Question Laws about unique vehicles

So, in terms of road rules; if a devisor or Gadgeteer were to build, say, a walking car or a mecha or something like that, would they need to have it registered and confirmed to be road safe, and if so, what sort of classification exists for such vehicles. I'd imagine that Dr. Speer's minibus would be simply classified as a modified car, and thus have a car registry, but what about something more exotic like a hovercar or a speeder bike?

www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/automobiles/b...res-a-checklist.html

Here's a news article about the red tape for such an endeavor. But common sense tells me that if it fly's high enough to be picked up by radar FAA if it just hovers over the ground then the laws for cars and motorcycles would apply.

For a motor vehicle to be used on the road, it needs to be registered with the state. In the case of fully custom vehicles, it seems they are registered as either Experimental vehicles or as Specially Constructed vehicles. An experimental vehicle doesn't need to be inspected but will have a lot of restrictions in how it can be used. The specific restrictions vary by state and can include things like no use of interstate/limited-access highways, no nighttime operation, and requiring you to have it followed by a chase vehicle. A specially constructed vehicle, on the other hand, has to be inspected to prove that it's safe to share the road with. In some states, it will also need an emissions test to ensure it's not polluting overmuch.

In the case of non-wheeled vehicles, I expect you'd also need to demonstrate that it causes no excessive wear and tear to the road surface. For exotic propulsion, they'd probably also want you to prove that it won't blow up half the city if you get in a collision.

You're also going to need to either prove ownership of the vehicle or pay a big fee, so keep the receipts for your parts.

Kettlekorn wrote: You're also going to need to either prove ownership of the vehicle or pay a big fee, so keep the receipts for your parts.

I.e., If it has a serial number, prove you bought it. The black market for vintage/custom parts is a thriving business.

Florida's Application for Certificate of Title
(Doesn't look too bad until you realize that some states don't issue titles for all the things.)