If you ride a Moped, you've probably noticed that the Police are giving them much more scrutiny recently. The SC Highway Patrol put together a guide for local law enforcement about moped laws in this state, and most departments were encouraged to go out and enforce the laws. And they have. Tow yards throughout the state are filling up with mopeds and scooters.
One of the biggest problems most people are running into is that they are being cited for not having a real South Carolina Moped Plate. The plastic plates sold at many moped dealers and Pep Boys are illegal in South Carolina, and the dealers who issue the real plates are reporting a tenfold increase in the number of people trying to purchase a South Carolina Moped Plate.
According to the report from the Highway Patrol, it is illegal to operate a Honda Ruckus or any Vespa model with a moped plate in South Carolina. These vehicles need to be registered as motorcycles in South Carolina. The Sullivan's Island Police Department is reported to have impounded a Honda Ruckus that was being ridden with a plastic moped plate attached. Further, it is almost impossible to get the necessary paperwork to have an authorized issuer put a real South Carolina Moped Plate on any scooter sold over the internet and shipped to the buyer from out of state, a costly lesson that involves a day in court many residents are learning now.
Many Police Departments, including the Charleston Police Department, have impounded Mopeds if the owner did not possess documentation that the moped engine is less than 50cc, AND makes less than 2 horsepower. Unless you have documentation from the manufacturer, or authorized Moped Plate Issuer, that the vehicle meets those two requirements, it can not be legally plated and ridden as a Moped in South Carolina. Due to stepped up enforcement of the labeling and selling requirements for Mopeds in South Carolina, it is virtually impossible to put a Moped Plate on any vehicle ordered online or over the phone from a company out of state.
A woman who bought a scooter from the Charleston Scooter Company in West Ashley saw it get impounded by the Police, the plastic plate the dealership put on was removed, and she was required to insure and register it as a motorcycle before it was released. According to officers of the Charleston Police Department, she could have bought a similar model a block further down Savannah Highway at Moped Medic, and would have been in full compliance with the South Carolina Moped Law, with all the documentation necessary to keep it from being impounded. A representative of CPD stated that the only dealership in compliance with the South Carolina Moped law is Moped Medic.
Moped Medic has gone on record as stating that they will send a representative to court on behalf of any owner if any of the Mopeds they sold are improperly impounded as a result of this crackdown.
It is not known how long this level of enforcement will continue. According to sources, the Charleston Police Department is also targeting bicyclists and skateboarders. Apparently someone in a position of authority in Charleston believes it is a good idea to get people off mopeds, bicycles and skateboards and back in SUVs, in order to ease the traffic congestion in downtown Charleston.
