Connecticut General Statutes/Title 14/Chapter 246/Section 14-40a

CGS § 14-40a. Motorcycle endorsement or motorcycle endorsement with three-wheeled restriction. Motorcycle instruction permit. Examination. Military waiver.

(a) No person shall operate a motorcycle on any public highway of this state until such person has obtained a motor vehicle operator's license with a motorcycle endorsement from the commissioner.

(b) A person who is sixteen years of age or older and who has not had such a license suspended or revoked may apply to the commissioner for a motorcycle instruction permit. The commissioner may issue a motorcycle instruction permit, containing such limitation as said commissioner deems advisable, to an applicant after the applicant has passed all parts of the examination, other than the driving skills test, for a motor vehicle operator's license with a motorcycle endorsement as required by subsection (c) of this section. The motorcycle instruction permit shall entitle the applicant, while said applicant is in immediate possession of said permit, to drive a motorcycle on the public highways, other than multiple lane limited access highways, for a period of sixty days. A motorcycle instruction permit may be renewed, or a new permit issued, for an additional period of sixty days. Each applicant issued a motorcycle instruction permit shall, while operating a motorcycle, wear protective headgear of a type which conforms to the minimum specifications established by regulations adopted under subsection (b) of section 14-289g.

(c) Before granting a motorcycle endorsement or motorcycle endorsement with a three-wheeled restriction to any applicant who has not held such an endorsement at any time within the preceding two years, the commissioner shall require the applicant to present evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that such applicant has successfully completed a novice motorcycle or three-wheeled motorcycle training course conducted by the Department of Transportation with federal funds available for the purpose of such course, or by any firm or organization that conducts such a course that uses the curriculum of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or other safety or educational organization that has developed a curriculum approved by the commissioner. If such applicant has not obtained a motorcycle instruction permit pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the applicant shall also pass an examination, other than the driving skills test, demonstrating that the applicant is a proper person to operate a motorcycle, has sufficient knowledge of the mechanism of a motorcycle to ensure its safe operation by such applicant, and has satisfactory knowledge of the law concerning motorcycles and other motor vehicles and the rules of the road. The commissioner may waive the requirement of such examination for any applicant who presents documentation that such applicant: (1) Is on active military duty with the armed forces of the United States; (2) is stationed outside the state; and (3) completed a novice motorcycle training course conducted by any firm or organization using the curriculum of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation not earlier than two years prior to the date of such applicant's application. When the commissioner is satisfied as to the ability and competency of the applicant, the commissioner may issue an endorsement to such applicant, either unlimited or containing such limitations as the commissioner deems advisable. An applicant who has completed a three-wheeled motorcycle training course shall be limited to an endorsement with a restriction, as provided in subsection (c) of section 14-36a, indicating that such applicant is limited to the operation of a three-wheeled motorcycle. If an applicant or motorcycle endorsement holder has any health problem which might affect such person's ability to operate a motorcycle safely, the commissioner may require the applicant or endorsement holder to demonstrate personally that, notwithstanding the problem, such person is a proper person to operate a motorcycle, and the commissioner may further require a certificate of the applicant's condition, signed by a medical authority designated by the commissioner, which certificate shall, in all cases, be treated as confidential by the commissioner. An endorsement containing such limitation as the commissioner deems advisable may be issued or renewed in any case, but nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the commissioner from refusing an endorsement, either limited or unlimited, to any person or suspending an endorsement of a person whom the commissioner deems incapable of safely operating a motorcycle.

(d) No person shall operate a motorcycle in any manner in violation of the limitations imposed in a limited endorsement issued to such person.

(e) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (a), (b) or (d) of this section shall, for a first offense, be deemed to have committed an infraction and be fined fifty dollars and, for any subsequent offense, be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.

(f) As used in this section, the terms “motorcycle” and “three-wheeled motorcycle” do not include “autocycle”, as defined in section 14-1.

Short History

(1967, P.A. 807, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 302, S. 1; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 15; P.A. 73-605, S. 2; P.A. 74-36, S. 2; P.A. 76-263, S. 5, 9; P.A. 82-103; 82-223, S. 10; P.A. 83-577, S. 16; P.A. 84-429, S. 20; P.A. 89-242, S. 4, 5, 7; P.A. 90-265, S. 2, 8; P.A. 03-171, S. 4; P.A. 04-143, S. 19; 04-257, S. 23; P.A. 06-130, S. 22; P.A. 10-3, S. 58; 10-153, S. 1; P.A. 11-213, S. 56; P.A. 12-80, S. 60; 12-81, S. 39; P.A. 13-271, S. 14; P.A. 15-46, S. 3; P.A. 17-79, S. 25.)

Long History

History: 1969 act added provisions re learner's permits in Subsec. (a); 1972 act changed age of majority from 21 to 18; P.A. 73-605 added provisions concerning certificates signed by parent, guardian or spouse as evidence of sufficient training and required English and Spanish versions of the test; P.A. 74-36 allowed foster parents to sign instruction certificates; P.A. 76-263 changed applicability provision of Subsec. (b) to apply to applicants not licensed during preceding 4, rather than 2, years; P.A. 82-103 amended Subsec. (b) by reducing from 4 to 2 years the time period during which an applicant has to have held a Connecticut license in order to be exempt from the examination; P.A. 82-223 amended Subsec. (d) by specifying that commission of a first offense constituted an infraction and establishing a minimum fine therefor of $25; P.A. 83-577 amended Subsec. (d) by increasing the minimum fine for a first offense from $25 to $35; P.A. 84-429 relettered Subsecs., rephrased provisions, transferred provision in Subsec. (d) re recall of an operator's license to Sec. 14-38(a), and made other technical changes; P.A. 89-242 amended Subsec. (b) to require applicants issued learner's permits on and after January 1, 1990, to wear protective headgear while operating a motorcycle and amended Subsec. (e) to require applicants under eighteen to demonstrate successful completion of a novice motorcycle training course on and after January 1, 1990; P.A. 90-265 amended Subsec. (e) to replace reference to applicant who “suffers from any physical defect or disease” with reference to applicant or motorcycle operator license holder who has any health problem, and to authorize commissioner to suspend license of person determined to be incapable of safely operating a motorcycle; P.A. 03-171 replaced provisions re motorcycle operator's license with provisions re motor vehicle operator's license with a motorcycle endorsement throughout, amended Subsec. (b) to replace “learner's permit” with “training permit”, deleted former Subsecs. (c) and (d) re issuance of motorcycle operator's license to persons between 16 and 18 years of age, redesignated remaining Subsecs. and made technical changes; P.A. 04-143 redesignated Subsecs. (b) to (e), inclusive, and made other technical changes, effective May 21, 2004; P.A. 04-257 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting an obsolete date, by requiring applicants under eighteen to present proof of completing a novice motorcycle training course, by requiring that such course be “conducted by”, rather than “offered by”, Department of Transportation or by any firm that uses the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's curriculum, rather than a course approved by Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, and by allowing commissioner to waive the on-road skills test for any applicant 18 or older who presents proof of completing such course, effective June 2, 2006; P.A. 10-3 amended Subsec. (e) to replace fine for first offense of not less than $35 or more than $50 with fine of $50, effective April 14, 2010; P.A. 10-153 amended Subsec. (c) to delete requirement that applicant for endorsement personally demonstrate knowledge of motorcycle mechanism and rules of the road, to delete authority of commissioner to waive on-road skills portion of endorsement exam for person presenting evidence of completing motorcycle training course, and to replace requirement that applicant under 18 years of age present evidence of successful completion of motorcycle training course with requirement that all applicants present evidence of successful completion of training course conducted by Department of Transportation with federal funds available for purpose of such course, effective January 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 amended Subsec. (b) to replace “driving test” with “driving skills test” and amended Subsec. (c) to require examination, other than driving skills test, for applicant without training permit, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsec. (e) to replace penalty for subsequent offense of a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both with a class D misdemeanor; P.A. 12-81 amended Subsec. (b) to replace “training permit” with “motorcycle instruction permit” and delete an obsolete date and amended Subsec. (c) to replace “training permit” with “motorcycle instruction permit”, effective January 1, 2013; P.A. 13-271 amended Subsec. (c) to add provision re waiver of examination requirement for members of armed forces on active duty outside state who completed motorcycle training course, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-46 amended Subsec. (c) to add references to motorcycle endorsement with a three-wheeled restriction and three-wheeled motorcycle training course, and to add provision re endorsement with restriction limiting applicant to operation of a three-wheeled motorcycle, and added Subsec. (f) re terms “motorcycle” and “three-wheeled motorcycle” not to include “autocycle”, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-79 amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change.

Citations

Cited. 194 C. 129.

Cited. 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 220.