Are Electric Bikes Street Legal

If you’ve just purchased a new e-bike, you’re probably excited to hit the roads, but it’s important to understand first how the laws surrounding your new ride work. Keep reading this article to understand if your electric bike is street legal or not. The best electric bikes certainly are.

Everything You Need to Know about the Legality of Electric Bikes

There’s a lot of intricacy and discussion around the legality of e-bikes. Let’s take a look at some definitions and how they relate to laws created for e-bike regulation.

What is an E-bike?

First, it’s important to spell out the exact definition of an electric bike. This is important because there are already many laws surrounding the use of things like mopeds, bicycles, and scooters. Simply put, an e-bike is a bicycle assisted by an electric motor either engaged by pedaling or by using a throttle.

What Does Street Legal Mean?

Street legal refers to a vehicle that meets all of the local and state legal requirements for use on public roads. For the purpose of this article, we are only covering road e-bikes and not mountain e-bikes, which are meant for trails. There is a lot more controversy on the topic of using e-bikes on trails that we won’t cover here. To be on the safe side, it is also important to learn how different wattages affect on electric bikes.

Knowing the Law in Your State

Every state has its own rules and regulations for electric bikes, but most areas do not consider them to be motor vehicles like cars and trucks. They often follow the laws and rules for traditional bicycles. However, you should always look up the laws in your area to ensure you are following them. There are certain states that treat e-bikes as mopeds or motor vehicles, and thus have stricter laws. As such you should also ensure you’re up to date with your e-bike maintenance schedule.

E-Bike Classification and Why It Matters

Some states are starting to define different classes of electric bikes. This classification system is important because it helps lawmakers differentiate between the myriad of different models and ensure a safer travel environment of the road. Each of the classes has a maximum motor power of 750 watts. The three classes are as follows:

• Class 1: These e-bikes are pedal-assist only with a maximum assisted speed of 20 miles per hour. They do not have throttles.
• Class 2: These e-bikes are throttle-assisted with a maximum assisted speed of 20 miles per hour.
• Class 3: These e-bikes are pedal-assist only with a maximum assisted speed of 28 miles per hour. They do not have throttles.

States with an e-bike classification system are considered to have the most user-friendly and well-defined laws for street legality.

F.A.Q.