Illinois Senate Passes Unanimous E-Bike and E-Scooter Safety Bill to Create Uniform Statewide Regulations
The Illinois Senate on Wednesday advanced a measure without opposition that would establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for electric bicycles, motorcycles and scooters across the state.
The bill passed 54-0 and now moves to the House. It was initiated by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias' office to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology around so-called e-bikes, e-motos and e-scooters, which have become increasingly common on streets and in bike lanes.
Their ubiquity has come with a cost. In September, a teenager was killed after the e-bike he was riding collided with a pickup truck in Chicago's northwest suburbs. From 2019 to 2022, micromobility-related injuries and fatalities jumped 300% across the U.S, including in Illinois, the secretary of state's office said.
Giannoulias said Wednesday that while the devices are convenient, affordable and environmentally friendly, "the technology has evolved faster than our laws."
"Today, some of these devices travel well over 28 miles per hour. In some cases, exceeding 50 miles per hour. Yet, under current Illinois law, many remain undefined, inconsistently regulated, or not regulated at all," he said at a statehouse news conference. "This creates confusion for riders, for families, for law enforcement, and for local governments."
The legislation would create uniform statewide standards, replacing the current patchwork of local ordinances, an approach that has the backing of the Illinois Municipal League, which typically resists state efforts to preempt home rule authority.
"When these devices are operated responsibly, they represent a genuine advancement in how people can move through our communities. But too often they're not," state Sen. Ram Villivalam, a Chicago Democrat and the main Senate sponsor of the legislation, said on the Senate floor Wednesday shortly before the bill passed. "The legislation is a comprehensive measure to address the changing nature of our vehicles and devices on Illinois roadways while adding uniformity and consistency in the law."
Republican state Sen. Darby Hills of the Barrington area also backed the bill.
"I've heard from families, mayors and police chiefs across our communities who are increasingly concerned about the safety of high-speed e-bikes, e-scooters and other electric mobility devices," she said on the Senate floor. "This bill clarifies expectations for riders, strengthens safety standards and importantly gives law enforcement the authority to confiscate these devices when they're being operated illegally."
Riders of e-bikes and e-motos capable of traveling more than 28 mph would be required to have a driver's license, title, registration and insurance. Riders of such devices, along with e-scooters, electric skateboards and electric unicycles, would be prohibited from exceeding 28 mph on roads, bike paths and sidewalks, the secretary of state's office said. Riders of electric micromobility vehicles would have to be at least 16 years old, though 15-year-olds would be permitted to ride lower-speed e-bikes.
Low-speed electric bikes are classified into three categories in the bill. Class 1 bikes have a motor that works when you pedal up to 20 mph. Class 2 bikes travel up to 20 mph but have a throttle for assistance and a motor not dependent on pedaling. Class 3 bikes require pedal assistance for the motor but can travel up to 28 mph.
Currently, those three types of bikes are barred from sidewalks but allowed on streets, bike lanes, bike paths and shared-use trails. Under the legislation the Senate passed, those regulations would remain the same, though Class 1 and 2 riders must be 15, and Class 3 riders must be 16 or 18 to carry a passenger, unless they're an immediate relative.
But there are no current regulations for high-speed e-bikes, e-scooters and electric unicycles, or e-motos, all of which can travel up to 50-plus mph. The new measure would impose varying regulations on those devices. E-bikes and e-motos would require a valid driver's license, title, registration and insurance and be barred from traveling on sidewalks, bike lanes and bike paths.
Electric unicycles and high-speed e-scooters would not be allowed to travel over 28 mph or on sidewalks under the legislation, though they would be allowed on bike lanes, bike paths and roads with speed limits of up to 35 mph. But they would be allowed on roads with speed limits over 35 mph if those roads have bike lanes. Electric skateboards, which can travel up to 40 mph, would be subject to the same regulations as unicycles and e-scooters.
For low-speed electric scooters — a device with two or three wheels, handlebars and a floorboard that allows the rider to stand while in motion — those can travel between 10 and 20 mph, and the legislation would require riders to be 16 and they can use them on bike lanes, bike paths and roads with speed limits of 35 mph. Those scooters can be used on roads with speed limits exceeding 35 mph if they have bike lanes, but they cannot be used on sidewalks.
Lastly, battery-powered toy vehicles that travel up to 10 mph are allowed on sidewalks and bike paths unless they're locally prohibited, according to the bill.
Ride Illinois, an advocacy organization for bicyclists, was heavily involved in the legislation, helping draft the bill and offering "important revisions in support of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users throughout the process, including on all amendments," Dave Simmons, executive director for the organization, said in an email.
"This legislation aims to embrace new mobility modes while retaining a focus on public safety," he said.
Lime Micromobility, an e-bike and e-scooter company, also signaled its support for the legislation, with a company spokesperson saying it "supports efforts to establish clear, consistent regulations for electric micromobility devices across Illinois" and that measures like this "can help expand access while prioritizing safety, accountability and clarity."
If the measure passes the House and is signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker, it would go into effect sometime next year. E-bikes and e-motos purchased before the effective date would be exempt from the title requirement but would still need to be registered, the secretary of state's office said.
Along with the legislation, the secretary of state's office said it would provide statewide public awareness outreach for riders, their parents, retailers and schools. The office also plans to update driver education materials and provide law enforcement guidance.