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Guidance for Municipalities

E-bikes, E-Motos, E-Scooters, and Micromobility

This guidance encourages municipalities to embrace new mobility modes while retaining a focus on public safety. Municipalities that thoughtfully integrate new mobility modes are places where people – especially younger people – prefer to live, work, and play.

Ride Illinois is a nonprofit organization with a mission to make Illinois better through biking. Ride Illinois strives to make it safer, easier, and more practical for adults and children to move about their communities outside of motor vehicles. Bicycles remain at the core of Ride Illinois’ mission. New mobility modes (e-bikes, e-motos, e-scooters, and micromobility devices) are increasingly included in discussions at the local and state level. As a result, Ride Illinois has learned quite a bit about this emerging technology.

In recent years, e-bikes, e-motos, e-scooters, and other micromobility devices have grown in popularity. They provide inexpensive, practical mobility alternatives to motor vehicles. These devices are commonly used by those unable to drive or afford a motor vehicle. They also allow some people to live car-free or car-lite, thereby reducing transportation expenses.

E-bikes, e-scooters, and micromobility devices are popular as they offer an inexpensive, environmentally-friendly, enjoyable mode of travel for recreation, transportation, and everyday trips. Ride Illinois recognizes that the industry has been moving faster than common sense regulations that ensure safety of riders and those they encounter. This guidance offers a practical approach to municipalities as they integrate new mobility modes into their communities.

Ride Illinois is opposed to outright bans on low-speed e-bikes, low-speed e-scooters, and micromobility devices.  Bans often result in more trips by motor vehicle – the true cause of the vast majority of serious injuries and fatalities on Illinois’ roads. Over 99.9% of U.S. roadway fatalities are caused by motor vehicles. A strict crackdown on e-bikes, e-scooters, and micromobility devices is misdirected and deflects attention away from the real issue.

Ride Illinois encourages municipalities to integrate low-speed e-bikes, low-speed e-scooters, and micromobility devices into their transportation network and infrastructure. Given the wide-ranging implications, robust discussion with and intentional outreach to those who will be most impacted are essential prior to adoption of a local ordinance. An ordinance that impacts and/or restricts community mobility must not be developed nor voted on by local elected officials without providing the public with sufficient opportunity to express their opinions on the issue.

Definitions

The State of Illinois approved three classes of low-power electric bikes in the Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/1-140.10) on January 1, 2018. Additional regulations regarding e-bikes can be found in (625 ILCS 5/11-1517). Illinois’ statute aligns with guidance developed by People for Bikes that has been adopted by 48 of 50 states.

Two- or three-wheeled vehicles with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts are considered low-speed e-bikes in Illinois. Legal low speed e-bikes are only sold in adult sizes. The three legal, recognized classes of low-speed e-bikes are:

  • Class 1 is a low-speed electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 mph.
  • Class 2 is a low-speed electric bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and that is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 mph.
  • Class 3 is a low-speed electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 28 mph. Per Illinois law, one must be 16 years of age or older to operate a Class 3 e-bike.

Low-speed e-scooters are devices weighing less than 100 pounds, with 2 or 3 wheels, handlebars, and a floorboard that can be stood upon while riding, that is solely powered by an electric motor and human power, and whose maximum speed, with or without human propulsion, is no more than 10 miles per hour. Per Illinois law, one must be 18 years of age or older to operate an e-scooter.

Micromobility devices includes a broad range of lightweight, low-speed travel modes that serve as personal mobility and have a top assisted speed of 20 mph.

Source: urbanbikesdirect.com

E-motos (aka Out-of-Class Electric Vehicles)

Ride Illinois supports People for Bikes’ three class system and their model legislation that was specifically designed to facilitate the regulation of low-speed electric bicycles that closely resemble human-powered bicycles in their equipment, handling characteristics, size, and speed. 

Vehicles with an electric motor greater than 750 watts are not e-bikes. Any type of device with an electric motor beyond a Class 1, 2, or 3 electric bicycle is not a legal e-bike and should not be called or treated like an e-bike. These devices are commonly referred to as e-motos, Out-of-Class Electric Vehicles (OCEVs), or Non-Highway Motorcycles. Many devices that are marketed as children’s toys fall into this category. These devices should only be used by adults in travel lanes intended for motor vehicles – not on infrastructure intended for bicycles, scooters, personal mobility devices (such as motorized wheelchairs), or other legal mobility modes.

E-motos should be the focus on municipal ordinances as they are not legally defined in the Illinois Vehicle Code. E-motos typically:

  • Are an electric device built on a bicycle-style frame that Is equipped with one or more operating modes and a throttle
  • Are capable of exceeding 20 miles per hour on motorized propulsion alone in any mode when the throttle is engaged
  • Have an electric motor with a power output exceeding 750 watts

Ride Illinois will be advocating for legislation to legally define e-motos in the Illinois Vehicle Code in the 2026 legislative session. Including a definition in the Illinois Vehicle Code will allow municipalities to restrict the use of e-motos. This will also differentiate between e-bikes and e-motos there by alleviating some of the confusion caused by municipalities that were quick to introduce ordinances that restricted the use of legal e-bikes.

Once the definition of e-motos is added to the Illinois Vehicle Code, it would be prudent and wise for municipalities to revisit and revise ordinances to focus solely on e-motos. It’s likely legislation once be signed into law any sooner than summer of 2026.

Common Sense Municipal Ordinance

Ride Illinois developed this guidance to reasonably address the concerns of elected officials, business owners, and residents pertaining to human-powered bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, and micromobility devices. It’s critical that, when developing a common sense ordinance, municipal staff discuss proposals with adjacent municipalities. This collaboration will result in consistency when individuals travel between communities. Ride Illinois recommends that municipal ordinances contain the following common sense elements:

  • The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/Ch. 11) applies to users of human-powered bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, and micromobility devices.
  • Human-powered bicycles are permitted on roads, bike lanes, side paths, multi-use trails, shared-use paths, and sidewalks*.
  • Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes with a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph are permitted on roads, bike lanes, side paths, shared-use paths, and multi-use trails.
  • Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 e-bikes are not permitted on sidewalks.
  • Low-speed e-scooters and micromobility devices with a maximum speed of 10 mph are permitted on bike lanes, side paths, multi-use trails, shared-use paths, and sidewalks*.
  • Other e-scooters and micromobility devices with a maximum assisted speed greater than 10 mph are permitted on roads. These devices may be allowed on bike lanes and side path with community approval. 
  • Out-of-Class Electric Vehicles (OCEVs) are only permitted on roads and a driver’s license is required.

* Unless restricted by the local ordinance, such as the City of Chicago.

The chart below offers a rational approach for elected officials, staff, business owners, and residents when developing a municipal ordinance.

Important Considerations

E-bikes, e-scooters, and micromobility devices offer individuals who cannot drive or choose to not drive a reliable, inexpensive mobility option. Age, disability, personal choice, and lack of other transportation options are common reasons for using such devices. Also, these devices are frequently used by lower income individuals. Municipal ordinances must not be overly restrictive toward these individuals.

When developing a municipal ordinance, Ride Illinois strongly encourages decision makers to consider the following individuals:

  • Low-income individuals and families
  • Individuals, including youth and seniors, with limited mobility
  • Individuals, including youth and seniors, who can’t drive or don’t own or have access to a motor vehicle
  • Individuals who chose to not own or drive a motor vehicle

Additional Recommendations

Municipal ordinances should include these reasonable elements to offer clarity to residents, visitors, and those who work within the community:

  • A driver’s license is not required to operate legal classes of e-bikes, e-scooters, and micrombility devices.
  • Any person riding a human-powered bicycle, e-bike, e-scooter, or micromobility device upon a sidewalk, shared-use path, or trail must yield the right of way to pedestrians.
  • No person shall operate a human-powered bicycle, e-bike, e-scooter, or micromobility device at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under existing conditions.
  • No person shall knowingly modify an e-bike, e-scooter,  or micromobility device to change the manufacturer’s speed capability.
  • Helmet use by individuals riding bicycles e-bikes, e-scooters, and micromobility devices is strongly encouraged, but is not required. Helmets significantly reduce the risk of head injuries if a crash occurs.
  • E-bikes, e-scooters, and micromobility devices must be equipped with a functioning white front headlight and rear red tail light during nighttime use.
  • A reasonable, sensible speed limit for shared-use paths and trails is 15 mph for human-powered bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, and micromobility devices.
  • Education-focused enforcement is preferred over punitive measures. Those in minor violation of a local ordinance may be required to pay a monetary penalty. The penalty should not cause great financial hardship.

Relevant Ride Illinois Media Appearances

On 7/16/25, Ride Illinois spoke with Fox 32 Chicago about e-bikes and e-motos (aka OCEVs) in an effort to educate the public on the difference and push back on overly-restrictive municipal ordinances.

On 7/24/25, Ride Illinois spoke with WBEZ’s Sasha-Ann Simons on Reset about the patchwork of rules and regulations that is leaving many potential riders confused on what they can and can’t do.

Links & Resources

Contact Ride Illinois

Questions or comments related to this guidance can be sent to info@rideillinois.org. Ride Illinois can be a resource to municipalities when developing common sense ordinances related to bicycles, e-bikes, e-motos, e-scooters, and micrombility devices.

Updated on July 24, 2025