance. Otherwise, if you only have a bill of sale, MCO from the dealer, or an offroad title/registration the odds aren’t in your favor for your state to legalize your pit bike.
Other Options Are Available
Instead of fighting to register the pit bike in your state, there are better options and questionable options:
Add street parts with no registration and send it (worst option/not recommended)
Register in a state that allows pit bikes to operate on roads lawfully
Use a registered agent to set up and manage an out-of-state LLC to register your pit bike through (best option)
Buy a pit bike manufactured for on-road use
Related Article: These Factory Street Legal Pit Bikes can hit the road immediately (interlink)
Benefits of Registering a Pit Bike
Pit bikes are extremely capable even with zero modifications… just take off the dealer sticker and ride – the terrain doesn’t matter. Sure, they’re small compared to most any other bike, but the versatile use, when made street legal, becomes almost endless. Whether you need a gas-saving commuter, want an escape from reality, or need to hop between trails, legalizing a pit bike is a near-unbeatable option.
Easy Trail Access
Some of my most vivid memories as a child include riding in the passenger seat, looking out the window seeing trail after trail winding into the woods wondering where it goes. Today, having a pit bike with valid road registration allows me to explore each trail I fantasized about as a child.
As long as you have a full tank of gas and a sense of adventure, almost any destination is attainable to reach on your pit bike. Plus, it’s good exercise and can be made hard or easy depending on how much of a challenge is desired.
Find Love
Motorcycles are the only thing in life that seems never to go anywhere. Sure, they need maintenance, but usually, the problems are few to none if you maintain the bike properly. Earning a new appreciation for pit bikes is possible when you make one street legal.
Riding offroad is so exciting, but even more exciting is riding in an urban setting with the convenience of bouncing to a dirt spot or parking lot jump when you see a sick place in the city. Nothing compares to the style of adventure brought by making your pit bike street legal, it’s like falling in love with life.
Save Money, Spend Time
By now it’s fair to guess your state would be problematic if a true pit bike is attempted to be registered for road use. The chances of paying needless fees or wasting valuable time at the DMV going through their process are higher than premium gas prices. So, what’s the point of attempting local state processes, especially if there are places out there where it’s so much easier to make it happen?
The point of riding is to be free from stressful situations that drain you of your energy so you can focus on the present moment. As wild as it sounds… taking back control is possible as long as you have the correct guidance and systems in place.
Traverse Traffic With Ease
Spending time doing what makes you happy is important, but it’s also important to use your time as effectively as possible.
Making a pit bike street legal is unlike anything else. Navigating almost invisibly through traffic, when done correctly, is by far the safest way to navigate the city. Plus, cutting down on commute time is simple thanks to the nimble traits of a mini street legal dirt bike.
City traffic can be so heavy that you have to plan a 30 minute buffer just to be on time in a car. Some bigger bikes are even problematic to maneuver in the worst traffic. The best resolution if the drive is relatively short is a legal pit bike to traverse the extra heavy traffic.
Headache Free Registration
DMV struggles are no joke. Especially when an attempt or attempts have been made to register a pit bike through their process without success. It can be so frustrating to put effort into building a pit bike to be street legal, only for lawmakers to shut down your dreams.
Why wait for never when a trusted company is available to simplify registration?
The year, make, model, engine size, or ownership type doesn’t matter – any pit bike with a clean VIN on the frame can be converted to have a street legal title, license plate, and registration.
In most cases, the only document required is a bill of sale. Too simple, right? Wrong. As long as no active thefts or liens are connected to the bike there’s no reason why registering a pit bike would be impossible. Even if there’s an active lien, it’s possible to register a pit bike as long as the pit bike owner's name matches the name of the account holder on the lien.
Plus, all the work is done for you so there’s no need to visit the cold brick walls of your local DMV – instead, time can be used to focus on more important things. Not to mention, the guarantee is 100% money back if the service isn’t fulfilled for you… just see our reviews.
There’s nothing to lose other than the chance for incredible memories to be made.
We are not attorneys.
Caleb Hysell has been around dirt bikes, 4 wheelers, side x sides, drift cars, and diesel trucks from a young age. He began stunting and racing moto at 14 which created a lifelong passion for motorcycles. When he's not writing he can be found bringing positivity to the community by riding his supermoto.