Class 1, 2, and 3: The U.S. Ebike Laws Riders Still Get Wrong

Most U.S. states use three classes. Class 1: pedal assist only, motor cuts at 20 mph, no throttle. Class 2: throttle allowed, 20 mph cap. Class 3: pedal assist to 28 mph, speedometer on the model-law version, generally no throttle. All three, in the usual definition, also assume operable pedals and a motor of 750 W or less.

Federal CPSC ‘low-speed electric bicycle’ law is a consumer-product definition (pedals, ≤750 W, motor-only speed ≤20 mph). It does not grant trail access. States and cities do. New York caps Class 3 at 25 mph, not 28. Oregon allows motors up to 1,000 W. New Jersey, as of 19 July 2026, no longer uses the three-class labels at all (registration + license for every ebike).

Helmets, age, paths

California: Class 3 minimum age 16; helmet required for all Class 3 riders and for any rider under 18. Connecticut: helmet for every operator and passenger, all ages, all classes. New York: 16+ to ride any class; helmet under 18; NYC caps operation at 15 mph. Texas: Class 3 at 15+, no statewide helmet. Florida: helmet under 16, no statewide minimum age, SB 382 vetoed. Class 3 is commonly banned from multi-use paths even when it is street-legal. A throttle on a bike you never twist can still change the class — and the sign.

The motor does not decide if you belong on a trail. The local rulebook does. Read it before the ranger does.