Colorado has done something rare enough to deserve a commemorative plaque: it passed a law that puts parents back in charge without first creating a 47-member task force, hiring a grant consultant, and scheduling six listening sessions about why families cannot be trusted.
CBS News Colorado reports that beginning August 12, only a parent or legal guardian may approve a minor’s motorcycle permit application. Previously, any adult age 21 or older could sign off. The change comes as electric motorcycles grow more popular among teens and Colorado State Patrol reports seeing more crashes involving young riders. Some of these machines can reach 40 or 50 miles per hour, which is not exactly sidewalk-scooter territory.
The law is narrow. It does not declare every teenage rider a menace. It does not pretend a parent’s signature is a magic force field. It simply acknowledges a truth most normal households assumed was already built into the process: before a minor enters traffic on a motorcycle, the minor’s actual guardian should know about it.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Beginning August 12, a minor seeking a Colorado motorcycle permit will need approval from a parent or legal guardian, rather than any random adult over 21 with a pulse and a pen.
- Colorado State Patrol says more young people are choosing electric motorcycles, and crashes involving teens are increasing as the machines become more accessible.
- Some e-motorcycles can hit 40 or 50 miles per hour. At that speed, “I thought it was basically an e-bike” becomes a pretty lousy safety plan.
- Motorcycle trainers say parents often confuse e-bikes with e-motorcycles, and some families are buying vehicles without realizing they are not street legal or that licensing, registration, insurance, and endorsements may be required.
- Supporters hope the signature requirement prompts parents to understand the rules and consider professional training before their kid rolls into traffic carrying teenage confidence and adult-level horsepower.
My Bottom Line
This is not revolutionary policy. It is parental consent. The astonishing part is not that Colorado passed the law. The astonishing part is that Colorado apparently needed a law to establish something so basic.
A minor wants to operate a motorcycle on public roads. The parent should be involved at the first damn decision. Not after the crash. Not after the citation. Not after discovering the machine purchased as an “e-bike” is legally a motorcycle with all the obligations that come with it.
That does not mean every teen rider is reckless. Plenty of young people take training seriously and ride responsibly. It also does not mean a guardian’s signature will prevent every bad decision. Paperwork has never defeated physics. But requiring the responsible adult in a child’s life to know what is happening is a reasonable guardrail, and one the state should have had in place already.
So, credit where it is due. Colorado found common sense, dusted it off, attached a form, and finally put parents where they belong. It is a small win, but in a government culture that often treats mothers and fathers like inconvenient subcontractors, we will take it.
Source: CBS News Colorado
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