Murphy faces deadline on e-bike legislation national critics call most restrictive

With two days left to sign what opponents called the most restrictive electric bike regulations in the country, national cycling groups are urging outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy to veto it.

The legislation that was passed by the state Senate by a 27-11 vote and by the Assembly 52-10 on Jan. 12 would eliminate all e-bike classifications in the state.

Instead, a national cycling group said Murphy should veto the bill and pass a law like Connecticut’s that requires licensing of faster, motorcycle-like e-motos that are a safety problem.

Currently, New Jersey has three classifications of e-bikes. The more powerful and faster class III e-bikes are already regulated like mopeds, requiring a license, registration and insurance.

Instead, the bills would redefine motorized bicycle to include any pedal bicycle with an electric motor that assists pedaling or that can use a throttle.

If signed into law, owners of e-bikes would have one year to meet licensing, registration and insurance requirements. Violators would face a $50 fine.

Murphy, a Democrat who is term-limited, is set to leave office on Tuesday.

Opponents say the bill treats the slowest e-bikes like the faster motorcycle-like e-bikes that they contend are a safety problem.

“The prospect of well-intentioned legislation with unintended consequences is a concern, especially when there is a real safety issue that needs to be addressed,” said Matt Moore, People for Bikes Coalition general and policy counsel.

“That is why People For Bikes has been proactively working for the last three years to address e-motos and the risks they present with federal regulators and state legislators,” he said.

New Jersey’s legislation was proposed after several high-profile e-bike crashes, including one that claimed the life of a 13-year-old in Scotch Plains.

“The dramatic increase in the use of e-bikes has created greater dangers for their operators, other motorists and pedestrians,” said State Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, who introduced legislation in October.

“They are faster, more powerful and far more prevalent,” he said. “We are in a new era of e-bike use that requires updated safety standards to help prevent accidents, injuries and fatalities.”

That bill was criticized by the Regional Plan Association, RPA, as “the most restrictive” e-bike law in the United States.

”These requirements do nothing to protect people or prevent crashes,” the RPA said in a statement opposing the bill. “Real safety comes from better infrastructure and the regulation of high-speed devices that already fall under these rules.”

“No state currently requires motor vehicle insurance for electric bicycles because they are not motor vehicles and the only insurance policies available are motorcycle policies,” Moore said

Critics said the well-intentioned legislation doesn’t address the real safety issue, powerful e-moto bikes that are marketed as e-bikes.

Currently 45 other states have adopted the People For Bikes’ model law for electric bicycles, which uses the three-class system New Jersey currently has, he said. The model law is based on federal law that defines “low-speed electric bicycle” as a vehicle type and actually preempts any more restrictive state or local laws, Moore said.

The organization addressed the e-moto problem in a Dec. 18 letter to Murphy. It urged him to veto the bill, as have numerous state and local bicycling and pedestrian organizations.

“Across the country, far too many young people are being seriously injured or killed while operating vehicles that they and their parents believe are e-bikes but which are in fact much faster electric motorcycles or electric dirt bikes (e-motos),” wrote Noah Miterko, People For Bikes senior manager of state and local policy.

The coalition has supported legislation in several states to clarify the definition of a low-speed electric bicycle and focus attention on e-motos, he said.

Connecticut is the latest state to change its e-bike laws on Oct. 1, 2025.

That law requires riders of e-bikes without pedals and equipped with batteries over 750 watts (25-28 mph) to obtain a driver’s license to operate them. More powerful e-bikes with batteries over 3,500 watts capable of speeds from 35 mph to over 50 mph will require registration and insurance, similar to motorcycles.

“This is the right approach and one that we think will be adopted by multiple states in 2026,” Moore said. “Define fast e-motos and regulate them appropriately, rather than impose more restrictions on low-speed electric bicycles to address e-moto safety concerns.”

One of the coalitions proposed amendments would require that a person be at least age 15 to operate a Class 2 e-bike, an age where most kids have had driver training and have a driver’s license, he said.

“This is a viable solution,” Moore said. “We just need a little more time to get this right.”

Amendments to New Jersey’s law exempts low speed e-bike rental programs if they are run under contract for local governments, such as CitiBike in Jersey City and Hoboken.

CitiBike rents low speed e-bikes that must be pedaled to activate the electric assist motor. Bike renters would still need to be at least age 16 and have a permit.