Alabama Title 32

hambro

hambro

New Member
Hi guys, I'm a Deputy Sheriff in Alabama, maybe this will help clear things up a little, be prepared though, this sucks.

Alabama Title 32 Traffic Code 32-12-20: As used herein, the term "motor-driven cycle" shall include every motorcycle weighing when fully equipped less than 200 pounds and every bicycle with motor attached and every motor scooter.

Alabama Title 32 Traffic Code 32-12-22: Every person, except a person holding a driver's license issued under authority of Chapter 6 of this title, before operating any motor-driven cycle upon a public highway in this state, shall register it with the Director of Public Safety and procure an operator's license. Operator's licenses shall be issued under and be goverened by the provisions of Chapter 6 of this title; except, that such a license shall be issued to any person 14 years of age or older if such a person can satisfy the Director of Public Safety or an examining officer that he is competent to operate a motor-driven cycle with safety to persons and to property.

Sorry guys, sucks for me too, I have five MB's in my garage right now and I'd love to ride them on the street too. I may just take my chances anyway, see what happens cause most of the officers here aren't even familiar with this traffic law and they won't stop you if they don't know the law themselves. Good luck.
 
I've been in contact with several different Dept. at Montgomery.
It doesn't seem like they know what the code says either.
To my understanding a motor driven cycle should be tagged with insurance
right? And according to the Title Code a bicycle with motor is a
motor driven cycle. Then why wont they title it?
There seems to be a contrdiction in the law.
Could you explain why the Dept. of Revenue wont title a motor driven cycle?
I mean poeple build cars, motorcycles etc. all the time and get titles for them why not a
motorized bicycle. PM me I would like to chat about this.
 
I wish I could answer that Aero but I am just as stumped as you are. I guess because they won't title bicycles and when you build a MB all you have to identify it is the make and model of the bicycle and it's serial number and another reason might be because they don't meet DOT standards as far as signal lights, head lights, brake lights unless you build all of that into it. Not to mention the liability aspect of it all. Sure as heck if they started letting us register the MB's someone is going to cause an accident on one and some congressman or senator is going to read about it in the paper and call the Alabama Department of Public Safety and raise **** about a bicycle with an engine on it that got ran over by an eighteen wheeler on a busy highway. I really don't have an answer, I just started speculating and couldn't stop there for a minute. All I can do is scratch my head about it too.
 
I really wish I knew the answer to that Aero. As I said, I'm just a Deputy Sheriff, I don't agree with all of the laws in the books but technically I'm legally and morally obligated to enforce them either way.
 
hambro said:
Hi guys, I'm a Deputy Sheriff in Alabama
I may just take my chances anyway, see what happens cause most of the officers here aren't even familiar with this traffic law and they won't stop you if they don't know the law themselves. Good luck.
Click to expand...

As I said, I'm just a Deputy Sheriff, I don't agree with all of the laws in the books but technically I'm legally and morally obligated to enforce them either way.
Click to expand...

Does this mean that you would stop another MBer when you are on duty but you would also ride one off duty? Maybe it's just me, but that kind of sounds like the cop that shows up to a party bringing all of the confiscated beer and weed! If that is not what you meant, I do apologize.
 
Let me re-phrase then, I don't write alot of traffic tickets because I understand why people sometimes speed. I don't write alot of red light tickets especially when it's a close call because I've done it and i'm no hypocrit. If I ride my MB on the street knowing that it's illegal then I'm certainly not going to write someone else a ticket for doing the same thing. I may stop them and make it look like I'm writing them up so the other citizens don't call and complain on me but when they see us on the side of the road we'll probably be talking shop and trading tips more than anything else. When I mentioned the laws that I don't necessarily agree with but have to enforce I was talking about other criminal laws like 17 year old boys being charged with rape for having a consentual sexual relationship with their 15 year old girlfriend and then having to register as a convicted sex offender for the rest of their lives. In closing, if I see a MBer on the road I'll probably just smile and look the other way unless I see something cool on their bike that I don't have and I want to talk to him about it. :) But if he's being an idiot and putting himself or others at risk, he's going down, no offense.
 
hambro said:
I wish I could answer that Aero but I am just as stumped as you are. I guess because they won't title bicycles and when you build a MB all you have to identify it is the make and model of the bicycle and it's serial number and another reason might be because they don't meet DOT standards as far as signal lights, head lights, brake lights unless you build all of that into it. Not to mention the liability aspect of it all. Sure as heck if they started letting us register the MB's someone is going to cause an accident on one and some congressman or senator is going to read about it in the paper and call the Alabama Department of Public Safety and raise **** about a bicycle with an engine on it that got ran over by an eighteen wheeler on a busy highway. I really don't have an answer, I just started speculating and couldn't stop there for a minute. All I can do is scratch my head about it too.
Click to expand...
It's just sad when you have conscientious individuals who are willing to go to
the expense of putting lights, horn or what ever to make there motorized bike comply,
being shut down without a clear explanation. The last person I talked with was Sam Johnson at the Dept. of Revenue. He could not tell me why a motorized bike could
not be titled ( although title code 32 makes that provision under the diffinitions )
all he would say is that we don't do that. I just thought you might knowbeing in law enforcement. Besides it would be no difference if a MBer had an accident than someone
on a registered scooter, as long as they were taged an had insurance.
I guess we could contact the Attorney General and get him to
give his opinion on why bikes with motors attached are concidered motor driven cycles
and are supposed to be titled and taged, yet the Dept. of Revenue refuses to do so.
What do you think?
 
Aero thats probably not a bad idea. Lets bug the heck out of him and make him give us an answer. I'd register and tag and license mine in a heartbeat if they'd let me. I guess I will take my chances in the meantime, I'm just as succeptable to gettin a ticket as anyone else if I get caught by the wrong "new guy" officer or "barney fife" guy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top