Gear Rider Hub is an independent reference for riders in the United States. We cover the part of motorcycling that has rules and numbers attached to it: getting licensed, what each state’s laws actually say, what everything costs, and the paperwork you need to buy, sell, register or title a bike.
What we cover
- Licensing — permits, endorsements, road tests, and the safety courses that waive them, state by state.
- State laws — helmet requirements, lane splitting and filtering, passenger and equipment rules.
- Costs — what a license, a course, registration, insurance and ownership actually run.
- Buying and paperwork — bills of sale, title transfers, VIN checks, shipping.
- Gear and maintenance — sizing, certifications, and the service work that keeps a bike on the road.
How we research
Rules differ in all fifty states, and most of the confusion online comes from articles that quote one state and imply it applies everywhere. We work from primary sources wherever a number or a legal requirement is involved:
- State DMV, MVD, BMV, DOR and DPS websites, and the text of the state statutes themselves.
- The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and the state-run rider training programs that administer its courses.
- NHTSA and IIHS for crash, fatality and helmet-effectiveness data.
- DOT FMVSS 218, ECE 22.06 and Snell M2020 for helmet certification claims.
- Manufacturer specifications and published sizing charts for gear and equipment.
Fees, statutes and course requirements change. Pages that carry state-specific figures are reviewed and updated, and the date on each article reflects its last substantive revision. If a number here disagrees with your state’s official site, the official site is right — and we want to know about it.
What we don’t do
We explain what the law and the fee schedules say. We do not give legal advice, we do not value injury claims, and we do not tell you what your case is worth. If you have been in a crash or you are dealing with a disputed title, talk to a licensed attorney in your state. Nothing on this site creates an attorney-client relationship or substitutes for professional advice.
We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any DMV, state agency, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, or any motorcycle manufacturer or dealer.
Corrections
If you find something wrong — an outdated fee, a statute that has been amended, a course that no longer runs — email contact@gearriderhub.com with the page and what you believe is incorrect. Corrections to factual errors are made on the page itself, not in a footnote.
How this site is funded
Gear Rider Hub is funded by advertising and by affiliate commissions: if you buy something or request a quote through certain links on this site, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. That never changes what we recommend, and it never changes what we report a law or a fee to be. Full terms are in our disclaimer.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, data requests or partnership enquiries: contact@gearriderhub.com, or use the contact page.
Policies and legal
How this site handles data, cookies and advertising is set out in full in the documents below. Which privacy and cookie policy applies to you depends on where you are reading from.
- Privacy statement (US)
- Privacy statement (EU) and cookie policy (EU)
- Privacy statement (UK) and cookie policy (UK)
- Disclaimer — what this site is and is not, including the limits of the legal and licensing information published here
- Opt-out preferences — change your consent choices at any time
Questions about any of it go to the contact page, which is also where corrections are handled.