Pennsylvania Motorcycle Insurance Requirements: Full Tort Rights for Riders

Quick Answer: Is Motorcycle Insurance Required in Pennsylvania?

Yes. Every motorcycle that is registered or ridden in Pennsylvania must be covered by financial responsibility under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1786, and the minimum is 15/30/5: $15,000 for injury to one person, $30,000 for injury to two or more, and $5,000 for property damage. Two things set motorcycle policies apart from car policies in Pennsylvania. They carry no required medical benefit, and they carry no tort election, so a rider never gives up the right to sue for pain and suffering.

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What Pennsylvania Law Requires

Section 1786(a) says every motor vehicle "of the type required to be registered" that is operated or currently registered must be covered by financial responsibility. Section 1702 sets the amount at $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $5,000 for damage to others' property: the same 15/30/5 that applies to cars.

Two details in that wording matter for riders:

• "Or currently registered." The requirement attaches to a registered motorcycle even while it sits in a garage. A parked bike with a live registration still needs coverage, which is why the winter rules below exist.
• The same minimum as cars. Pennsylvania's motorcycle floor is the car floor. At $5,000, its property damage minimum is one of the lowest in the country.

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No Required Medical Benefit on a Motorcycle

Pennsylvania requires a $5,000 first-party medical benefit on most vehicle policies. Section 1711(a) expressly excludes "motorcycles, motor-driven cycles or motorized pedalcycles" from that requirement. A motorcycle policy can be written without any medical coverage for the rider.

That leaves your own injury costs to your health insurance, to any optional medical payments coverage you add to the motorcycle policy, and, when another driver is at fault, to that driver's liability insurance.

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Full Tort Rights for Riders

Pennsylvania car owners choose between full tort and limited tort. Limited tort lowers the premium in exchange for giving up most claims for pain and suffering. That election is tied to "private passenger motor vehicle" policies under § 1705, and § 1702 defines a private passenger motor vehicle as a four-wheel vehicle. A motorcycle is not one, so a motorcycle policy carries no tort election at all.

Section 1705(d) adds the rule that protects riders who also own a car on limited tort: an individual otherwise bound by the limited tort election "shall retain full tort rights if injured while an occupant of a motor vehicle other than a private passenger motor vehicle." Hurt on your motorcycle, you keep full tort rights even if your car policy is limited tort.

The other driver's election does not matter either. Limited tort limits what the person who chose it can recover; it does not limit what you can claim from them.

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Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1731(a), no motor vehicle liability policy may be issued in Pennsylvania unless uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages are offered. Buying them is optional, but declining is deliberately formal: § 1731(c.1) requires the rejection forms to be printed on separate sheets, signed by the first named insured and dated. A rejection form that does not meet those rules is void, and the coverage is then provided at your bodily injury liability limits.

For a rider, these coverages matter more than they look. With no required medical benefit on the policy, uninsured motorist coverage can be the main source of recovery for your injuries when the driver who hit you has no insurance.

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Mopeds, Motor-Driven Cycles and Motorcycles

Pennsylvania is stricter than its neighbors here. Its definitions, from 75 Pa.C.S. § 102:

Every one of the first three is a "motor vehicle" of a type required to be registered, so § 1786 applies. PennDOT will not renew or transfer a moped's registration without the owner's self-certification of financial responsibility, including the insurer, policy number and policy dates. Ohio and Michigan, by contrast, exempt true mopeds from their insurance requirements.

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Penalties for Riding Uninsured in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's penalties come from § 1786 and hit the registration and the license separately:

The registration suspension does not apply when:

• the lapse lasted less than 31 days and you prove the motorcycle was not operated during it;
• you are in the armed services, the lapse happened during temporary emergency duty, and the vehicle was not operated (you then have 30 days after returning to restore coverage);
• the insurance ended at the same time as a seasonal registration expired.

Insurers must notify PennDOT when a policy is cancelled, so a lapse is reported even if you do not report it yourself. The restoration fee is set on PennDOT's fee schedule (Form MV-70S) and changes over time.

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Storing Your Motorcycle for Winter

Because § 1786 covers a motorcycle that is "currently registered", cancelling the policy over winter while keeping the registration live leads to the 3-month registration suspension, unless one of the exceptions applies. PennDOT's own guidance gives the clean way out: return the registration plate and card to PennDOT at the time the insurance is cancelled. They must reach PennDOT no more than 30 days after the cancellation.

The alternative is a storage option from your insurer that keeps the policy, and the registration, in force while the bike is laid up. Ask exactly what it keeps (often comprehensive, for theft and fire) and never ride while liability is suspended.

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Coverage Beyond the Minimum

• Higher liability limits. At 15/30/5, a single serious injury can exceed your policy many times over. If you injure someone whose damages reach $60,000, the policy pays $15,000 and the remainder can be claimed from you.
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Covered above; with no medical benefit required, it often matters more for riders than for car drivers.
• Medical payments. Optional; pays your and your passenger's medical bills regardless of fault.
• Collision and comprehensive. Repairs after a crash, and theft, fire, vandalism and weather. A lender will usually require both.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is motorcycle insurance required in Pennsylvania?

Yes. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1786, every motorcycle that is registered or operated must be covered by financial responsibility of at least 15/30/5.

Does Pennsylvania require PIP or medical benefits on a motorcycle policy?

No. Section 1711(a) excludes motorcycles, motor-driven cycles and mopeds from the $5,000 medical benefit that most vehicle policies must carry. Medical payments coverage is optional.

Does limited tort apply to motorcycle riders in Pennsylvania?

No. The tort election belongs to private passenger motor vehicle policies, which Pennsylvania defines as four-wheel vehicles. And § 1705(d) keeps full tort rights for a limited-tort car owner who is injured as an occupant of any other kind of vehicle, including a motorcycle.

Do mopeds need insurance in Pennsylvania?

Yes. A moped (motorized pedalcycle) is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered, and PennDOT will not renew or transfer its registration without proof of financial responsibility. Electric-assist bicycles are treated as bicycles and do not.

What happens if my motorcycle insurance lapses?

PennDOT suspends the registration for 3 months, unless the lapse was under 31 days and the bike was not ridden, or another exception applies. If you rode it uninsured, your license is suspended for 3 months as well, and a conviction carries a $300 fine. Once in 12 months you can pay a $500 civil penalty instead of serving the registration suspension.

Can I cancel my motorcycle insurance over the winter?

Only if you also return the plate and registration card to PennDOT, within 30 days of cancelling. Otherwise the lapse on a registered motorcycle triggers the 3-month registration suspension.

Do Pennsylvania insurers have to offer uninsured motorist coverage?

Yes. Section 1731 requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages to be offered on every policy. Rejecting them takes separate, signed and dated forms; an invalid rejection leaves the coverage in place at your liability limits.

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Key Takeaways

• 15/30/5 is Pennsylvania's motorcycle minimum, the same as for cars
• No required medical benefit on motorcycle policies, so your injuries fall to health insurance or optional coverage
• Riders keep full tort rights, even if their car policy is limited tort
• Mopeds need insurance too, unlike in Ohio and Michigan
• A lapse suspends the registration for 3 months; riding uninsured adds a 3-month license suspension and a $300 fine
• For winter, return the plate and card within 30 days of cancelling, or keep the policy in force

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Sources

• 75 Pa.C.S. § 1786 — required financial responsibility, suspensions, exceptions, civil penalty and fine
• 75 Pa.C.S. § 1702 — financial responsibility amounts; definition of private passenger motor vehicle
• 75 Pa.C.S. § 1705 — tort options, and full tort rights for occupants of other vehicles
• 75 Pa.C.S. § 1711 — medical benefit requirement and the motorcycle exclusion
• 75 Pa.C.S. § 1731 — uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage offers and rejection forms
• 75 Pa.C.S. § 102 — definitions of motorcycle, motor-driven cycle and motorized pedalcycle
• PennDOT — Insurance Law FAQs; fact sheet "Mopeds, Motor-Driven Cycles and Motorcycles"

Last verified: 2026-10

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Important Disclaimer

This guide provides general information about insurance requirements based on publicly available sources as of the "Last verified" date above. It is not legal, insurance, or financial advice. Requirements, penalties, and statutes can change; individual circumstances vary. Always confirm current rules with your state's Department of Insurance or DMV, and consult a licensed insurance professional for advice specific to your situation.