S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6403
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
March 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JACKSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring
license plates for certain bicycles with electric assist and electric
scooters and requiring a person be eighteen years of age to operate or
purchase bicycles with electric assist and electric scooters
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The article heading of article 34 of the vehicle and traf-
fic law, as amended by chapter 694 of the laws of 1995, is amended to
read as follows:
REGISTRATION AND OPERATION OF BICYCLES AND PLAY DEVICES
§ 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding two new sections
1244 and 1245 to read as follows:
§ 1244. REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN BICYCLES WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST. 1.
EVERY BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST WHICH HAS AN ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT DOES
NOT CEASE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WHEN SUCH BICYCLE OR SCOOTER REACHES A
SPEED OF FORTY MILES PER HOUR SHALL BE REGISTERED AND ISSUED A LICENSE
PLATE BY THE DEPARTMENT. NO PERSON SHALL OPERATE SUCH A BICYCLE WITH
ELECTRIC ASSIST ON THE PUBLIC HIGHWAYS UNLESS SUCH BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC
ASSIST SHALL HAVE A DISTINCTIVE NUMBER ASSIGNED TO IT BY THE COMMISSION-
ER AND A NUMBER PLATE ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER WITH A NUMBER CORRE-
SPONDING TO THAT OF THE CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION.
2. SUCH LICENSE PLATES SHALL BE OF SUCH MATERIAL, FORM, DESIGN AND
DIMENSIONS AND CONTAIN OR SET FORTH SUCH DISTINGUISHING NUMBER OR OTHER
IDENTIFICATION MARKS AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE, PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, THAT THERE SHALL BE AT ALL TIMES A MARKED CONTRAST BETWEEN THE
COLOR OF THE NUMBER PLATES AND THAT OF THE NUMERALS OR LETTERS THEREON,
AND PROVIDED FURTHER THAT NO SUCH BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST SHALL
DISPLAY THE NUMBER PLATES OF MORE THAN ONE STATE AT A TIME, NOR SHALL
ANY PLATE BE USED OTHER THAN THOSE ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04022-01-5
A. 6403 2
3. EACH SUCH LICENSE PLATE SHALL IDENTIFY WHETHER SUCH BICYCLE WITH
ELECTRIC ASSIST IS PERSONAL OR COMMERCIAL IN NATURE.
4. EACH SUCH LICENSE PLATE SHALL BE CONSPICUOUSLY DISPLAYED ON THE
REAR OF THE BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST, SECURELY FASTENED SO AS TO
PREVENT THE SAME FROM SWINGING.
5. THE FEE FOR SUCH LICENSE PLATES SHALL BE A NOMINAL FEE DETERMINED
BY THE COMMISSIONER.
§ 1245. SALE OF BICYCLES WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST. 1. NO PERSON SHALL SELL
A BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST TO A PERSON LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF
AGE.
2. NO PERSON SHALL ACCEPT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF AGE BY ANY SUCH
PERSON FOR THE PURCHASE OF A BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST ANY DOCUMENT
OTHER THAN: (A) A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE OR NON-DRIVER IDENTIFICATION
CARD ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR VEHICLES, THE FEDERAL GOVERN-
MENT, ANY UNITED STATES TERRITORY, COMMONWEALTH OR POSSESSION, THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A STATE GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR A
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA; OR (B) A VALID PASSPORT
ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY; OR (C) AN
IDENTIFICATION CARD ISSUED BY THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
3. UPON THE SALE OF A BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST, THE SELLER SHALL
SUBMIT TO THE COMMISSIONER, IN A FORM AND MANNER AS PROVIDED FOR BY
REGULATIONS PROMULGATED BY THE COMMISSIONER, A COPY OF THE WRITTEN
EVIDENCE OF AGE PROVIDED BY THE PURCHASER.
§ 3. Subdivision 2 of section 1242 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
added by section 8 of part XX of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is
amended to read as follows:
2. No person less than [sixteen] EIGHTEEN years of age shall operate a
bicycle with electric assist. The failure of any person to comply with
the provisions of this subdivision shall not constitute contributory
negligence or assumption of risk, and shall not in any way bar, preclude
or foreclose an action for personal injury or wrongful death by or on
behalf of such person, nor in any way diminish or reduce the damages
recoverable in any such action.
§ 4. The article heading of article 34-D of the vehicle and traffic
law, as added by section 10 of part XX of chapter 58 of the laws of
2020, is amended to read as follows:
REGISTRATION AND OPERATION OF ELECTRIC SCOOTERS
§ 5. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding two new sections
1290 and 1291 to read as follows:
§ 1290. REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN ELECTRIC SCOOTERS. 1. EVERY ELECTRIC
SCOOTER WHICH HAS AN ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT DOES NOT CEASE TO PROVIDE
ASSISTANCE WHEN SUCH BICYCLE OR SCOOTER REACHES A SPEED OF FORTY MILES
PER HOUR SHALL BE REGISTERED AND ISSUED A LICENSE PLATE BY THE DEPART-
MENT. NO PERSON SHALL OPERATE SUCH AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER ON THE PUBLIC
HIGHWAYS UNLESS SUCH ELECTRIC SCOOTER SHALL HAVE A DISTINCTIVE NUMBER
ASSIGNED TO IT BY THE COMMISSIONER AND A NUMBER PLATE ISSUED BY THE
COMMISSIONER WITH A NUMBER CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF THE CERTIFICATE OF
REGISTRATION.
2. SUCH LICENSE PLATES SHALL BE OF SUCH MATERIAL, FORM, DESIGN AND
DIMENSIONS AND CONTAIN OR SET FORTH SUCH DISTINGUISHING NUMBER OR OTHER
IDENTIFICATION MARKS AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE, PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, THAT THERE SHALL BE AT ALL TIMES A MARKED CONTRAST BETWEEN THE
COLOR OF THE NUMBER PLATES AND THAT OF THE NUMERALS OR LETTERS THEREON,
AND PROVIDED FURTHER THAT NO SUCH ELECTRIC SCOOTER SHALL DISPLAY THE
NUMBER PLATES OF MORE THAN ONE STATE AT A TIME, NOR SHALL ANY PLATE BE
USED OTHER THAN THOSE ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
A. 6403 3
3. EACH SUCH LICENSE PLATE SHALL IDENTIFY WHETHER SUCH ELECTRIC SCOOT-
ER IS PERSONAL OR COMMERCIAL IN NATURE.
4. EACH SUCH LICENSE PLATE SHALL BE CONSPICUOUSLY DISPLAYED ON THE
REAR OF THE ELECTRIC SCOOTER, SECURELY FASTENED SO AS TO PREVENT THE
SAME FROM SWINGING.
5. THE FEE FOR SUCH LICENSE PLATES SHALL BE A NOMINAL FEE DETERMINED
BY THE COMMISSIONER.
§ 1291. SALE OF ELECTRIC SCOOTERS. 1. NO PERSON SHALL SELL AN ELECTRIC
SCOOTER TO A PERSON LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.
2. NO PERSON SHALL ACCEPT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF AGE BY ANY SUCH
PERSON FOR THE PURCHASE OF AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER ANY DOCUMENT OTHER THAN:
(A) A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE OR NON-DRIVER IDENTIFICATION CARD ISSUED BY
THE COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR VEHICLES, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ANY UNITED
STATES TERRITORY, COMMONWEALTH OR POSSESSION, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
A STATE GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR A PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA; OR (B) A VALID PASSPORT ISSUED BY THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY; OR (C) AN IDENTIFICATION CARD
ISSUED BY THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
3. UPON THE SALE OF AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER, THE SELLER SHALL SUBMIT TO
THE COMMISSIONER, IN A FORM AND MANNER AS PROVIDED FOR BY REGULATIONS
PROMULGATED BY THE COMMISSIONER, A COPY OF THE WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF AGE
PROVIDED BY THE PURCHASER.
§ 6. Subdivision 4 of section 1282 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
added by section 10 of part XX of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is
amended to read as follows:
4. No person less than [sixteen] EIGHTEEN years of age shall operate
or ride as a passenger upon an electric scooter, and no person [sixteen]
EIGHTEEN years of age or older shall allow any person less than
[sixteen] EIGHTEEN years of age to operate or ride as a passenger upon
such scooter.
§ 7. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.