Ocean City mayor shares update on state's new e-bike law

Dear Friends,

Gov. Murphy yesterday signed a new e-bike safety law that Ocean City has long advocated for.

Public safety will always remain a top priority for this administration and for “America’s Greatest Family Resort.” Protecting young riders is especially important.

Among the provisions of the new legislation are the following:

• All classes of electric bikes are now treated the same.
• Riders must be at least 15 years old to use any e-bike.
• Operators must have a license, and register and insure their e-bikes.
• Operators age 17 and older can use a valid driver’s license.
• Operators ages 15 and 16, and anybody without a driver’s license, will be able to obtain a motorized bicycle license after successfully passing road tests of both their ability to safely operate an e-bike and their knowledge of traffic safety laws.
• E-bike owners will have six months to meet the new licensing, registration, and insurance requirements.
• Licensing and registration fees will be waived for one year.
• Helmet requirements under the old law remain in effect.

Nobody likes more red tape, but the benefits of the new law far outweigh the inconvenience of the new registration requirements.

Our Community Policing Unit will begin sharing the requirements with students in Ocean City schools, and they will continue to enforce the law. The text of the new registration requirement does not specify whether or not visible license plates or markers will be required. That had been one of the requests of our police chief.

A lot of vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians share Ocean City’s roads. It’s a dangerous mix, given the speed and sometimes recklessness of e-bike operators old and young.

I want to thank our legislators for taking this important step toward public safety.

Warm regards,

Mayor Jay A. Gillian