If you're a new college student looking to save gas money freshman year by trading in your car keys for a scooter, there are some changes in Utah law you may need to know.

Currently, all riders either need a motorcycle endorsement on their driver's license or a motorcycle-only license. But under the new law, anyone who is under 19 will have to get a two-month learner's permit before they can get the endorsement. Under state law, scooters qualify as motorcycles.

Nanette Rolfe, the director of the state driver's license division, said the new law will bring only minor changes and that the process for getting a motorcycle endorsement will not be much different than what it is today.

"[It's] similar to when a 16-year-old gets their license, they have that period to practice before they actually get the license," Rolfe said.

Rolfe said the state is abolishing its motorcycle-only licenses. Only 15 people in Utah currently have that type of driver's license, she said.

Another, more widespread change is that when people get motorcycle endorsements on the driver's licenses, they will be bound to the type of vehicle they test on at the DMV. For example, if someone takes their motorcycle test on a scooter with a 200 cc engine, they will not be able to use their motorcycle endorsement to ride a big Harley Davidson.

The engine categories will be for 90 cc or less, 249 cc or less, or 649 cc or less. Anyone who tests on a motorcycle with an engine bigger than 649 will not have any restrictions on the kind of bike they can ride.

"They'll be unable to ride anything larger than the classification that we put them into without coming back in," Rolfe said.

Melanie Barber, the owner of Vespa Utah in Orem, said the classification restrictions are a good safety measure, because some people will buy large motorcycles but will use smaller scooters when they test at the DMV. There are huge differences between riding the two types of vehicles, she said.

"I know a lot of that's been going on for years. That will probably be a good change," Barber said.

Barber said most people who come into her store are unaware of the new changes, though she doubted it would affect many of her customers because most people who are under 19 can't afford high-end Vespas anyway. But scooters are popular with younger people, and she thinks the change is a good one.

"I think it's great that they do that for people under the age of 19, because a lot of kids think these scooters are just toys, and they're not. They can get hurt," she said. "You want to keep everybody as safe as possible, and there are going to be a lot more scooters on the street just because of gas prices."