Bay Head may tighten e-bike laws

Ordinance to be updated with tougher guidelines

Originally Published in the Ocean Star on Nov. 21, 2025

BAY HEAD — The borough is cracking down on e-bike violations with a tougher ordinance that includes heftier fines and specific driving guidelines.

During the Nov. 3 council meeting, Legal and Planning Chairperson Jennifer Barnes-Gambert introduced a revised e-bike ordinance, which would add several new rules and regulations that riders of the new electric bikes would have to follow.

During the introduction of the revised ordinance, Barnes-Gambert said that much of the information in the previous ordinance on e-bikes is still valid, but recommended an update because the vehicles are constantly changing and therefore the laws governing them need to be updated.

The updates include further regulations that operators of a “bicycle, low-speed electric bicycle, low-speed electric scooter, motorized bicycle or scooter” would have to follow, Barnes-Gambert said.

The new ordinance includes the following additions to the existing rules:

• Operators must follow all official traffic rules, signs, and regulations.

• Operators must ride as close as possible to the right side of the roadway.

• Operators must stop at all stop signs and red lights.

• Operators cannot hold a cell phone “or any other object” in their hand while they operate these vehicles.

• Operators must use hand signals if they are going to make a turn.

• Groups of two or more operators must ride in single file.

• Those under 15 years of age who are caught operating one of these vehicles will have their vehicle confiscated by the police.

• Operators must adhere to a 20 mph speed limit.

• Operators may not ride such vehicles on sidewalks, walkways or pedestrian paths

Currently, the rules regarding such vehicles prohibit those under 15 years of age from operating them unless they are wearing a helmet. They also require operators to use lights when traveling at night, as well as reflectors and audible signals such as bells or buzzers. Currently, the penalties for violating the rules are $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense and a third or subsequent offense will require an appearance in court.

In addition to tightening up the rules, the ordinance also “significantly increases the penalty for violation,” Barnes-Gambert said. Penalty for a first offense is $250, a second offense is $500 and the third is $1,000.

“We are going to make an affirmative effort to reach out to the community to advise them of these changes,” Barnes-Gambert said. She described the vehicles as a “dangerous weapon” and said that hopefully in the coming year the state will pass legislation on e-bikes, but in the interim, “at least we’re doing what we can in our town.”

Whether or not the ordinance will be adopted will be decided at the next council meeting on Monday, Dec. 1.

Mayor William Curtis began the meeting by reading a proclamation from the Ocean County Board of Social Services recognizing the month of November 2025 as National Family Caregiver’s Month. Curtis said that the recognition is meaningful to a lot of people in the town as well as in the country, and said that the effort of family caregivers makes the lives of those who have been touched by illness that much better.