Is riding a 50cc scooter legal with a car licence?

From.my experience, most scooter rental shops won’t talk to you unless you have a local license and as far as I know the rules changed a few years ago where a 50cc can no longer be driven with a car license, you still need to pass the test.

If the moto shops don’t see this license they usually won’t rent to you unless you go to a small town where they just want customers.

I know when I had only a foreign international licence nobody would rent to me unless I was on Xiaoliuqiu island or something where they don’t care.
Technically even if they rent to you if you crash or get pulled over you are considered unlicensed.

2 Likes

Actually, if OP has a TW car license they can ride a 50cc scooter as well without the specific scooter license.

I have a TW car license myself and have been using GoShare to ride 50cc Gogoros. Following this thread, as I also want to know where I can rent a 50cc long-term until I take the scooter license test…

6 Likes

This is completely incorrect. The rules never changed.

Article 61 of
道路交通安全規則

已領有小型車駕駛執照者,得駕駛輕型機車
Here’s what the test looks like in 2021.

2 Likes

I’m not making a judgement of whether or not it’s easy, but there’s no more “riding in a circle”. That was removed a while ago from the scooter test .

I keep hearing people say the only types of scooters that don’t require a license are electric scooters with a max speed of 25km/hr or lower. Anything other type of scooter, even if electric, that are faster than 25km/hr requires a Taiwan scooter license.
I’m not exactly sure what kind of scooters have a max speed less than 25km/hr? Maybe those stand up ones?

At least stay up to date on the laws before saying someone is wrong

2 Likes

You’re misunderstanding. This is if you want a separate 50cc license, and don’t already hold a Taiwan drivers license. Per the law I cited, if you already hold a Taiwan drivers license (小型車駕駛執照), you do not need an additional license to ride a 50cc (輕型機車) scooter.

6 Likes

I quote

"
“Each year, 59 percent of all road accidents in Taiwan are related to scooter riders. Passing the road test as a prerequisite for obtaining a 50cc scooter license will help us determine applicants’ road skills,”

1 Like

This is simply incorrect. I’ve cited the actual transportation law, which was updated in 2021. You can trust a Taiwan english news site over that, if you prefer.

4 Likes

You don’t need to do the road test if you have a car licence yes but to ride that 50cc scooter, you still need to pass the practical test even if you hold a car license. Whether they give you a different card or not I don’t know but you can’t just ride a 50cc scooter legally with just a car license

1 Like

I’m telling you that’s false, and I’ve presented evidence to the contrary. Believe what you want. That’s all from me!

4 Likes

I’m going to email the DMV tomorrow to put this issue to rest once and for all. If I’m wrong I’ll eat crow

1 Like

I believe you are in the wrong @dan2006 and @qinqinbaobaojugaogao is right.

I recently obtained a Taiwanese car driving’s license (by passing a writing, a closed circuit and an open road test) and I was reaffirmed by several people at the road bureau that I can legally ride a less than 50cc scooter or less than 5 HP electric bike.
I also have been able to rent 49cc scooters like that since without problem, from both shops and ride-sharing apps where they check your license like GoShare and iRent motorbikes.

Do you know they also recently added open road test for car license since spring this year 2021? Maybe you have old knowledge and they changed the rules, the article you shared is from 2016.

3 Likes

You’re wrong. I first got DMV issued car license by reciprocity with US license this year. When there, the agent said I was legally allowed to drive 50cc without test or separate scooter license. I’m not sure why you are so adamant on being wrong after others cited laws. But you be you.

As people above stated, OP can legally rent wemo or irent with license. They will upload the license and it will be accepted.

The biggest change recently is if you had a car license and also want to test for scooter (above 50cc) in addition to driving test, you didn’t have to take written test. Now you will have to also take written test.

I recommend OP use WeMo or similar as there are plenty of scooters in Taipei and can go with monthly packages.

9 Likes

I also got a TW car drivers license via reciprocity and have rented scooters from GoShare and WeMo. No 25km/hr limit.
My thread: Getting a driver's license vs getting a scooter license - #57 by kurupted

The correct answer is, you can drive a scooter with less than 50cc when you have car license. Less is the important word.
No car license still requires a test and driver license for under 50cc.
The above quoted law Road Traffic Safety Rules § 61 is referring to a light scooter which is under 50cc.
50cc is already in the class of heavy scooter license (50cc up to 249cc). Over 250cc is classified as large heavy Scooter/Motorcycle which requires another driving license.

2 Likes

@dan2006

Did you ever get that email and eat crow?

2 Likes

Would also like to know what their response was. I have a drivers license (didn’t have to take a road test for it, because I exchanged my US one for it) and would like to know if I can legally ride a 49cc (green plate) scooter.