Why We Oppose the New E-bike Law
In January 2026, New Jersey quietly passed a law requiring driver’s licenses, vehicle registration, and insurance to ride a low-speed electric bicycle. Despite major opposition from across the state, the bill raced through the legislature in under a month and was signed into law. The call for an e-bike law started after several tragic roadway fatalities last summer involving high-speed electric motorcycles (e-motos) and electric dirt bikes, which were often mislabeled as “e-bikes” in news coverage. Unfortunately, the legislation that followed focused on the wrong types of bikes and failed to address the real safety issues.
This is now the most restrictive e-bike law in the country, requiring license, registration for all e-bikes even those that max out at 20mph and insurance for those with a throttle It throws out the 3 class classification of e-bikes used in 46 states and creates new classifications which conflates low speed e-bikes, which are not the problem with the more dangerous high speed e-motos, which remain unregulated and can go up to 60 mph and faster.
Here are the basic changes we’d like to see:
- Low-speed electric bicycles that max out at 20 mph should not be subject to license, registration, or insurance requirements.
- Devices that exceed 20 mph should continue to have safety-focused regulations such as licensing, registration, and helmet use, as well as regulations for selling and advertising.
The reasons we opposed this law have not changed. We continue to believe NJ can improve safety while protecting access to low-speed e-bikes by focusing regulations where they are most needed.
As written, this law will:
- Harm vulnerable residents including seniors, people with disabilities, undocumented riders, families and low-income commuters who depend on e-bikes for affordable mobility
- Conflict with federal law (15 USC 2085), which defines low-speed e-bikes as consumer products, not motor vehicles
- Create immediate confusion for riders crossing into New Jersey from New York or Philadelphia
- Undermine New Jersey’s climate goals by discouraging one of the most accessible low-emission transportation options available
- Leaves gaps in addressing point-of-sale regulation for e-motos and education for safe cycling
- This law does nothing to address the real source of road danger in our state. Over 500 people die on New Jersey roads each year — almost all due to motor vehicles, not low-speed e-bikes.
There are many benefits to low-speed e-bikes and we should be looking to increase access to this affordable and green transportation option, not create more barriers to using them.
- They are used by people commuting to work, families bring children to school, seniors doing errands, workers delivering our food, people with disabilities who can’t drive.
- They are an essential part of building an affordable transportation network that offers alternatives to car travel, especially for short trips.
- They don’t contribute to air pollution and provide healthy options for exercise and recreation.
- They are an essential part of building an affordable transportation network that offers alternatives to car travel, especially for short trips.
- Treating them like motorcycles is bad policy and will fall hardest on the communities that can least afford it.
