E-bikes regulation bill passes Senate
Thursday, Apr 16, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
State Senator Ram Villivalam spearheaded a measure through the Senate that would establish regulations for the use of toy vehicles, motor-driven bicycles and other small, low-speed electric mobility devices in Illinois.
“E-bikes and other increasingly popular micromobility devices are being utilized by our neighbors. While these devices provide more accessibility for our residents, they have also led to tragic accidents,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “It is imperative that we implement safeguards to ensure that everyone who uses a micromobility device is able to do so in a safe way.”
A study conducted by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated a total of 360,800 emergency room visits from injuries sustained during micromoibility devices accidents.
Senate Bill 3336 would regulate the use of toy vehicles, motor-driven cycles, and electric micromobility devices. To achieve this, the measure would:
· Update the definition of low-speed gas bicycles to increase allowable top speed to 28 miles per hour.
· Prohibit any micromobility device over 28 mph from sidewalks, bike lanes, bike paths and roadways.
· Requires any electric bicycle with a motor over 750 watts and speeds over 28 miles per hour, emoto devices and gas powered bicycles as a motor driven cycle, requiring license, registration, title and insurance coverage.
· Prohibit the use of a micromobility device while intoxicated and clarifies that DUI laws apply to low-speed electric bikes and low-speed gas bicycles.
· Require clear signage in places where motor driven cycles are prohibited.
· Prohibit retailers, distributors and manufacturers from marketing devices/vehicles in any way that would lead a customer to believe they are a low-speed e-bike.
· Prohibit persons from operating low-speed gas bicycles from riding at speeds greater 28 miles per hour on any highway, street or roadway.
· Prohibit persons from operating low-speed gas bicycles on sidewalks.
In addition, the measure would work to set regulations and passenger restrictions for operators under 18. The measure would:
· Require a minimum age of 15 years old to operate a class 1 or class 2 low-speed electronic bicycle.
· Clarifies that a person 16 years of age or older can operate a low-speed gas bicycle.
“By establishing safeguards that bolster the safety those who are too young cannot operate micromoblity devices, and that these devices are being operated in areas that are appropriate, we are ensuring that our neighbors are reducing their risk for an accident while operating a micromoblity device,” said Villivalam.
Senate Bill 3336 passed the Senate Wednesday, and now heads to the House for further consideration.
Thoughts?
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:41 am:
===Prohibit any micromobility device over 28 mph from sidewalks, bike lanes, bike paths and roadways===
28 miles an hour is still awfully fast on a sidewalk.
I support legislation like this. Ebikes have proven to be fatal and they are not just like riding a bike.
- Robert Fowler - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:45 am:
Hey, while you’re at it maybe you can tax it too.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 10:02 am:
===Hey, while you’re at it maybe you can tax it too. ===
The GOP isn’t really savy enough to come up with a Portlandia ‘put a bird on it’ style ad with ‘putting a tax on it.’ Your cap fax comment will probably be the closest we come to that reality.
- Behind the Scenes - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 10:17 am:
===Prohibit any micromobility device over 28 mph from sidewalks, bike lanes, bike paths and roadways=== Where then can they be used?
Seems to me if you want a bike for the exercise, why electric?
The bill should also address proper storage and charging. I’ve seen the videos of their batteries suddenly bursting into flames. Not in my house.
- former southerner - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 10:20 am:
28 MPH on a sidewalk is crazy. Many towns have roads posted at only 25 MPH.
With so much legal support for bikes on the road, a device that can travel 28 MPH (or close to it) is far better suited for a road instead of a sidewalk.
- Joseph M - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 10:20 am:
According to IDOT, our state had 1,175 road fatalities last year. What is Springfield doing to reduce those tragic accidents?
Oh, right. We moved up the mandatory driving test age from 79 to 87 because policymakers didn’t question a Secretary of State report that failed to normalize crash data *per mile driven* for each age group, falsely characterizing seniors as safer drivers.
- Montrose - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 10:35 am:
Thank god we are creating some type of regulatory framework for this class of vehicle. I agree with others that 28 mph seems too fast for a sidewalk. I would be cool with 20 mph on a sidewalk.
- Blue to the Bone - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 10:56 am:
Many municipalities don’t allow bicycles on sidewalks, especially in areas with high pedestrian use and foot traffic. I’m not sure why micromobility devices are being considered safe for sidewalks at any speed. Streets and designated bicycle paths seem to be the obvious places for usage.
- RNUG - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 10:57 am:
Personally, I would lower the proposed maximum speed without a license, etc.
I get it that most Illinois cities and towns require a vehicle to get around, but those gas bikes and e-bikes have been abused by people who can’t get driver’s licenses, or had their licenses suspended / revoked. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to slam on the brakes when one of those have blasted through a red light at an intersection right in front of me.
- Res Melius - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 11:11 am:
Having walked the sidewalks and rode the bike paths in both Springfield and Chicago, I fully support this legislation. In Chicago, where food delivery is especially popular, too often I have dodged e-bakes cutting through sidewalks and rapidly passing on bike paths. Also, too many encounters with children and tweens using e-bikes in traffic lanes and on sidewalks, with no helmets. And don’t get me talking about electric scooters. Sorry to be a curmudgeon.
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 11:15 am:
I agree speed is way too fast. Maybe they should be requiring to have a horn so they don’t sneak up on people. Glad they require insurance if they can’t prove it take the bike to the police station
They are a menace glad little kids will be not be allowed too bad they don’t require helmets at least under 18
- SKI - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 11:19 am:
28 mph is a federal standard on e-bikes. It is the top speed that a class 3 e-bike is allowed to go. Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed on sidewalks.
The staff at the Secretary of state’s office deserve major credit for being able to land this bill. There were several stakeholder meetings over the last 5-6 months that involved a LARGE cross section of groups. Is it perfect? probably not. Is everyone happy with 100% of it?, not likely.
Does it get the job done and does it address the vast majority of concerns of every stakeholder? Yep, and that’s all you can really ask for in this process.
- Trevor Reznik - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 11:19 am:
I read through the bill, it looks well drafted. I have been using a 20mph cargo bike for the last few years to ferry my son around on various errands in Chicagoland and truly believe these bikes are the future, but recognize the need for far better regulation/signage/education/enforcement of people in uncontrolled manners, especially on sidewalks.
I also like that they are removing home rule powers over ebikes, because the laws are a tangled mess right now and a few suburbs seem to have overreacted and completely banned ebikes entirely.
The DUI addition is a nice touch - as far as I’m aware, Illinois is the only state where you can’t get a DUI on a bicycle, but the higher speed + heavier weight of the ebike probably does warrant this.
I would like to see something about licensing/training even though that would add cost. It took me years of riding a regular bike in downtown Chicago to get comfortable knowing how they would operate in the snow and how to be aware of other vehicles making unsignaled turns, and 16 year olds on an ebike with more speed + worse stopping ability are going to really be at risk of being right hooked and other dangers. I’ve already seen several videos of ebikes having nasty right hook accidents because they aren’t used to slowing down and staring at the wheel of the car ahead of them, looking for a sign the car is about to turn.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 11:35 am:
===Ebikes have proven to be fatal===
Mainly at the hands of car/truck drivers.
- Humboldt - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 11:36 am:
Similar to Reznik - I use an electric cargo bike in the city & it replaces many short car trips. The kids love it, and on the weekends it’s often 2x as quick as sitting in busy neighborhood traffic.
There are many not-quite-ebikes sold under similar terms (higher speeds, not pedal-driven), the bill is probably warranted. This is a step in the right direction that isn’t “ban them all”.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 11:59 am:
===falsely characterizing seniors as safer drivers.===
Observing someone with 50 or 60 years of driving experience attempting to navigate a roundabout is only frustrating if you’re behind them.
===Mainly at the hands of car/truck drivers. ===
It isn’t just instances where E-Bike operators are struck by automobiles. There’s injuries and deaths reported to E-bikes striking pedestrians as well as injuries being caused to E-bike operators when they lose control of the vehicle.
Here’s an example of one of the articles I’ve seen: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/magazine/e-bikes-accidents-safety-legislation-california.html?
- Moe Berg - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 12:09 pm:
Denying the right of home rule municipalities to regulate e-bikes in all circumstances is overreach.
The Chicago lakefront path, always a crowded proposition in certain (though not all) stretches, does not have the capacity to manage a growing number of e-bikes, much less those moving at speeds of up to 28 mph (a top flat ground speed for professional conventional bicyclists, of which there are very few.)
As e-bikes become more popular, especially given fuel prices, bike paths like those on the lakefront (filled with pedestrians, skateboarders, scooter riders, and rollerbladers) will become increasingly dangerous.
This is easily foreseeable, but instead we’ll be waiting for serious injuries or fatalities to possibly address it against furious opposition from the micromobility industry and its investors, who are happy for others, including taxpayers, to pay for the damage.
- Homebody - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 12:50 pm:
@Moe Berg: The city still would have the authority to decide on infrastructure. As a regular lake front path cyclist, the city needs to do a much better job of treating it as an actual transportation artery for cyclists. They’ve done this in parts (see the split for the length of North Ave Beach, for example), but could do a lot more to make it safer and easier to use for actual transportation, and not just leisure.
But this also expands to other bike lanes throughout the city. Infrastructure could be improved right now, for everyone’s benefit, without touching a single piece of equipment regulation.
- Moe Berg - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 1:04 pm:
@Homebody - thank you for your reply. As I’m sure you know, the city isn’t exactly flush right now (as could many municipalities say about themselves).
And, the private donor who paid for a good portion of the most recent lakefront path improvements took his ball and moved to South Florida.
- Lacey - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 1:10 pm:
> Requires any electric bicycle with a motor over 750 watts and speeds over 28 miles per hour, emoto devices and gas powered bicycles as a motor driven cycle, requiring license, registration, title and insurance coverage.
Battery wattage doesn’t correspond directly to max speed. A person weighing over 250+ or a person who consistently carries heavy loads may need a bike with over 750 watts to get the same ability to go 28 mph that a rider with less weight can get out of a 500 watt or 750 watt bike. I understand requiring licenses for fast ebikes but the fact they use wattage as standard shows they have no clue what wattage actually impacts.
Besides, bicycle, even going quickly, is not a car. It cannot kill as many people as a car our cause as much property damage as a car. If we’re going to regulate ebikes this much why aren’t we forcing people driving small trucks/SUVs to get truck-class licenses to prove they can safely operate their vehicles?
- Lacey - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 1:15 pm:
also I saw some comments saying ebikes going 28mph shouldn’t be on a sidewalk, rhe proposed regulation is ” Prohibit persons from operating low-speed gas bicycles from riding at speeds greater 28 miles per hour on any highway, street or roadway.” not ebikes
- Lea - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 2:43 pm:
E bike users also need to be licensed, get license plates, and get stickers yearly from SOS.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 2:50 pm:
===E bike users also need to be===
Oh, please. What’s your reasoning for that?
- Perrid - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 3:32 pm:
I think top end classic/pedal bikes are in the low 20 mph range, professionals on really expensive bikes are probably around 28. I don’t think anyone should be going 28 MPH on a sidewalk, but I think it’s fine to allow them there in theory, as long as they’re being safe.
- Da Burden - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 6:44 pm:
There are a lot of seldom used sidewalks in the state. & by seldom, I mean 99% of the time there are no walkers on that sidewalk. Oftentimes, these are located next to roads where drivers are going 10 to 20 MPH over the speed limit. Banning e-conveyance devices from those seems silly and certainly dangerous. I would dare say it will cost lives.