Things will be a bit more difficult for minors looking to hop on a motorcycle before coming of age. A new Colorado law taking effect August 12 will require written consent from a parent or legal guardian before anyone under 18 can obtain a motorcycle endorsement. It’s a change aimed at curbing a rising number of crashes involving electric motorcycles and dirt bikes. Under the old rules, a minor needed consent from any adult over 21 to get an endorsement, according to Denver7. The law is a part of House Bill 26-1079, which passed the Colorado Legislature in April.
Minors will need to bring written parental or guardian consent to the DMV to get the documentation, eliminating the loophole that let any adult over 21 sign off. Colorado State Patrol announced the change as a response to a growing trend of electric motorcycles and dirt bikes on the state’s roads and the increase in crashes that’s come with them.
The rules apply to e-motorcycles, or e-motos, which have far more power and higher speeds than any electric bicycle on the market. Colorado State Patrol Trooper Hunter Mathews said many parents aren’t actually educated on what they’re actually buying for their kids, often believing they’ve bought an electric bicycle when they’ve actually legally bought an e-motorcycle.
Existing Colorado law already requires e-motorcycle riders to be at least 16, hold a valid driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement, and have valid registration and proof of insurance. It also requires minors to wear a helmet. Mathews said teens and parents can face penalties for violating the new law. They can range from warnings to tickets, and parents who’s been found to have been negligent in how their child got to ride a bike may be charged as well.
Why Colorado Is Cracking Down on E-Motorcycles and Dirt Bikes
This new set of laws in Colorado is a response to a surge in high-powered electric bikes among young riders. E-motorcycles and electric dirt bikes can reach 40 mph or more, and they’ve been turning up on sidewalks, trails, and roadways where they aren’t actually legal to ride. In response, there have been several changes made to curb the problem.
Douglas County passed an emergency ordinance in June requiring riders under 18 to wear helmets and creating fines of up to $1,000 for reckless riding, Parker launched an online tool for residents to report unsafe e-motorcycle use, and Denver’s City Council has been weighing its own crackdown with fines and confiscations.
Denver council members said they were spurred to act after two local teens were killed in May, a 15-year-old was killed in a dirt bike crash near Colorado Springs, and other deaths involving young people on off-highway vehicles took place. Aurora police began warning parents months ago about high-speed electric bikes and motorcycles marketed to teens online, which is a problem officials describe as growing.
How to Tell an E-Bike From an E-Motorcycle
If you’re unsure how to differentiate these types of vehicles, there are a few ways to tell. A standard e-bike is capped at lower speeds and has functional pedals: Class 1 and Class 2 models top out at 20 mph, and a Class 3 assists up to 28 mph, requires riders to be at least 16, and requires a helmet for riders under 18. None of those require a license, registration, or insurance. An e-motorcycle is a different vehicle entirely, with more power, no need for pedaling, and speeds that exceed what any e-bike is built for.
Once a vehicle crosses that line, it’s treated like a gas-powered motorcycle in the eyes of the law. That means the rider needs a driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement, plus registration and insurance, and can’t legally ride it on trails or sidewalks meant for bicycles.
So that machine that looks like a fast electric bicycle in the store may legally be a motorcycle. Checking a vehicle’s motor wattage and top speed before buying is the best way to figure out what you’re actually buying.