WAXHAW, N.C. — As electric bikes rise in popularity, some North Carolina communities are enacting new laws to regulate them.
The town of Waxhaw enacted new rules this month for electric bikes, bicycles, scooters and other devices. According to the ordinance, e-bicycles, electric scooters and other motorized recreational devices are not allowed on sidewalks. Bicycles, e-bikes and scooters can’t be ridden faster than 15 mph in parks and on greenways.
What You Need To Know
Electric bikes, scooters and other motorized recreational devices are no longer allowed on sidewalks
Waxhaw town leaders said they are seeing parents mistakenly buying motorcycles for children instead of e-bikes
According to Novant Health, 23 people visited the emergency department at Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte for e-bike related injuries in 2024 and 2025
“Many of our bicycle regulations were decades old, and with the rise in e-bikes, we needed a more modern approach to be able to enforce safe riding and ensure public safety on the roads, sidewalks and in parks and greenways,” Bradley Lucore, Waxhaw’s communications manager, said. “This ordinance is going to keep families safe by regulating those motorized devices.”
As more electric bikes hit the roads, town leaders said they are seeing more families mistakenly buying motorcycles for children instead of e-bikes.
“A lot of these e-bikes that are marketed as e-bikes are actually, by definition, motorcycles,” Lucore said. “We’re seeing kids under 16 riding around on these motorized devices. They’re going over 20 mph. They’re driving recklessly in the roads, out of the roads and on the sidewalks to become a real public safety concern.”
According to Novant Health, 23 people visited the emergency department at Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte for e-bike-related injuries in 2024 and 2025.
“You see a lot of kids causing accidents because they don’t understand the laws, and they want to go fast, have fun and be cool,” Joey Cruz, manager of Conte’s Bike Shop, said.
Conte’s is a few miles from Waxhaw. Cruz said he and his team educate customers about safety when they purchase a bike.
“Safety is of paramount importance,” Cruz said. “I think any attempt to make cycling safer, especially for kids, is a super great thing to happen.”
As part of Waxhaw’s ordinance, all bikes and scooters must have a front and rear light if operated at night. Anyone younger than 16 must wear a helmet when riding in public areas. Those who violate the ordinance can receive a $50 fine and have their bike or scooter impounded by police.
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