What E-Bikes Are Illegal in NYC? Here’s What to Know Amid Crackdown

New York City officials are taking steps to crack down on illegal e-bikes and e-scooters amid a series of crashes in recent months that have drawn concerns.

As the city looks into retailers and regulations, New Yorkers can easily check if their devices are legal on the road.

Here’s what to know.

NYC Attempts to Curb Illegal E-Bike Usage

This week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, alongside AG Letitia James, issued over 40 cease-and-desist letters to retailers for selling the illegal devices. Some of those companies included Amazon, Target and Temu.

Sellers have until Aug. 18 to comply and will receive $2,000 infractions if they continue.

“As we continue to focus on this work, we will let New Yorkers know what the next steps are,” Mamdani said at a press conference announcing the cease-and-desist letters. “For now, this is our focus.”

New York City Council is also looking at ways to curb the illegal devices. Speaker Julie Menin said the city will next month review regulations and safety enforcement efforts.

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Is My E-Bike or E-Scooter Legal in NYC?

There are already laws in place for what e-bikes and e-scooters can and can’t be driven on public roads or sold at retailers.

Illegal devices include:

• Motorized stand-up scooters weighing more than 100 pounds
• Motorized stand-up scooters capable of traveling over 20 mph
• E-bikes with electric motors larger than 750 watts
• E-bikes capable of exceeding 25 mph
• Seated mopeds that don’t have a valid VIN number displayed

In addition to these stipulations, e-bikes and e-scooters have a speed limit of 15 mph on roads.

“Between 2017 and 2025, 45 rider fatalities involved illegal e-bikes capable of traveling faster than 25 mph, accounting for 54% of all e-bike rider deaths during that period,” the office said in the release.

“During the same period, 14 rider fatalities involved stand-up scooters capable of traveling faster than 20 mph, representing 52% of all stand-up scooter deaths.”

Reporting by Amethyst Martinez, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect