LELAND — As legislation for e-bike classification and regulations remains in committees in both the House and Senate, Leland Town Council considers creating its own set of guidelines.
During the Monday, June 15, agenda review meeting, the council directed staff to research other municipal ordinances regarding e-bikes and bring back next steps.
Councilman Bob Campbell introduced the issue, citing mounting safety concerns. He spoke to witnessing two “young children” riding a shared e-bike without helmets.
READ MORE: E-bike bill takes next step in Senate, NHC commissioners discuss regulatory approach
“I wanted to address it because I think it’s a safety issue, and upon review, I didn’t see that we as a town had any guidelines, ordinances, regulations in place,” Campbell told Port City Daily.
Injuries caused by “micromobility” devices such as e-bikes, hoverboards, and e-scooters, have gone up in recent years. A 2023 report completed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission cited a 23% annual increase since 2017. Out of the injuries that occurred between 2017 and 2022, 46% happened in 2022.
Campbell’s desired outcome is for Leland to have guidelines on helmet use, age requirements, and clear rules for where e-bikes can operate, such as sidewalks. He also noted safety regulations for other means of transportation, such as helmet requirements, as a foundation for why similar rules need to be put in place for e-bikes.
“When I’m on my motorcycle, I have to wear a helmet. When I’m in my car, I have to wear a seat belt,” Campbell said. “I’d like to see some kind of a guideline there that says if you’re going to do this, you have to have this equipment.”
Currently, Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties all lack ordinances specific to the use of e-bikes. However, there are municipalities in North Carolina that do have ordinances in place, such as Waxhaw, adopted in February of 2026. Its ordinance specific to “bicycles, electric bicycles, and regulated devices,” which includes rules such as a maximum speed of 15 mph in parks and greenways, a helmet requirement for those 16 years old or younger, requiring they follow traffic laws, and up to a $50 fine per violation.
Councilwoman Veronica Carter added to Campbell’s concerns. She said she witnessed a man with a motorized skateboard almost collide with individuals walking their dogs.
“If it exceeds a certain speed limit, then it needs to be regulated to some extent, because it’s a danger,” Carter said. “It scares the nonsense out of me every time he comes around the corner because I just know I’m going to watch somebody get taken out by him.”
Police Chief Jeremy Humphries also agreed to gather his own report on surrounding municipalities policy to present to the council during the council’s meeting next month.
Council discussed bills currently in the state legislature when questions arose over how much authority the town has to implement an ordinance on e-bikes.
“Municipalities have broad authority to regulate activity on public streets within its boundaries, but I hesitate to say that that means under all circumstances you can impose any kind of rule you want on any form of transportation,” Town Attorney Steve Coggins said, adding that if the town moves ahead with regulations for e-bikes he would need to review them.
The legislation in question is Senate Bill 970 and House Bill 1084; both pieces are called “E-Bike Definition and Local Regulation” and are nearly identical.
S.B. 970 was filed on April 30 and is sponsored by Senator Michael Lee (R-New Hanover County) and Michael Lazzara (R-Onslow County.). H.B. 1084 was filed on April 28 and is sponsored by Representative Beth Helfrich (D-Mecklenburg County).
While the state’s current definition of an e-bike is a bicycle with two to three wheels, operable pedals, an electric motor not exceeding 750 watts, with a maximum speed of 20 mph, these bills would break e-bikes into three classifications:
- Class 1 – The motor assists only when the rider is pedaling and stops at 20 mph
- Class 2 – The motor does not require pedaling to move the bike and stops at 20 mph
- Class 3 – The motor assists only when the rider is pedaling and stops at 28 mph
Classifications for e-bikes allow for more targeted regulations as a city could tailor helmet regulations, speed limits, and use restrictions to a specific class of e-bike.
The legislation also cements local control of e-bike rules and restrictions, specifying that a city can restrict use of a class or classes of e-bikes on multi-use paths, sidewalks, and trails, implement speed limits on greenways and shared use paths, require helmets for users or passengers under the age of 18 on a class 1 or 2 bike, and impose penalties for violations of the regulations.
At the council meeting Humphries said that the state legislature passing these bills would be helpful in identifying if an e-bike meets or exceeds thresholds for regulation as well as providing overall guidance.
Both bills are still in committee. The last action taken on H.B. 1084 was on April 30 when it was referred to the Committee on Appropriations. S.B. 970 has seen more recent movement, going to the Committee on Rules and Operations on May 4.
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