Published on June 24 | Updated on July 17
SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey is preparing to implement sweeping new e-bike regulations this weekend.
Starting July 19, all e-bikes must be registered with the Motor Vehicle Commission and require proof of identity and proof of ownership.
Registration fees are waived for the first year; after that, they will cost $8 to $15 annually.
Class 1 pedal-assisted e-bikes won’t require insurance, but anything with a throttle must have liability insurance.
People with standard driver’s licenses are good to go, but 15- and 16-year-olds must get a permit, pass a written and road test, and submit a parental consent form.
While the registration rules only apply to New Jersey residents, the licensing laws apply to everyone. That means 15- and 16-year-olds from out of state cannot legally ride e-bikes in New Jersey.
Police will begin issuing $50 tickets and impounding unregistered or uninsured bikes starting on July 19. The MVC already began issuing licenses and registrations on June 26. As of July 15, 2026, MVC has issued more than 4,100 e-bike registrations and 250 e-bike permits.
Stand-up electric scooters are not regulated under these laws.
More registration and licensing information can be found here.
A whole lot of uncertainty
Major carriers like Progressive and Geico aren’t offering e-bike policies yet, and the insurance industry as a whole still isn’t sure how to proceed with this potentially massive new market.
“Do they all want to do this? They might say no. You might only have a few companies until people make money on it, and then everyone is going to jump in,” said Theodore Keller, who owns Keller Insurance Services in West Deptford.
He said so far, only one company he knows of is actively writing e-bike policies. The hold-up? A complete lack of historical data to properly price risk for 15- and 16-year-old riders.
“There’s a huge medical and liability exposure there,” he said. “Pricing is going to be relatively inexpensive. And people are going to say, 'Hey, I bought this e-bike for $1,500, why am I paying $500 [for insurance]?' Well, because your 15-year-old kid can cause a car accident.”
Keller expects initial pricing to be a few hundred dollars per year.
“And I would really compare these e-bikes to the mopeds because the litigation is going to be very, very similar.”
Other brokers may offer standard motorcycle policies for e-bikes.
Laws take effect on July 19
Laws take effect on July 19
