Understanding the Classifications of Ebike in the United States

Ebikes are booming in the United States. While considering to join this trend, you may wonder, is Ebike legal to ride?

The answer would be Yes, for sure. However, different states have different regulations. We collect all of them here to make your research easier.

Before getting into different regulations in your states, let's clarify some basic definition of Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 Ebikes.

Class 1 ebikes are limited to a top speed of 20 miles per hour, and the electric motor works only when the rider is pedaling. A bike that has an electric motor that assists only during pedaling is called a pedelec.

Class 2 ebikes are also limited to a top speed of 20 miles per hour, but they have throttles that work when you're not pedaling

Class 3 ebikes can go up to 28 miles per hour and must have a speedometer, but may or may not have a throttle.

Now, we are ready to get into the different regulations in different states.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Disclaimer: Laws and policies can change at any time rendering the above information outdated and non-applicable. We strongly recommend checking with City, County, State and other local agencies for the most recent laws governing the proper, legal use of electric bicycles in your area, electric bikes are prohibited on sidewalks.