Requires the registration of electric scooters and bicycles with electric assist; requires the commissioner of motor vehicles, in consultation with the commissioner of transportation, to create a public outreach and education campaign informing the public concerning the statutory registration requirements for motorcycles, mopeds, electric scooters or bicycles with electric assist; requires distinctive number and form of number plates for mopeds or electric scooters; prohibits the operation of electric scooters, mopeds or bicycles with electric assist on sidewalks; establishes the safe streets bureau requiring the superintendent of state police to create a patrol and enforcement bureau for mopeds, electric scooters and bicycles with electric assist, and assign to it members of the New York state police in such numbers and appoint to it such investigative specialists in such numbers as may be required for the purpose of preventing, investigating and detecting violations of the criminal laws and vehicle and traffic laws of the state, and conducting such other investigations as may be provided for by law.
This bill would substantially expand New York’s regulation of mopeds, electric scooters, and bicycles with electric assist by bringing them into the state’s registration and plate system. It requires owners to register these vehicles, obtain a certificate of registration and number plate, pay an annual $25 fee, and comply with renewal requirements. The bill also directs the DMV, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, to create a public outreach and education campaign explaining the new registration rules.
The bill also broadens safety and enforcement provisions. It extends the motorcycle safety program to cover mopeds, electric scooters, and bicycles with electric assist, and it creates a new “safe streets bureau” within the New York State Police focused on patrol, enforcement, and investigation of violations involving these vehicles. In addition, it prohibits riding mopeds, electric scooters, or bicycles with electric assist on sidewalks except in limited circumstances, and makes sidewalk violations a class A misdemeanor. The bill also increases penalties for certain registration and plate violations involving these vehicles.
The bill would amend multiple sections of the Vehicle and Traffic Law and the Executive Law, creating new legal obligations for owners and operators of mopeds, electric scooters, and bicycles with electric assist. It would add registration, plate-display, fee, and penalty requirements, expand the scope of the motorcycle safety program, and establish a new state police enforcement bureau. These changes would affect riders, vehicle owners, the DMV, the Department of Transportation, and state and local law enforcement, while also creating new misdemeanor and fine exposure for sidewalk use and registration-related violations.
The bill’s overall tone is enforcement-oriented and safety-focused, as reflected in its title, registration mandates, sidewalk restrictions, and creation of a dedicated police bureau. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears intended to address concerns about unsafe or unregulated use of micromobility devices and to increase public awareness and compliance. No committee transcript or vote record is available here, so there is no documented recorded debate or formal vote sentiment to assess beyond the bill’s stated policy direction.
The most likely points of contention are the new registration fee, the requirement that electric scooters and e-bikes be treated more like motor vehicles, and the criminal penalties for sidewalk riding and other violations. Supporters would likely emphasize public safety, clearer rules, and enforcement capacity, while opponents may argue that the bill could burden micromobility users, discourage low-cost transportation, and criminalize conduct that is often associated with short local trips. The creation of a state police enforcement bureau may also be controversial because it expands state enforcement authority over what some may view as a local traffic-management issue.