By Emily Schopfer
RUMSON – Effective this month, e-bike (electric bicycle) riders will have to comply with a new list of mandatory regulations across the state. In Rumson, the police department has taken this new law as an opportunity to educate the public, especially youth, about e-bikes and will strictly enforce the new rules starting July 20.
On Jan. 19, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed an e-bike bill into law. The law separates e-bikes into two categories: “Low-Speed Electric Bicycles” and “Motorized Bicycle/Moped.” The six-month grace period from its signing is ending shortly, and the new regulations are set to go into effect Sunday, July 19. Rumson will not be enforcing the law until Monday, July 20.
According to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC), low-speed electric bicycles are pedal-assisted bicycles with a helper motor that only provides assistance while pedaling up to 20 mph. Motorized bicycle/moped vehicles are pedal-assisted bicycles with either an engine under 50 cubic centimeters or an electric motor that assists while pedaling between 21 and 28 mph, or an electric motor that assists at speeds up to 15 mph using a throttle, according to the NJMVC.
The law will now also require riders to be at least 15 years old, wear helmets, and hold a valid driver’s license or obtain a special “motorized bicycle license” for riders under age 17. Owners of motorized bicycles must obtain liability insurance under the new law; low-speed electric bicycles are exempt from the insurance requirement. But both low-speed electric bikes and motorized bikes must also be registered with the NJMVC and display e-bike license plate stickers.
License and registration fees are waived for the first year, according to a July 1 Facebook post from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. Additionally, speed modification kits and sidewalk parking are now both illegal under the new law.
For some boroughs, such as Sea Bright and Fair Haven, this law validates problems that both boroughs have been attempting to manage for years through the adoption of town ordinances.
On Nov. 11, 2025, Fair Haven Borough published a public message on its website stating that protected areas in Fair Haven Fields, the nature trails, and the bird sanctuary on Harding Road were experiencing increasing damage “caused by children riding bikes, e-bikes, and scooters… Borough Ordinance 7-43.3 clearly bans the operation of e-bikes, scooters, or similar devices on all Borough property,” the message said.
The announcement, which was later posted to the “Fair Haven NJ” public Facebook group, received mixed responses. Some comments fully agreed with the borough’s statement, even adding that e-bikes should be confiscated when necessary. Others said that the borough was coming off as not “kid-friendly” and that such activities were harmless childhood fun.
Sea Bright passed an ordinance in June 2024 that classified motorized bicycles with motors exceeding 750 watts as vehicles and strictly prohibited their operation within the borough. The ordinance also established regulations for riders similar to what is in the new state e-bike law, such as wearing helmets, not allowing passengers, not exceeding 20 mph, not riding on sidewalks, and more.
Similar to Fair Haven, news of this ordinance in Sea Bright was soon publicized on social media. In Sea Bright, however, social media comments were almost unanimously in favor of the ordinance, particularly the regulation restricting e-bikes on sidewalks.
Education First
While restriction and enforcement are necessary, some municipalities are also choosing preventive measures before e-bike incidents occur, such as proper education.
Rumson Borough defers to state policies and laws on e-bikes and does not have any borough ordinances. However, the borough has seen minor instances of careless e-bike usage, such as reports of riding on sidewalks, according to Rumson Deputy Municipal Clerk Eric Paone-Hurd.
In Rumson, the grace period for the new law will end Monday, July 20, so members of the Rumson Police Department met and spoke with middle school students the week of June 15 at Forrestdale School to teach them about safety while riding e-bikes.
Paone-Hurd said the borough is also exploring other opportunities to continue these conversations at private schools and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School. “Educating students in schools, at assemblies, and during health classes on the safe and responsible operation of e-bikes can help reduce accidents and injuries before they occur,” Paone-Hurd said.
Even though most middle-school-aged students are not old enough to legally own and operate an e-bike in New Jersey, Paone-Hurd said “providing age-appropriate instruction on traffic laws, proper riding practices, helmet use, and respect for the roadway empowers young riders to make safer decisions. Bike safety remains the primary intent of this instruction.”
“It is our hope that our community-based approach will encourage riders to make smart, well-informed decisions when deciding to ride a bike or e-bike,” Paone-Hurd said. He also said that Rumson is taking a “two-pronged approach,” teaching riders to make informed decisions proactively but also understanding the consequences and repercussions of not following the new law. This approach “also relies on support from parents, guardians, and caregivers to ensure that children are following the rules, serving as positive leaders within their peer groups, encouraging safe decisions on the roads, and not being provided with equipment that is not age-appropriate or legal for them to operate,” he said.
The age-appropriateness of e-bikes, especially as it pertains to rider safety, has been a longtime concern for parents and local officials. Even before many schools let out for summer, two teenage boys died while riding e-bikes. In Middletown, a 15-year-old boy died from injuries sustained after colliding with the back of a vehicle on Newman Springs Road (Route 520) June 10. On June 13, a 16-year-old boy riding an e-bike in Southampton Township in Burlington County was involved in a collision with a USPS truck. He died of his injuries June 13.
According to Paone-Hurd, Rumson police have “responded to several bike and e-bike-related incidents that resulted in some type of injury.” He was aware of “tragedies that have occurred in neighboring communities.”
“This is why education is so important,” he said.
The Rumson Police Department posted an overview of the new law on its website and its Facebook page. “If it’s not licensed, registered or insured, it’s illegal,” the June 8 post reads.
“We strongly encourage e-bike riders to utilize the guidance on the NJMVC’s website to familiarize themselves with new requirements for safe and legal e-bike operation, and to book appointments, as needed, to get their registration and license,” said acting NJMVC chief administrator Rosalie Johnson in a June 23 NJMVC news release.
The NJMVC began appointments for e-bike licenses and registrations June 26. Owners and riders riding an unregistered e-bike, or uninsured motorized bicycle, in New Jersey will face a fine of $50.
For more information, visit nj.gov/mvc.
The article originally appeared in the July 9 – 15, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
