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E-bike riders will need licenses in NJ as ex-Gov. Murphy rides into the sunset
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Catalina Gonella
Published Jan 20, 2026
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By
Catalina Gonella
Published Jan 20, 2026
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New Jersey will now require e-bike riders to have licenses under a bill signed by outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday in an effort to curb e-bike crashes, but some cycling advocates have called the new rule too restrictive.
The legislation classifies all forms of e-bikes, including pedal-assist bikes, as motorized bicycles. Cycling advocates argue that it unfairly lumps low-speed e-bikes that go under 20 mph with higher-speed vehicles.
“It is clear that we are in an age of increasing e-bike use that requires us to take action and update regulations that help prevent tragedies from occurring,” Murphy said in a statement from his office. “Making our roads safer for all users has been a key priority for my administration."
The law requires e-bike owners and operators to be at least 15 with a motorized bicycle license or be at least 17 with a standard drivers license.
E-bikes will also need to be registered with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and insured. And they’ll be prohibited on highways with speed limits over 50 mph.
The New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition has opposed the bill, arguing that it unnecessarily restricts the use of low-speed “class 1” e-bikes by grouping them together with higher-speed motorized bikes. Executive Director Debra Kagan said the new classification doesn’t help to address safety and instead makes it more difficult for people who rely on micromobility devices as alternatives to cars.
“ It creates a whole lot of problems for people unnecessarily and restricts the use of low speed e-bikes for transportation,” she said. “That kind of transportation and micromobility gets people out of cars and should be an important part of our state goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for providing equitable options of mobility.”
The legislation is the first update to e-bike laws in the state in six years and comes amid heightened concern over e-bike safety in the wake of numerous crashes involving e-bikes.
In September, two e-bike riders were killed in separate incidents within a week in Scotch Plains and Orange.
The law states that riders have six months, or until July 19, to obtain the proper licenses and registrations through the Motor Vehicle Commission.
Murphy was succeeded by Mikie Sherrill, who took her oath of office as governor on Tuesday afternoon.
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Catalina Gonella
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