New e-bike regulations passed by outgoing New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will require a license, registration, and insurance for all e-bikes. For more on this developing story, read on below…

On Monday, January 19th, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a bill requiring users to have a license, registration, and insurance to ride any form of e-bike. The new e-bike regulations come after the tragic deaths of two people who were struck and killed by e-bike riders, the most recent of which was a 13-year-old boy. Under the new law, all forms of e-bikes will be classified as motorized bicycles and thus require a license from New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission. To obtain a motorized bicycle license, riders must be at least 15 years old, have six points of ID, pass a written and vision test, and take a road test after having a permit for at least 20 days, according to the New Jersey MVC website.

Tern Orox
A Tern Orox e-cargo bike, as seen in our Reader’s Rig series

In the lead-up to the bill, many, including Seth Alvo from the Berm Peak YouTube channel, had plenty to say. An advocate for the utility and positive aspects of modern e-bikes, Seth made a plea to his audience on Sunday. Encouraging his viewers to get out and make some calls, it appears it was too little, too late. The video speaks to the consequences of the new e-bike regulations and the lack of nuance in their classification of all low-speed motorized bicycles.

According to Bicycle Retailer, the bill also prohibits the online sale of any electric motorized bicycle for one year. In what’s already a blow to one of the industry’s fastest-growing sectors, this bill could send shockwaves across the country, as other states could follow New Jersey’s precedent. While e-bikes have their negatives, it’s clear that creating regulations making electric motorcycles the same thing as something like Surly’s Big Easy in the eyes of the law isn’t good. In an increasingly unpredictable climate, we need fewer obstacles to more ecological transportation, not more.

What do you think? Will this affect e-bike regulations across the nation? Should we have federally mandated regulations of low-speed e-bikes at all? Let us know in the Conversation below…

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