Motorcycles are legal in NYC as long as they are registered and insured and you have a motorcycle license.
You must not however operate your motorcycle in a rude manner or pop wheelies etc or the motorcycle can be confiscated.
You do need a motorcycle license or a license to operate the 150cc scooter in NY and NYC.
You must have a driver license and register your moped to drive it on streets and highways.
There are exceptions to these requirements listed in the table below.
You can never operate a moped down a sidewalk.
The DMV classifies a moped as a Class A, Class B or Class C limited use motorcycle according to its top speed.
Vespas are legal in NYC as long as they are registered and insured.
New York Department of Motor Vehicles (MVD) treats them very seriously.
Mopeds and scooters, just like motorcycles, require full registration and a driver's license to operate.
Electric scooters also known as E Scooters are allowed in NYC or New York City.
Effective August 2, 2020 - the law allows people to operate electric scooters (e-scooters) and bicycles with electric assist (e-bikes) on some streets and highways in New York State.
The electric scooters have handlebars and a floorboard or seat, and may be powered by electric and/or human power.
You must not operate an e-scooter in excess of 15 MPH.
E-scooters may be ridden in bike lanes and on streets with speed limits no greater than 30 MPH.
Hoverboards are illegal to ride in NYC.
You cannot legally ride a Hoverboard on NYC sidewalks or roads as they are considered to be motorized vehicles by the DMV.
It's not illegal to own a hoverboard in NYC but it's illegal to ride or operate a hoverboard in NYC.
Considered to be vehicles by the DMV, the hoverboard is illegal to ride on the sidewalks and roads of NYC.
You may, however, find a place to ride your hoverboard outside city limits in NY State.
You can ride a hoverboard on the sidewalk anywhere outside of NYC, but it is against the law to do so in the city.
So it’s best to leave riding your hoverboard to quiet suburban streets with few drivers and pedestrians.
NY
In NY State, under the VTL (Vehicle & Traffic Law) § 114-d, the hoverboard is considered to be an “electric personal assistive mobility device” (EPAMD), which is defined as:
“A self-balance, two non-tandem wheeled device designed to transport one person by means of an electric propulsion system, with an average output of not more than 750 watts (one horsepower), and the maximum speed of which on a paved level surface, when propelled solely by its electric propelled solely by its electric propulsion system while ridden by an operator weighing 170 pounds, is less than 12 1/2 miles per hour.”
Other EPAMDs include devices such as Segways, motorized wheelchairs, and one-wheel scooters.
They do not require a driver’s license to operate.
EPAMDs are not considered to be “motor vehicles” in NY State, so people may ride them on sidewalks outside the city.
NY suburbanites can ride their hoverboard out of their driveway and over to a neighbor’s house as they please.