The Electric Bicycle
G.S. 20-4.01 — pedals, a motor of no more than 750 watts, and 20 miles per hour on the motor alone
In North Carolina, an electric assisted bicycle is a bicycle with two or three wheels, a seat or saddle, fully operable pedals, and an electric motor of no more than 750 watts, whose top speed on a level surface on the motor alone is no greater than 20 miles per hour.
Not a motor vehicle. The definition of a motor vehicle excludes electric assisted bicycles, except where the law specifically provides otherwise, and the definitions of a motorcycle, a motor-driven bicycle and a moped each leave them out as well.
A driver's duties on the highway. For the motor vehicle chapter, bicycles and electric assisted bicycles are deemed vehicles, and every rider on a highway is subject to the provisions that apply to the driver of a vehicle, except those that by their nature cannot apply.
A bicycle in the bicycle rules. The Part of the chapter on bicycles defines a bicycle to include an electric assisted bicycle.
Outside the definition. A machine with a bigger motor, or one that goes faster than 20 miles per hour on the motor alone, is not an electric assisted bicycle under the statute.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionAn e-bike is a motor vehicle | What the law actually doesThe definition of a motor vehicle excludes electric assisted bicycles, except where the law specifically provides otherwise |
| The assumptionTraffic laws do not apply to someone on a bike | What the law actually doesA rider on a highway is subject to the provisions that apply to the driver of a vehicle, except those that cannot apply |
Local ordinances, greenway and trail rules, and helmet rules for young riders are not all on this page. What a particular situation carries is a question for a licensed North Carolina attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- G.S. 20-4.01 — Definitions
- G.S. 20-171.1 — Bicycle defined
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed North Carolina attorney.