i really doubt this is true...but someone at work told me that 250cc riders dont require a motorcycle license...he justified this by saying that he was going to buy a moped for work and they did not require he get a motorcycle license...according to his sources anything over 500cc does require one...please advise.

 

He doesn't know what he's talking about is what it is. You DO need a license to operate the 250 legally. In checking Texas's motorcycle laws I found out that you need one even for the moped. So let your friend get pulled over and get a heavy fine for not following the law while you go get your license, take the MSF course and operate a 250cc both legally and safely.

TRC §541.201. VEHICLES In this subtitle: (8) "Moped" means a motor‑driven cycle that cannot attain a speed in one mile of more than 30 miles per hour and the engine of which: (A)cannot produce more than two‑brake horsepower; and (B) if an internal combustion engine, has a piston displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or less and connects to a power drive system that does not require the operator to shift gears. (9) "Motorcycle" means a motor vehicle, other than a tractor, that is equipped with a rider's saddle and designed to have when propelled not more than three wheels on the ground. (10) "Motor‑driven cycle" means a motorcycle equipped with a motor that has an engine piston displacement of 250 cubic centimeters or less. The term does not include an electric bicycle.[align=left] [/align]TRC §521.224. RESTRICTED CLASS M LICENSE. (a) In this section, "motorcycle" includes a motor driven cycle. (b)The department may issue a special restricted Class M license that authorizes the holder to operate only a motorcycle that has not more than a 250 cubic centimeter piston displacement. (c) A person is eligible for a restricted motorcycle license if the person: (1) is 15 years of age or older but under 18 years of age; (2) has completed and passed a motorcycle operator training course approved by the department; and (3) has met the requirements imposed under Section 521.145. (d) The department shall make the motorcycle operator training course available. (e)On the 16th birthday of a holder of a special restricted Class M license, the department shall remove the 250 cubic centimeter restriction from the license without completion by the holder of an additional motorcycle operator training course. (f) An applicant for the special restricted license must apply in accordance with Subchapter G. The applicant is subject to the requirements of Section 521.161 and to other provisions of this chapter in the same manner as an applicant for another license. The department shall prescribe the form of the license.
TRC §521.225. MOPED LICENSE. (a) A person may not operate a moped unless the person holds a driver's license. An applicant for a moped license must be 15 years of age or older. (b) The department shall administer to an applicant for a moped license a written examination relating to the traffic laws applicable to the operation of mopeds. A test involving the operation of the vehicle is not required. (c) An applicable provision of this chapter relating to a restricted Class M license applies also to a moped license, including a provision relating to the application, issuance, duration, suspension, cancellation, or revocation of that license. (d)The department shall certify whether a vehicle alleged to be a moped is a moped. The department shall: (1)by rule establish the procedure for determining whether a vehicle is a moped; (2)compile a list of mopeds certified by the department; and (3)make the list available to the public on request.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/txmclaws.htm