On Thursday, April 19, Senator Mary Kiffmeyer’s (R-Big Lake) bipartisan legislation to modify motorcycle permits in Minnesota passed off the Senate Floor with a unanimous 67-0 vote. The bill, SF 3466, would change the current motorcycle permit and allow Minnesota riders access to interstate freeways.

“The current law which restricts our permit riders from using our state’s interstate freeway system was originally implemented in 1975 and is antiquated and no longer makes sense,” said Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer. “Minnesota’s freeway system is one of the safest road systems in our state, yet we’re not allowing our riders to learn on it before getting their license. Compounding this is the fact that while we ban riders from using freeways yet we’re allowing them to use the highways on which speed limit is only five mph less but exposes our riders to greater larger threats.”

Under current state law, Minnesota motorcycle permit riders cannot ride on an interstate freeway with their permit. However, the same permit allows them to ride on all other Minnesota roads including four-lane highways, which have unrestricted access and intersections yet have a relatively similar speed limit.

Senator Kiffmeyer’s legislation received support from the American Bikers for Awareness, Training, and Education of Minnesota (A.B.A.T.E) along with an endorsement from the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Advisory Task Force, which provides input directly to the Department of Public Safety.