Traffic Q&A: Motorcycles, mopeds exempt from insurance  Staff
writerSeptember 30, 2013   Question: There have been a lot of
motorcycle accidents resulting in death or damage to other
vehicles, and I was told motorcycles did not even have to carry
liability insurance.  If this is true, I’d like to know why —
and why the legislators, knowing it, if they did, haven’t done
anything to make them have insurance. —Marilyn Calkins, Tacoma
Answer: You are correct. In Washington, motorcycles and mopeds
are exempt from the state law requiring that all other
registered vehicles have liability insurance.  The law, RCW
46.30.020, was passed more than 20 years ago, so it’s hard to
know what legislators were thinking. However, it’s worth noting
that this state is one of a small minority that offers such an
exemption. Only Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire and Florida have
similar laws.  Even though motorcyclists are not required to
carry insurance, they’re still bound by the state’s financial
responsibility laws, which make al