Chapel Hill Police are giving moped users about a month to comply with a new state requirement that mopeds must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles, and display a license plate.

“The state law doesn’t specify any length of time where people would be given warnings, or we do some sort of educational campaign,” says Lt. Josh Mecimore, spokesperson for the Chapel Hill Police Department. “Our plan is to take the first 30 days – we try to do that with any new law – to try to educate people on the new requirements.”

Under a law passed last year, the deadline for moped riders to register their low-gas-mileage mode of transportation – and stick a plate on it – expired July 1. The cost of registration is $18, plus fees.

But Mecimore said the Chapel Hill Police will not start cracking down yet.

“We’ll be giving some time,” said Mecimore. “That doesn’t mean you won’t get stopped if you’re driving one without a tag, because that may be our educational opportunity.”

While moped owners may not universally love the new law, Mecimore said there’s an upside for them, in terms of law enforcement.

“We have a fairly sizable number of mopeds that get stolen each year,” said Mecimore. “And I think our hope is that this new requirement is going to give us better information on mopeds’ serial numbers, and will, hopefully, help us, if things get stolen, to be able to recover them.”

Getting a tag requires a trip to the DMV with proof of ownership, and a vehicle identification number or serial number to provide.

Starting next July, moped users will also need to be insured – a much pricier requirement, especially for those with poor driving records.

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