Illinois E-Bike and Scooter Rules for Families

First, what counts as an e-bike

The definition came in with Public Act 100-209 and sits at 625 ILCS 5/1-140.10, in force since January 1, 2018. To qualify, a bike must have pedals that function and a motor rated below 750 watts. Class 1 gives help only as you pedal, up to 20 mph. Class 2 adds a throttle that can push the bike without pedaling, still capped at 20. Class 3 goes back to pedal-only help, but keeps assisting to 28 mph.

The definition says an e-bike is not a moped or a motor-driven cycle. That is why Illinois handles it under bicycle rules, with no driver's license, title or registration.

Before you buy: equipment and labels

Section 11-1517 sets equipment rules. Each e-bike must satisfy the federal bicycle safety standard (16 CFR 1512). Class 3 bikes also need a speedometer reading in mph. On a Class 2 bike, squeezing the brakes has to kill the motor; on Classes 1 and 3, the motor has to quit as soon as the pedals stop turning.

Since January 1, 2018, manufacturers and distributors must fix a permanent label, in at least 9 point Arial type, showing class, top assisted speed and wattage. Knowingly tampering with the speed or motor engagement without replacing the label is illegal.

Before you buy for a child: age and helmets

Illinois sets exactly one age rule for e-bikes, and it covers Class 3: the person steering must be 16 or older. A child can still ride on the back of a Class 3 bike designed for a passenger. Nothing in 11-1517 limits age on Class 1 or Class 2.

Helmets are not mandated by the state's e-bike law. A different machine, the low-speed gas bicycle (an engine smaller than one horsepower, top speed below 20 mph), does have an age rule: the Rules of the Road says you must be 16 to ride one.

Worked example: a 14 year old wants an e-bike for the ride to school. A Class 1 or 2 bike is legal at that age; a Class 3 is not until 16. Since sidewalks are off limits for every class, map a route on streets, bike lanes or permitted paths.

On the road: where e-bikes can go

Roads that allow bicycles allow e-bikes, and so do bike lanes. Bike paths are open too, unless whoever runs the path, whether a town, a county or another local body, has barred e-bikes or one class of them. Forest preserve and park district trails often post their own rules, so read the signs.

There is no sidewalk exception in Illinois. Subsection (g) of 11-1517 forbids riding any class on a sidewalk at any age. If the route forces you onto one, get off and push.

If it has an engine: mopeds and motor-driven cycles

The Rules of the Road draws the licensing line for engine scooters. Under 150cc is a motor-driven cycle needing a Class L license; 150cc or more is a motorcycle needing a Class M license. Only motor-driven cycles and motorcycles titled and registered in Illinois may go on public roads.

Mopeds are the easy case: any valid Illinois license covers one. A gas moped is capped at 50cc and cannot require manual gear changes. If a moped or scooter carries a second rider, it needs a passenger seat and footrests, and after dark it needs a taillight plus a headlight bright enough to be seen 500 feet away.

Electric scooters: 18 and over

A separate section, 625 ILCS 5/11-1518, handles stand-up scooters. In the Rules of the Road's description, the scooter weighs less than 100 pounds, has handlebars, a deck to stand on and two or three wheels, combines a motor with kicking, and cannot go faster than 10 mph. You do not need a license to ride one.

Riders must be 18 or older. Scooters cannot use State highways or any highway posted over 35 mph, can carry only one person, and at night need a white front lamp visible from 500 feet and a rear red reflector, plus a working brake. Riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited.

The biggest catch is permission. Unless a local body has said yes, riding is not allowed. That body can be a city or village, a park district, a forest preserve district or a conservation district, each deciding for its own streets, trails and sidewalks. Since a 2024 amendment (Public Act 103-899), the Department of Natural Resources can also allow scooters on state natural resource land.

If you ride in Chicago

Chicago authorized shared scooters through a 2021 ordinance creating a scooter sharing license, now in Chapter 9-103 of the Municipal Code. Scooters are rented through Divvy and Lime. The city's license rules allow them only in bike lanes or on paths, or on streets where there is no lane, and bar sidewalk riding except as Section 9-52-020 allows.

Three popular routes are off limits: the Riverwalk, The 606 and the Lakefront Trail. New riders are held to 10 mph on their first trip. When you are done, lock the scooter to something fixed, like a bike rack or a signpost, and keep five feet of sidewalk clear. The app may give you an impairment test; fail it and you cannot ride for six hours.

One trap for families: Chicago's 2025 rules allow rental companies to sign up 16 and 17 year olds if a parent agrees. State law (11-1518) says nobody under 18 may operate one. An app letting your teen unlock a scooter does not make it legal.