E-Bikes and Electric Scooters in Indiana: What Parents Should Know

Before you buy: how Indiana sorts e-bikes

The statute, IC 9-13-2-49.2, describes an e-bike as having fully working pedals, an electric motor rated at no more than 750 watts, and the features of one of three classes. The classes themselves are spelled out in IC 9-13-2-26.6 through 26.8. Class 1 helps only while you pedal and stops helping at 20 mph. Class 2 has a motor that can move the bike without pedaling, again cutting out at 20 mph. Class 3 is pedal assist up to 28 mph.

The maker or distributor has to fix a permanent label listing the class, the top assisted speed and the motor's wattage. If someone modifies the bike so that it goes faster or the motor kicks in differently, the old label has to be swapped for an accurate one. The bike must meet federal bicycle safety standards, and the motor has to quit assisting the moment the rider stops pedaling or brakes.

Buying advice: for a 12 or 13 year old, a Class 1 bike keeps things simple. It has no throttle, no statutory age limit, and it is welcome on the most paths.

What you do not need: license, plate or insurance

Under IC 9-21-11-13.1 the law treats an e-bike rider like any cyclist, with the same rights and the same duties. There is no driver's license requirement and no need to show financial responsibility, and the bike is never titled or registered.

That is exactly what separates it from a motor driven cycle, which Indiana does register. Be wary of listings that say e-bike on a machine with dummy pedals or a motor over 750 watts. That could legally be a moped or motorcycle, so call the BMV before your teen takes it onto a public road.

Age and helmet rules for your kids

The age rule only touches Class 3. Children under 15 may not be the one pedaling and steering it, but riding as a passenger on a two-seat Class 3 model is allowed. Nothing in state law limits age on Classes 1 and 2.

Anyone under 18 on a Class 3 bike, whether steering or sitting on the passenger seat, must wear a fitted, fastened helmet that meets CPSC or ASTM standards. For ordinary bikes and the two slower e-bike classes, Indiana leaves helmets up to the rider, so it becomes a family rule. Ours would be: always.

On the ride: roads, paths and trails

On the street, an e-bike rider follows bicycle rules. Class 1 and 2 bikes are generally allowed on bike paths and multipurpose paths.

Class 3 is kept off them, except where the path follows a highway right-of-way or the agency in charge says yes. Unpaved natural surface trails fall outside these rules entirely; there the local authority or property manager decides. State properties, county parks and city trail networks can each have their own policy, so read the signs at the trailhead.

When it is really a moped: motor driven cycles

The Driver's Manual describes a motor driven cycle, or MDC, as having a seat, three wheels at most, a cylinder capacity of 50cc or less, equipment that meets state and federal rules, and BMV registration as an MDC. An electric machine that fails the e-bike test should be measured against this definition as well.

Someone without a driver's license can still ride one from 15, after passing a separate MDC knowledge exam; the BMV then adds an MDC endorsement to their Indiana ID card, good for six years along with the card. Holders of a current permit or license skip the endorsement entirely. The BMV handles registration for motorcycles and motor driven cycles alike.

Stand-up electric scooters

IC 9-13-2-49.4 defines the electric foot scooter: a stand-on deck, handlebars, three wheels at most, a weight of 100 pounds or under, and a motor that cannot push it past 20 mph on level pavement. Mopeds, motorcycles and cars are excluded from the definition.

IC 9-21-11-13.6 gives scooter riders the same rights and duties as cyclists. After dark the scooter needs a white light in front and a red light or reflector at the back, both visible from 500 feet or more, and brakes able to lock the wheels into a skid on flat, dry pavement. Parking on a sidewalk is allowed if it does not block people or traffic, and a town that bans sidewalk parking has to offer somewhere nearby instead.

Anywhere a bike can legally ride, a scooter can too, unless a city rule changes that. Interstates are always off limits. The state statute sets no minimum age, so any age limit you run into will come from a city ordinance or a rental company's terms.

If you live in a city: local rules and updates

State law lets local governments restrict where scooters go, and cities such as Indianapolis have rules for shared scooters and sidewalks. Look up your city or town code, and read the rental app's terms, before riding downtown.

These laws change. Each legislative session can amend them, so go to the General Assembly's own website for the current text, and do not trust a commercial summary to have kept up.