How Much Does Moped & Scooter Insurance Cost in Illinois?

How much does moped and scooter insurance cost in Illinois?

Less than you might expect, and almost always less than a motorcycle. A liability-only policy, which pays for injuries or property damage you cause to someone else, typically runs $150 to $300 a year for a moped and slightly less for a scooter. Riders under 25, riders with tickets or an accident on their record, and riders in Chicago tend to land at the top of that range or above it, at $400 or more a year. Adding collision and comprehensive coverage to protect the moped or scooter itself pushes the premium to roughly $300 to $550 a year, still well under what a full-coverage motorcycle policy costs. For an 18-year-old rider in Chicago, one published 2026 rate comparison found a moped averaged about $301 a year, a scooter about $280, and a motorcycle about $548.

*Estimates only, based on published 2026 industry consumer guides and a ValuePenguin Illinois rate sample. Your exact premium depends on the vehicle's value and engine size, your age and driving record, where you live and park it, the coverage limits you choose, and is confirmed by a licensed producer.

Do you need insurance for a moped in Illinois?

Yes. Illinois treats a moped as a registered motor vehicle, which means it has to carry liability insurance to be operated on a public road. The state minimums are the same ones that apply to a car: $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $20,000 in property damage coverage, often written as 25/50/20. Those limits apply to both mopeds and scooters, gas or electric, regardless of engine size.

Insurance is one of four things Illinois requires before a moped is street-legal. You also need a valid Illinois driver's license of any classification, you need to register the moped with the Secretary of State (the fee is typically $41), and you need to mount one rear-facing license plate. Riders in Chicago have one more item on the list: a city motorbike vehicle sticker, about $48 a year, which is also required if you live outside the city but regularly ride or park inside it.

Moped vs. scooter: why the license makes the difference

Most articles use the words moped and scooter interchangeably. Illinois law does not, and the distinction decides which license you need. Under Illinois rules, a moped is a vehicle that can reach 20 to 30 mph within one mile, produces no more than two horsepower, has an engine no larger than 50cc if it runs on gas, and does not require the rider to shift gears. If your vehicle fits that definition, any class of Illinois driver's license, including a standard Class D car license, is enough to ride it.

A scooter that is faster or more powerful than that is classified as a motor-driven cycle, which Illinois defines as a two, three, or four-wheeled vehicle with an engine under 150cc. Motor-driven cycles require a Class L license (motor-driven cycles under 150cc) or a Class M motorcycle license, plus registration and the same 25/50/20 liability coverage. Anything 150cc or larger is a motorcycle and needs a Class M license and motorcycle insurance. Neither mopeds nor scooters require a helmet in Illinois, but riders must wear glasses, goggles, or a face shield. If you are not sure which class your vehicle falls in, the title and the manufacturer's displacement and top-speed figures will tell you, and your carrier will rate the policy based on that classification.

Does homeowners or auto insurance cover a moped or scooter?

Generally no. A standard homeowners policy excludes liability for motor vehicles that are registered for road use, and a moped or scooter that carries a license plate falls squarely into that exclusion. Some policies extend a small amount of coverage to unregistered motorized equipment used only on your own property, such as a riding mower, but that carve-out does not reach a street-registered moped. The same is true for the physical vehicle: if the moped is stolen from your garage or damaged in a fire, most homeowners policies will not pay to replace it.

Your personal auto policy does not help either. Auto policies cover the vehicles listed on the declarations page and, in limited cases, a borrowed car. A moped or scooter you own is neither. And if you occasionally ride a friend's or family member's moped, their auto policy does not extend to it any more than yours does. The only way to close the gap is a dedicated moped or scooter policy, which is inexpensive, quick to bind, and often eligible for a multi-policy discount when it is placed with the same carrier as your home or auto coverage.

What does a moped or scooter policy actually cover?

At minimum, the policy carries the state-required liability coverage for injuries and property damage you cause to others. From there you can add collision coverage, which repairs or replaces the vehicle after a crash regardless of fault; comprehensive coverage, which handles theft, vandalism, fire, and weather; uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which matters on a small vehicle sharing the road with cars; and medical payments coverage for your own injuries. Many carriers also cover permanently attached accessories like a windshield, cargo box, or upgraded seat. Because mopeds and scooters have a low purchase price, full coverage often adds only $100 to $250 a year over liability-only, which is why most owners of a newer vehicle carry it.

What about electric bicycles?

Illinois does not require a license, registration, or insurance for a low-speed electric bicycle, so if what you ride is an e-bike rather than a moped or scooter, none of the requirements above apply. That said, an e-bike is still not covered by your auto policy, and homeowners coverage for one varies by carrier, so it is worth a quick check if you own an expensive model.

What affects the cost of moped and scooter insurance?

Insurers price moped and scooter coverage based on your age and years of riding experience, your driving record, your ZIP code (city addresses cost more because of theft and traffic density), the vehicle's value and engine size, whether it is garaged or parked on the street, how much liability coverage you choose above the 25/50/20 minimum, and whether you add collision and comprehensive. Bundling with your home, renters, or auto policy is the single easiest way to bring the premium down, and a riding safety course earns a discount with several carriers. Riders who also carry a personal umbrella policy should confirm the moped policy meets the umbrella's underlying-limit requirement, which is usually higher than the state minimum.

For other small and recreational vehicles that raise similar coverage questions, see our guides on motorcycle insurance cost, golf cart insurance cost, trailer insurance cost, and side-by-side (UTV) insurance cost. Illinois licensing, registration, and insurance requirements for mopeds, scooters, and electric bicycles are summarized, with citations to the Illinois Compiled Statutes, by ValuePenguin.

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