E-bikes typically fall into a legal gray area between bicycles, which aren’t regulated at all, and motorcycles, which are heavily regulated like any other motor vehicle. That’s about to change in New Jersey, where a new law now classifies all e-bikes as “motorized bicycles,” reports 10 Philadelphia. This will require all New Jersey e-bike riders to carry a license, registration, and insurance. You might as well ride a motorcycle at that point. On his last day in office, outgoing Governor Phil Murphy signed the law in response to an increasing number of e-bike crashes and fatalities.
“It is clear that we are in an age of increasing e-bike use that requires us to take action and update regulations that help prevent tragedies from occurring,” Murphy said. “Making our roads safer for all users has been a key priority for my Administration. I’d like to thank Senate President Scutari for taking the initiative to improve the safe use of e-bikes in New Jersey.”
Previously, only Class 3 e-bikes were subject to these requirements, according to the NJ Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center. These e-bikes can legally provide pedal assistance at speeds up to 28 mph. Plus, it is all too easy to buy so-called “e-bikes” that flagrantly violate these restrictions, offering kilowatts of power (true e-bikes are restricted to 750 watts) and speeds over 60 mph. Since 2019, New Jersey has required Class 3 e-bike riders to have a driver’s license (motorcycle endorsement not required), registration, insurance, and to wear a helmet. Riders at least 15 years old who do not have a driver’s license can get a specialized motorized bicycle license. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes have been unregulated until now, but as of July 19, 2026, these requirements will apply to all e-bikes, regardless of class.
Keeping us safe, or an unfair burden?
The New Jersey Monitor reports that overall statistics and a series of recent crashes were what motivated New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari to introduce this legislation last October:
A 13-year-old boy died Sept. 24 after his e-bike was hit by a landscaping truck in Scotch Plains, and a 22-year-old died on Sept. 22 when police say he was crossing opposing traffic on his e-bike and was hit by a van in Orange.
Two girls on an e-bike were killed in Cranford Monday, according to prosecutors, who have charged the Garwood teen driver accused in the motor vehicle crash with two counts of first-degree murder.
Nationally, e-bike injuries rose by 293% from 2019 to 2022, according to Columbia University researchers.
However, these crashes were all the result of cars hitting the e-cyclists. The driver in the Cranford crash has been charged, while who was at fault in the other two crashes is unknown. E-bikes have exploded in popularity in recent years, and more bikes on the road can account for the rise in e-bike injuries.
Still, e-bikes can be, and frequently are, ridden faster than traditional pedal-powered bicycles. Several of us in the Jalopnik Slack chat told stories of seeing kids, in particular, riding e-bikes like absolute maniacs. Comments on my recent post about some Amish adopting e-bikes also mentioned this. If I’d had an e-bike when I was a kid, I would’ve been even more of a maniac than I already was. I can definitely see a case for some form of regulation, particularly for younger riders who have never experienced this sort of speed before. That way, they’d know that you should never ride three-up, as in the above photo.
However, I’m not convinced that New Jersey’s approach is the right one. It adds more requirements and restrictions to the slower Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, making them less accessible than they are now, while not addressing the faster Class 3 bikes, or bikes capable of exceeding Class 3’s restrictions, which should really be sold as electric motorcycles. A provision of the law bans the online sale of e-bikes for one year, temporarily halting purchases but not solving the underlying problems. Perhaps licensing and rider training are good ideas, especially for kids, but taking a law for Class 3 e-bikes that’s already not keeping riders safe and applying it to all e-bikes doesn’t make sense to me.
