By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

Gary Emery has been riding his moped for about three years and lucky for him, he won’t get stopped by authorities who intend to warn him about the new registration requirement. Emery, a resident of Victory Street, already has a license plate and insurance for his moped.

The N.C. General Assembly will require all mopeds be registered with the Division of Motor Vehicles. The new law went into effect Wednesday and it means all mopeds will also need to have a license plate in order to be in compliance. The registration fee is $18.

Under state law a moped is one that has two or three wheels, with a motor of no more than 50 cubic centimeters of piston displacement, has no external shifting device and cannot exceed 30 mph on a level surface.

Emery said he wasn’t aware of the new law, but added that his moped does have a license plate and insurance because he felt it was a necessity.

“I suspected they would do it,” he said of the new law.

Emery wanted to insure his moped in the event he struck someone or if someone hit him, which he figured was more apt to happen.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Emery said.

Lyndon Partee said he’d heard about the change in law, but didn’t really know when it would take effect or if there would be a grace period for riders.

He drives a car, but rides his moped to work when the weather is nice because it’s “better on gas.”

Partee doesn’t have a problem with complying with the guidelines of the law.

“I’ll get it, but I think it’s silly,” he said.

Partee said although he has a car to drive and doesn’t have issues with his license, he wonders about the people who need to ride a moped to work because they’ve lost their license or simply can’t afford a car.

“It will hurt them,” Partee said.