States Crack Down on E-Bikes and Scooters Amid Rising Injuries and Deaths

BY AUSTIN JENKINS, State Affairs National Reporter

State lawmakers and governors want to regulate the increasingly popular electric bikes, scooters and motorcycles that have led to a spike in road conflicts, injuries and deaths.

They introduced more than 30 bills across more than a dozen states this year, with laws enacted in New Jersey, Oregon, Utah and Washington. A bill in Hawaii is awaiting the governor’s approval. 

The legislative action comes as breakthroughs in battery technology have unleashed a fast-growing micromobility industry — and a steady drumbeat of negative headlines.

“We are in a new era of e-bike use that requires updated safety standards to help prevent accidents, injuries and fatalities,” New Jersey Senate President Nick Scutari, a Democrat who was the prime sponsor of a bill that became law, said in a statement.

McKinsey estimates the global micromobility market will grow to $340 billion by 2030, up from $160 billion in 2022. The number of North American trips using shared bikes and scooters grew 31% from 2023 to 2024, according to an industry report. That does not capture trips taken by people using their own devices.

E-bikes, scooters and other micromobility devices — also known as personal transportation vehicles — are an affordable last-mile solution for transit riders; a speedier option for door-to-door bike or foot commuters; and a fun way for students to get to and from school. The technology can reduce vehicle trips and carbon emissions. 

But there have been highly visible downsides.

In Huntington Beach, Calif., this month, an e-scooter rider was allegedly assaulted by one or more teenagers who were part of a large contingent of e-bikers. It was the latest in a string of assaults and incidents involving groups of teens on motorized bikes in Southern California beach communities. 

The Los Angeles area has also experienced “ride-outs” in which riders on ATVs and vehicles that resemble mini-motorcycles swarm the streets, popping wheelies and doing other stunts. 

As e-bikes and scooters have proliferated, so have injuries and deaths. A 2024 study by the University of California San Francisco found that e-bike injuries doubled annually from 2017 to 2022 and by 45% for e-scooter riders. 

That same year the American College of Surgeons warned of a “serious pattern of e-bike-related injury and death.” A recent Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study found that children, especially teen boys, represented more than 45% of e-scooter injuries with Black and Hispanic youth experiencing the highest rates of injury. 

For more than a decade, state policymakers have worked to establish rules for e-bikes and other battery-powered devices. Key areas of legislation have focused on defining and categorizing the vehicles, setting age restrictions, imposing helmet mandates and restricting where they operate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. 

Legislative efforts have intensified over the past couple of years, as the technology has become more ubiquitous and the number of serious injury and fatal crashes has increased. The issue has also spawned federal legislation. 

The new 2026 state laws highlight lawmakers’ attempt to balance access to mobility technology with regulation.

The New Jersey law, signed in January and taking effect in July, has been described as one of the strictest in the country. It will require e-bike riders to be licensed and insured, and their bikes registered. Riders must also wear helmets and be at least 15. 

“Requiring registration and licensing will improve their safe use, and having them insured will protect those injured in accidents,” Scutari said.

Oregon’s new law drops the minimum age to ride a Class 1 e-bike or scooter from 16 to 14 while clarifying the requirement to wear a helmet, according to a bill analysis. It also allows local governments to restrict where battery-powered devices can be ridden, including on sidewalks and trails. 

Utah’s law, which took effect this month, mandates helmets for users under 21, establishes a safety class and certification program, and allows police to confiscate a minor’s battery-assisted device for violations, among other requirements. In addition, it defines a new category of electric mobility device: the electric motorcycle, which is a two-wheeled vehicle with a motor exceeding 750 watts or that can reach speeds of 20 mph without pedal assistance. 

Washington’s law clarifies that two-wheeled mobility devices that exceed 20 miles per hour or that allow users to override the speed governor are not e-bikes. It also instructs the Department of Licensing to establish a work group to recommend rules for e-motorcycles. 

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey filed legislation this month based on the recommendations of a special commission on micromobility devices, saying “right now, the rules are unclear and inconsistent.”

Lawmakers are increasingly focusing on the emergence of e-motorcycles, which are heavier, faster and popular with kids. A 2025 California law puts them in the same category as ATVs and dirt bikes. New Jersey’s new law prohibits their online sale for one year.

Amazon said this month that it would stop selling e-bikes in California that exceed state-imposed limits, following inquiries by KCRA. 

“States are trying to distinguish between these higher speed vehicles that are masquerading as e-bikes and create new definitions for them such as electric motorcycles,” said Douglas Shinkle, who oversees NCSL’s transportation program. 

California senators are considering a bill this year that would further redefine e-bikes. A December report on e-bike safety commissioned by the Legislature found that nearly 90% of e-bikes at Bay Area middle and high schools exceeded the allowed speed for the highest class of e-bikes.

“E-bikes are a wonderful addition to the world of personal transportation,” Democratic Sen. Catherine Blakespear said in a statement after the Transportation Committee advanced her bill last month. “SB 1167 brings clarity to the e-bike marketplace, so consumers know if they are buying an e-bike or something else that goes much faster.”