Electric bikes and scooters have transformed how people get around Chicago. They are fast, affordable, and convenient — but as their numbers have grown, so have the injuries and the legal questions that follow a crash. A piece of legislation advancing through the Illinois General Assembly, Senate Bill 3484, would significantly change how electric bicycles, electric scooters, and similar devices are classified and regulated under Illinois law. For anyone who rides one of these devices, or who has been injured by or while riding one, the proposed changes could have a meaningful impact on legal rights and responsibilities.
At Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC, we help people who have been hurt in crashes involving electric bikes and scooters across the Chicago area and the rest of the state. Below, we break down what SB 3484 would do and what it could mean for injury claims. If you have been hurt, you can reach us anytime at (312) 243-9922 for a free consultation.
Please note: SB 3484 is still moving through the legislative process and has not yet become law. The details described here reflect the version of the bill currently under consideration and could change before final passage. This article is general information, not legal advice about any specific case.
What Is Senate Bill 3484?
SB 3484 is a transportation bill that would amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to create a much more detailed framework for what lawmakers are calling "electric micromobility devices" and to redefine several categories of electric and gas-powered bicycles. In plain terms, the bill tries to catch the law up to the reality on the streets — where devices ranging from pedal-assist bicycles to high-powered electric scooters capable of highway speeds all currently share the road under rules that were never designed for them.
The bill does several major things. It creates new legal definitions for devices that previously existed in a gray area, it sets age and equipment requirements for riders, it establishes where these devices may and may not be operated, and — most importantly for injury cases — it reclassifies certain higher-powered devices as "motor driven cycles," which carry licensing, insurance, and titling obligations.
The Three-Class E-Bike System Would Remain
Illinois already uses a three-class system for low-speed electric bicycles, and SB 3484 would keep it in place. Understanding these classes matters, because the class of an e-bike often determines which rules apply:
- Class 1: A low-speed electric bicycle with a motor that provides assistance only while the rider is pedaling and stops assisting at 20 miles per hour.
- Class 2: A low-speed electric bicycle with a motor that can propel the bike on its own (throttle-powered) but stops assisting at 20 miles per hour.
- Class 3: A low-speed electric bicycle with a motor that provides assistance only while pedaling and stops assisting at 28 miles per hour.
To qualify as a "low-speed electric bicycle," the device must have fully operable pedals and a motor of less than 750 watts. As long as an e-bike fits within one of these three classes, it continues to be treated much like a traditional bicycle under the law.
The Most Important Change: When an E-Bike Becomes a "Motor Driven Cycle"
Here is the provision that could matter most in injury litigation. Under SB 3484, any electric bicycle that does not meet the definition of a low-speed electric bicycle would be considered a "motor driven cycle" for purposes of the Illinois Vehicle Code.
Under the proposed language, the "motor driven cycle" category would be broadened to cover devices running on an electric motor rated above 750 watts but at or below 8,000 watts. Practically speaking, the powerful e-bikes and moped-style electric bikes that have become so popular — the ones built to go well past the low-speed thresholds — would lose their bicycle status entirely and instead fall under the rules that govern motor vehicles.
That reclassification carries significant legal consequences. Under the bill, a person operating a motor driven cycle would generally be required to:
- Possess a valid driver's license;
- Carry mandatory liability insurance, as required under the insurance article of the Vehicle Code;
- For devices purchased new on or after January 1, 2027, obtain a certificate of title, with the device carrying a vehicle identification number;
- Operate a device equipped with a speedometer and conforming to applicable federal vehicle safety standards.
Motor driven cycles would also be barred from sidewalks, bicycle lanes, bicycle paths, and shared-use paths, and could not be operated on interstate highways.
A New Category: "Electric Micromobility Devices"
The bill would also establish a brand-new classification known as "electric micromobility devices." As written, this covers lightweight, low-speed electric devices meant mainly for personal travel at speeds of up to 28 miles per hour. Skateboards with electric motors, self-balancing electric unicycles, and electric scooters of both the slower and faster varieties would all fall into this group. Notably, the bill specifies that for purposes of the Vehicle Code, an electric micromobility device is considered a motor vehicle.
The bill sets out detailed operating rules for these devices, including that a rider must be at least 16 years old, that the device must have working brakes and nighttime lighting, that riders may not operate them while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and that they generally may not be ridden on sidewalks, on highways with speed limits above 35 miles per hour (unless there is a designated bike lane), or on interstates. Devices capable of exceeding 28 miles per hour would be banned from all public highways, bike lanes, and bike paths.
How These Changes Could Affect Injury Lawsuits
For people who have been injured, the reclassification of higher-powered e-bikes and the new rules for micromobility devices could influence injury claims in several important ways.
1. Insurance Coverage May Become Available — or Required
One of the biggest challenges in current e-bike and e-scooter injury cases is the frequent absence of insurance. When a rider is treated like a bicyclist, there is often no policy covering the device itself. By requiring liability insurance for motor driven cycles, SB 3484 could create a source of recovery that often does not exist today. If a high-powered e-bike rider injures a pedestrian or another cyclist, the mandatory insurance requirement could provide coverage for the injured person's medical bills and other damages.
2. Licensing and Registration Could Become Evidence of Negligence
When a statute requires a license, insurance, or specific safety equipment, the failure to comply may become evidence in a negligence case. If the bill becomes law and a rider operates an unlicensed, uninsured, or illegally modified motor driven cycle and causes a crash, that violation may support a claim that the rider was negligent. Illinois recognizes the concept of negligence based on the violation of a safety statute, and clearer rules generally make it easier to establish when someone has broken them.
3. Anti-Tampering Rules Could Matter in Product and Liability Claims
SB 3484 prohibits knowingly tampering with or modifying the speed capability of e-bikes, micromobility devices, and motor driven cycles beyond their original design. Illegally "unlocking" or modifying a device to exceed its intended speed is a common factor in serious crashes. If a modified device causes injury, these provisions could be relevant both to a claim against the rider and, in some cases, to questions about who altered the device and when.
4. Consumer-Fraud Protections Against Mislabeled Devices
The bill includes a notable consumer-protection feature. It would make it an unlawful practice under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act for a retailer, distributor, or manufacturer to market a motor driven cycle in a way that misleads consumers into believing it is exempt from these requirements. Violations could carry civil penalties of up to $10,000 per mislabeled device. For an injured person, a seller's mislabeling of a dangerous device could open an additional avenue of responsibility beyond the rider.
5. Clearer Rules on Where Devices Belong
Many e-bike and e-scooter injuries happen because of confusion over where these devices are allowed — on the sidewalk, in the bike lane, or in traffic. By spelling out where each category of device may operate, the bill could make it easier to establish that a rider was somewhere they should not have been at the time of a crash, which is often central to determining fault.
What This Means for Riders, Pedestrians, and Drivers
If SB 3484 becomes law, riders of higher-powered electric bikes may be surprised to learn that their device is legally a motor vehicle requiring a license and insurance. Pedestrians and traditional cyclists may gain new protections and new sources of recovery when they are injured by these increasingly powerful machines. And drivers who share the road with micromobility devices will be operating under a clearer, if more complex, set of rules.
It is also worth emphasizing that the bill includes strong language limiting the ability of local governments — including home rule units like the City of Chicago — to regulate many of these devices differently from the state. That means the framework, if enacted, would largely apply uniformly across Illinois rather than varying city by city.
Injured in an E-Bike or E-Scooter Accident? We Can Help
Whether you were riding an electric bike, struck by one as a pedestrian, or involved in a collision with a scooter, the law in this area is changing quickly and can be difficult to navigate on your own. Determining how a device is classified, whether insurance applies, and who may be responsible requires a careful look at the facts and the current state of the law.
Since 1990, the attorneys at Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC have helped injured people across Chicago and Illinois pursue the compensation they deserve. We stay current on developments like SB 3484 so that we can give our clients accurate, up-to-date guidance. If you have questions about an e-bike or e-scooter injury, contact us today. There is never a fee unless we are successful on your behalf. Call (312) 243-9922 anytime for a free, confidential consultation.
