JACKSONVILLE -- A new state law taking effect on July 1 will require all moped drivers to register their mopeds through the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. 

Drivers will not need to purchase insurance or get a special license. 

At Mouse's Cycle and Guns in Jacksonville, owner Daniel Morrison said they sell "quite a few" mopeds. Morrison said people tend to like the low cost and the fact that you don't need a license to operate one.

"A lot of people buy mopeds because they lose their driver's license, or if they have a medical reason you know, that they cannot get a driver's license, or just to ride around in the neighborhood or go to the beach," Morrison said. 

Currently, the only regulations for moped drivers are that they must be at least 16 years old and wear a helmet. 

Come July, that will change.

"The State of North Carolina has created a license plate specifically for the mopeds," said Lt. Sean McGill with the Jacksonville Police Department. "It's similar in size to the same license plate you'll see on the motorcycles."

The tag will go on the back of the moped.

"I think it's a good idea," Morrison said. "That way they can identify the mopeds if they happen to be stolen for the owner."

To register the moped, the Department of Transportation says people will need:
        •       A valid NC driver's license or NC identification card
        •       A manufacturer's certificate of origin; OR
        •       An affidavit of facts form
        •       A yearly registration fee of at least $18, depending on the county

"The requirement is it has to be registered come July 1," McGill said. "But we do understand that there's going to be a period of time where educating the public is going to be a lot more important than going out there and just writing tickets for those violations."

In the meantime, it's still a good idea to get ahead of the registration process, especially if the moped does not have a vehicle identification number. 

"There's so many of them that they do not have paperwork, on these," Morrison said. "We get them all the time that way."

For more information on registering your moped with the DMV, contact your police department's traffic division or the NC DOT DMV at 919-861-3143, or visit http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2013/Bills/House/PDF/H1145v8.pdf.