Florida Motorcycle Laws: What Riders Need to Know

Do you ride a motorcycle? Make sure you're up to date on the latest Florida motorcycle laws in case something happens on the road.

Did you know that Florida has the second highest amount of motorcyclists in the country? With so many people wanting to feel the wind with sunny skies on the open road, there need to be ways to do this safely. 

That is where Florida motorcycle laws come in. Every state has its own set of laws to keep riders and those around them safe. 



So, before you start riding a motorcycle in Florida, you should know if there is a unique traffic law here you have to abide by. Luckily for you, this guide will show you some of the more notable motorcycle laws here. 

Helmets 

Believe it or not, Florida does not make it mandatory to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. However, this is conditional depending on if you meet two requirements. 

The first requirement is meeting the minimum age. In Florida, you have to be 21 years old to legally ride a motorcycle without a helmet. So, if you can't go to a bar and legally order a beer, you can't ride a motorcycle here without a helmet, either. 

If you are over 21, the other requirement you have to meet is minimum motorcycle insurance. Here, you have to have a policy that covers you for at least $10,000 in medical benefits. 

Once both of those requirements are met, Florida lets you decide for yourself if you want to ride with a helmet. 

Eye Protection 

Unlike helmets, there are no loopholes to get around here. Every person riding a motorcycle, regardless of age or insurance policy, has to have eye protection while riding. 

This is a safety issue that is meant to protect riders from possible dust that comes up on the road or debris that is floating around. Eye protection such as goggles allows a motorcyclist to have as clear of a view of what is going on in front of them as possible. In some cases, that can help prevent an accident. 

Headlights 

If you are going to ride a motorcycle in Florida, your motorcycle has to have at least one headlight working. This is vital when it comes to visibility on the road. 

That is especially the case when it comes to less-than-ideal driving conditions. Examples can be trying to drive a motorcycle at night or trying to drive one in the middle of a rainstorm. 

Anyone that lives in Florida knows how often it rains down here. With such high frequencies of rain coming up unexpectedly at times, a motorcyclist needs to be prepared to provide visibility for the other drivers on the road. This helps keep them from hitting anybody and it can also prevent a car from accidentally hitting a motorcycle. 

Lane Splitting 

One thing motorcyclists tend to like to do is something called lane splitting. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, this is when a motorcycle tries to pass another car that is in the same lane as them. 

An example of this is when there is major traffic on a highway. Cars are at a standstill because they are too big to maneuver around smaller openings.

However, motorcycles are small enough to get around this. So, what some motorcyclists like to do in these situations is to make their own lane in the same lane as the cars and pass them on the side. 

Sometimes, these motorcyclists get dangerously close to hitting other cars doing this. Other times, they are blocking the shoulder lanes that are typically reserved for either police cars or emergencies. 

Just know that in Florida, you are not allowed to do this and there are legal consequences if you get caught. 

Additional Passengers 

Some motorcyclists like to offer rides on their motorcycle to close friends or loved ones. This is not always safe because some of those passengers have no protection other than holding onto the driver's back.

If that motorcycle happened to crash, you could imagine the passenger going flying in the worst of circumstances. 

Florida does not outright ban motorcyclists from having passengers on their motorcycles. However, there are certain criteria that they have to meet. 

The main criterion here is that a motorcycle has to have a dedicated seat for a passenger. It is not good enough to hang onto a driver's back and share that seat, so make sure that is available before riding with multiple people in Florida. 

Motorcycle Endorsement 

Finally, people that ride motorcycles in Florida have to have a driver's license that specifically caters to motorcycles. What this means is that you have to get a normal driver's license and then on top of that, have a specific endorsement that says you are legally allowed to drive a motorcycle. 

If you get caught driving without one in this state, think of it like getting caught driving a car without a driver's license. 

Know the Florida Motorcycle Laws 

These are some of the Florida motorcycle laws that you need to know before driving a motorcycle in this state. 

First of all, make sure that you have the proper motorcycle endorsement before you get on a motorcycle here. You also need to know the law when it comes to helmets, make sure you have eye protection and headlights, avoid lane splitting, and have a dedicated seat for additional passengers if you want to take them. 

If you have a motorcycle incident here, you may need a Tampa motorcycle lawyer. Reach out to Pablo G. Martinez Law Firm and Book a free consultation here for answers about your case.