"Panic is the appropriate response to the passage and signing of a new law in New Jersey that requires all e-bike riders 17 and older to have driver's licenses, registration and insurance (which may not even be available and proof of which they must carry with them while riding) and wear a state-approved motorcycle helmet. Riders 15 or 16 years old will need to acquire a "motorized bicycle license.""
"The New Jersey law comes as Washington State's legislature considers its own set of law changes to further separate e-bikes from electric mopeds and motorcycles, though the first draft of HB 2374 - 2025-26 is written to protect the status of e-bikes in Washington State that have 20 mph limits while also cracking down on devices with trivial bypasses to unlock moped and motorcycle speeds. Meanwhile, conversations nationally about what to do about the New Jersey law have been all over the place, including a call to jettison all bikes with throttles from the definition of an e-bike."
"The New Jersey bill does not change any laws related to pedal-only bikes, but it will almost certainly blow a hole in the already strained bottom lines of any local bicycle business that relies on the sales and maintenance of e-bikes. It also threatens to create a patchwork of vastly different state laws surrounding e-bike use, which is an existential threat to the larger industry that worked all last decade to get the 3-class standard codified in as many states as possible."
A New Jersey law requires all e-bike riders aged 17 and older to hold a driver's license, register and insure their e-bike, carry proof while riding, and wear a state-approved motorcycle helmet. Riders aged 15 and 16 must obtain a motorized bicycle license. The law excludes pedal-only bicycles but will likely harm local bicycle businesses that depend on e-bike sales and maintenance. The law risks creating inconsistent state-by-state regulations that impede cross-border travel and undermines the 3-class standard. The law also raises accessibility barriers for people who rely on e-bikes for mobility. Washington State is considering separate clarifying legislation to preserve 20 mph e-bike status.
Read at Streetsblog
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