Connecticut e-bike laws
Last checked Oct 23, 2026 ยท By EbikePost editors
Short answer
Three-class system: yes. Class 3: A Class 3 e-bike has a motor that cuts out at 28 mph and must have a speedometer. Nobody under 16 may ride one (under-16s may sit as passengers on one built to carry them), and Class 3 may not be ridden on any bicycle trail, path or multiuse trail.
| Minimum age | No minimum age for Class 1 or 2; no one under 16 may ride a Class 3. |
|---|---|
| Helmets | Everyone who rides or sits as a passenger on an e-bike, of any age or class, must wear an ANSI, CPSC, ASTM or Snell-standard helmet (CGS 14-289k(f)); breaking this rule is an infraction. For children 17 and under the separate 14-286d rule only allows a verbal warning to the parent. |
| Bike paths | E-bikes may go where bicycles may unless a local ordinance bans them; Class 3 is barred from bicycle and multiuse trails and paths, and Class 2 is barred from natural-surface nonmotorized trails unless local ordinance allows. |
| Roads | E-bike riders have the same rights and duties as bicycle riders. |
| Sidewalks | CGS 14-286 requires bicycle and e-bike riders on a sidewalk to yield to pedestrians; the sections reviewed set no separate e-bike sidewalk ban. |
Resolves the helmet-scope conflict: 14-289k(f) applies to all e-bike riders; the under-16 age relates only to Class 3. Text from the 2026 supplement to Chapter 248 on the Connecticut General Assembly site, including P.A. 25-159.
StatuteOfficial pageChecked Oct 23, 2026
Rebates in Connecticut
- Connecticut CHEAPR eBike Incentive Program: Round 2 vouchers: $500 standard; Voucher+ adds $750 for qualifying residents ($1,250 total) (closed)
This is general information, not legal advice.