--- title: "New Jersey's ebike law: 221 licenses issued, a dozen shops closed" description: "A bipartisan law sponsored by the state Senate president now requires licenses, registration and sometimes insurance for ebike riders, and the first…" url: https://tech.skoop.news/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos-552ff9/ published: 2026-11-04T08:05:23.732758-05:00 modified: 2026-11-04T08:05:23.732766-05:00 section: "Tech & Apps" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["MVC", "Electric Bike Report", "State Sen", "E-Bike Task Force", "Motor Vehicle Commission", "Attorney General", "Bill S-4834", "Connolly", "E-Rides", "Jesse"] hashtags: ["#ElectricBikeReport", "#StateSen", "#EBikeTaskForce", "#tech", "#ai"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/New_Jersey_Motor_Vehicle_Commission_%28NJMVC%29_Mobile_Unit_-_02.jpg/1280px-New_Jersey_Motor_Vehicle_Commission_%28NJMVC%29_Mobile_Unit_-_02.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # New Jersey's ebike law: 221 licenses issued, a dozen shops closed > A bipartisan law sponsored by the state Senate president now requires licenses, registration and sometimes insurance for ebike riders, and the first months show a gap between the rules and the rider count. Published 2026-11-04 · Updated 2026-11-04 · Tech & Apps, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - The Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) has granted 221 ebike licenses, while advocates estimate 300,000 ebikes and e-motos are in New Jersey. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) - Scutari said the rise in ebike use created greater dangers for operators, other motorists, and pedestrians. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) - Riders of pedal-assist or throttle ebikes must be at least 15 years old and have a license. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) ## A law with few licenses so far The Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) has granted 221 ebike licenses, while advocates estimate 300,000 ebikes and e-motos are in New Jersey. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) If you ride an ebike in the state, the new law applies to you. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Bill S-4834 passed by a wide bipartisan margin and was sponsored by state Senate president Nick Scutari. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) The MVC has issued 16,825 ebike registrations, a small fraction of that estimated 300,000. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) ## Why the state acted Scutari said the rise in ebike use created greater dangers for operators, other motorists, and pedestrians. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Several teenagers in the state died on two-wheeled motorized vehicles, including a 13-year-old boy who died last fall after colliding with a landscaping truck. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Records show at least five of the eight vehicles involved in serious crashes in the past year were e-motos, not ebikes, including the collision that killed the 13-year-old last fall. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Advocates say the federal government could use existing rules to crack down on e-motos, which are often sold online at lower prices. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) ## What the law requires Riders of pedal-assist or throttle ebikes must be at least 15 years old and have a license. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Low-speed bike riders aged 15 and 16 must get a special e-bike license from the MVC, while riders 17 and older can use a regular driver's license. [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) A stand-alone motorized bicycle license is issued only after the applicant passes a road test. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) The pedal-assist motor cuts off at 20 mph. [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) E-bikes with a throttle and a larger motor that can travel up to 28 mph are classed as motorized bicycles. [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) Riders must register their ebikes with the MVC, and bikes capable of going faster than 20 mph must carry insurance. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) ## What it costs State ebike registration costs $8 annually, and licenses and exams cost $11 altogether, with all fees waived for the first year. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Industry officials estimate required liability insurance for a motorized ebike could cost as much as $200 a year, which varies by company. [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) People with years-old ebikes who cannot provide proof of purchase have been told to pay sales tax again. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) ## Confusion at the counter Riders reported widespread confusion at local MVC branches, where workers appeared uninformed about the rules and reportedly ran out of registration stickers. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) In a written statement, MVC spokesperson Connolly acknowledged an adjustment period as staff are trained and customers get used to new procedures. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Connolly said the launch of the law has gone smoothly overall. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Jersey City rider Karin Vanoppen has no driver's license, and the state's testing locations are more than an hour's ride away. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) ## Shops report falling sales Reports from The Electric Bike Report say e-bike sales in New Jersey dropped between 20% and 90% at locations across the state. [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) According to The Electric Bike Report, at least a dozen bike shops have shut down since the law took effect July 19. [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) Zippy's Bikes in Wildwood has seen a 90 percent annual decline in ebike sales and a 50 percent overall decline. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Shannon Connor's ebike shop Jesse's E-Rides has seen its sales cut in half this year and is relocating to a smaller storefront. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) ## Reaction from lawmakers and groups State Sen. Raj Mukherji called his proposal a sensible balance between public safety and affordable, environmentally friendly transportation. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Immigrant rights groups have called the new statute discriminatory. [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) State Sen. Jon Bramnick has called for the Attorney General to establish an E-Bike Task Force. [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) ## What this means for you If you ride a pedal-assist or throttle ebike, you must be at least 15 and hold a license, and you must register the bike with the MVC. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Registration costs $8 a year, and licenses and exams cost $11 altogether, with all fees waived for the first year. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) If your bike can go faster than 20 mph, it must carry insurance, which industry officials estimate could cost as much as $200 a year. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) [[2]](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) If your ebike is years old and you cannot show proof of purchase, you have been told to pay sales tax again. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) Riders have also reported confusion and shortages of registration stickers at MVC branches. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) ## Sources 1. [New Jersey’s New Ebike Law Is Causing Chaos](https://www.wired.com/story/new-jerseys-new-ebike-law-is-causing-chaos/) — Wired 2. [New Jersey’s e-bike law was changed to improve safety. It’s being criticized by riders, bicycle shops and advocacy groups](https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-ebike-safety-law-criticism/) — WHYY Image: Photo: Oleg Yunakov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Jersey_Motor_Vehicle_Commission_(NJMVC)_Mobile_Unit_-_02.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/