All You Need to Ride a Street Legal Dirt Bike in Your State

Making your dirt bike street legal isn’t a big deal with a little work.

Of course, you could always opt to purchase a bike that’s already titled as street legal if you want an easy transfer. If you’re converting one from scratch, you can modify the bike to fit the requirements by following the advice in this guide.

We’ll go over the parts you need, the reasons why it’s not an easy process to get a title, and finally how to get a title for your dirt bike so you can ride free.

Follow our guide to make your dirt bike street legal.

Source

Can You Make a Dirt Bike Street Legal?

Absolutely!

To ride a motorcycle on the road, your state law may require a few things that other states might not:

• driver’s license

• eye protection

• insurance coverage

You will need a driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement to operate it on the road. In addition, many states require that you wear eye protection. You can go without a helmet if you prefer, but you would need to carry $10,000 of personal motorcycle insurance.

If you want to drive your motorcycle on the street, it also needs a title and registration and some street legal parts which we will cover in a moment.

Do You Need a License to Drive a Dirt Bike?

If you plan to drive your dirt bike on the street, you will need a full and active driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement. Otherwise, there are no regulations regarding who can drive the dirt bike on the trail or off-road.

What Parts Are Required to Make a Dirt Bike Street Legal?

You will likely need to make some minor equipment modifications or upgrades in order to become compliant. Let’s run down all the components you need to be considered street legal.

There is no safety inspection required if you’re running an out-of-state tag, so you’re good there.

Even if you have an out-of-state license plate, you are going to need these basic items at the bare minimum to avoid catching the attention of Johnny Law.

• Headlights

• Tail lights

• Blinkers (Varies by state)

• Mirrors

• Reflectors

• Horn

Optional but highly suggested items include:

• DOT approved tires

• DOT approved exhaust

• Speedometer

• Odometer

Most of these parts are standard on today’s most popular models. If you have a factory-built street legal dirt bike or supermoto you probably have most of those already, but if not you can install them in a weekend with a few beers and a set of hand tools.

Always check your local laws and regulations before venturing out onto the road.

Tires

You will need DOT approved tires, so plan to get rid of your knobbies. Don’t be discouraged because there are plenty of off-road options that feature the DOT stamp on the sidewall.

Brakes

Many states do have laws regarding the braking system of a motorcycle.

• Motorcycle brakes must develop a force of at least 43.5% of the bike’s weight fully laden

• Motorcycle brakes must be able to stop a bike moving at 20 mph within 30 feet

• Motorcycle brakes must be capable of decelerating the bike to a stop at 14 feet per second

In reality, don’t expect the Highway patrol to pace off 30 feet and make sure you can stop your bike in that time. The purpose of these rules are to ensure that you’re not driving with a crazy overloaded motorcycle, one with very little to no brakes, or one where the brakes have failed or are failing.

Speedometer and odometer

There is no law in many states regarding the use of a speedometer or odometer on a street legal motorcycle, but adding one on is a good idea. It’s helpful to determine how fast you are traveling and to avoid getting a speeding ticket from the age-old excuse of following the person in front of you.

Get a combination speedo/odo and you won’t have to spend a lot of money to be safe.

Horn

Adding a dirt bike horn isn’t a complicated task, but according to state law, you must ensure that you have a working horn that is capable of emitting audible sound at a minimum of 200 feet away. The laws also state that the horn should not be unreasonably harsh or loud.

So no train horns. Got it.

Adding a horn to your dirt bike might require some additional power, as will adding the lights. That’s why you must consider either upgrading your stator or installing a small battery to ensure your charging system is up to the task.

You should note that most states makes it illegal to use a siren, whistle, or bell, so you are out of luck if you were hoping to make your ride unique.

Turn signals

You must have turn signals on the front and rear of your bike according to these states pictured in the graph above. If your state requires them, they must be able to indicate the turn by flashing indicators on both the front and rear of the bike.

If you upgrade to LED signals, you will use less power and increase visibility.

Lights

You want to have a headlight so you can see at night, but it’s also a law. In fact, if you drive your bike on the streets, motorcycles must use their headlight at all times. It’s also necessary to have a headlight that switches between low and high beam.

You are also required to have at least one stop lamp on your dirt bike.

There are no specifications on where this headlight must be mounted, so it’s not something you need to worry about. Pick an LED or HID headlight to get a brighter light that pulls less power.

States also has some laws about what lights are not permitted. You cannot drive with a red or blue light coming from the front of your bike. Furthermore, it is illegal to have any sort of blue light on your vehicle anywhere, unless you are a cop.

So much for those ugly strobing LED strips you call a mod.

Mirrors

Bikes in most states must sport at least one rear view mirror that shows a distance of at least 200 feet behind the motorcycle. There are no specified laws about this size of this mirror or how it should be mounted.

License plate holder and light

License tag brackets need to be permanently affixed to the bike and visible from the rear at all times. They must also be attached horizontally to the ground with the numbers and letters reading from left to right.

You must illuminate your license plate as well.

Exhaust system

Street legal dirt bikes must be equipped with an exhaust in working order. This includes a muffler, manifold and tailpipe. There should be no excessive noise coming from the exhaust. Okay, sure.

Footrests and handlebars

If the dirt bike is capable of carrying a passenger (besides using a sidecar), then it must come with passenger footrests. Furthermore, the handlebars must be no higher than the top of the operator’s shoulders while properly seated on the bike.

So no massive ape hangers and no dangling your passengers’ feet.

What not to do…

How Can I Get a License Plate for My Dirt Bike?

Once you’ve prepared all the equipment you need to get your dirt bike street legal, it is time to give us a call.

We have the experience required to navigate the system and get you your title and registration quickly. You can spend hours waiting at your local offices attempting to get your bike legal, or you can let us do the work for you and spend that time doing something fun.

In most states, it’s much easier to run an out-of-state tag.

To get started, visit our Dirt Bike registration page by clicking the link. It’s cheaper and easier than you think to get a dirt bike street legal.

Once you have your license plate mounted, it’s time to explore those country roads and highways.

Cover Image Source