ePedaler

Michigan e-bike and e-trike laws

✓ Last verifiedVerified Sep 2026Every rule links to the statute or state agency page
In short

Yes: Michigan's bicycle definition expressly includes 3-wheel tricycles, so a pedal e-trike up to 750 watts is an e-bike with no license, plate or insurance needed. Ride on roads, bike lanes and shoulders, and a Class 1 (pedal-assist) trike on paved and rail trails. On state DNR trails a throttle (Class 2) trike needs a free mobility permit.

Does an e-trike count as an e-bike here? Yes.
License
No license, registration, title or insurance is needed; e-bikes are not motor vehicles in Michigan.
Helmet
Riders and passengers under 18 on a Class 3 e-bike must wear a bicycle helmet; there's no helmet rule for Class 1 or 2 or for adults. (Class 3)
Minimum age
You must be at least 14 to operate a Class 3 e-bike; there is no state minimum age for Class 1 or 2. (Class 3)
Where you can ride
You may ride any part of a road open to bicycles, including bike lanes and shoulders.
Sidewalks
E-bikes follow bicycle rules, and state law allows bicycles on sidewalks unless a sign prohibits it; riders must yield to pedestrians and give an audible warning before passing. Cities may prohibit it.
Three wheels

Does an e-trike count as an e-bike?

Yes
“Bicycle" means a device propelled by human power upon which a person may ride, having either 2 or 3 wheels in a tandem or tricycle arrangement, all of which are over 14 inches in diameter.”
MCL 257.4; MCL 257.13e; MCL 257.662a(1) ↗
Classes

The e-bike classes

Class 1
Up to 750WAssist to 20 mphNo throttle
MCL 257.13e(b)(i) ↗
Class 2
Up to 750WAssist to 20 mphThrottle allowed to 20 mph
MCL 257.13e(b)(ii) ↗
Class 3
Up to 750WAssist to 28 mphNo throttle
MCL 257.13e(b)(iii) ↗
Outside the classes
Treated as a moped (up to 30 mph) or motorcycle.
license (operator's license or moped license, 15+)registrationhelmet under 19 (moped)
A device whose motor exceeds 750 W or has been modified out of class is not an e-bike. A 2- or 3-wheel vehicle that can't exceed 30 mph and needs no gear shifting is a 'moped': it needs a moped license or regular license, registration (no title), and a helmet for riders under 19. Faster vehicles are motorcycles and need a motorcycle endorsement. The DNR calls these 'e-motos' and bans them from nonmotorized trails.
E-trikes in our guide

How the trikes we list are treated in Michigan

140 of the 191 trikes we list fit Michigan's e-bike rules on their published figures. 7 need checking before you buy, and 44 don't publish enough to tell. We check motor power, top speed and the stated class. Not legal advice.

Show the 140 that fit the rules
E-bikes in our guide

How the e-bikes we list are treated in Michigan

200 of the 268 two-wheel e-bikes we list fit Michigan's e-bike rules on their published figures. 40 need checking before you buy, and 28 don't publish enough to tell. Not legal advice.

Show the 200 that fit the rules
The rules

Every rule, with its source

License
  • No license, registration, title or insurance is needed; e-bikes are not motor vehicles in Michigan. MCL 257.33 ↗
Helmet
  • Class 3 Riders and passengers under 18 on a Class 3 e-bike must wear a bicycle helmet; there's no helmet rule for Class 1 or 2 or for adults. MCL 257.662a(4)(b) ↗
Minimum age
  • Class 3 You must be at least 14 to operate a Class 3 e-bike; there is no state minimum age for Class 1 or 2. MCL 257.662a(4)(a) ↗
Where you can ride
  • You may ride any part of a road open to bicycles, including bike lanes and shoulders. MCL 257.662a(6) ↗
Sidewalks
  • E-bikes follow bicycle rules, and state law allows bicycles on sidewalks unless a sign prohibits it; riders must yield to pedestrians and give an audible warning before passing. Cities may prohibit it. MCL 257.660c; 257.662a(1) ↗
Bike paths and trails
  • Class 1 Class 1 e-bikes are allowed by default on paved, crushed-limestone or rail trails, but the trail owner can restrict or ban them after a public hearing. MCL 257.662a(8), (12) ↗
  • Class 2 Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes may use those trails only if the trail owner authorizes it. MCL 257.662a(9) ↗
  • E-bikes are banned from nonmotorized natural-surface (dirt) trails unless the managing agency allows them. MCL 257.662a(10) ↗
State parks
  • Class 1 On DNR-managed land, Class 1 e-bikes may use any state park, recreation area or state forest trail open to bicycles, with some exceptions (game areas, North Country Trail, some Pigeon River pathways). Class 2 is allowed in the same places with a free DNR mobility permit. Class 3 is not allowed on any state-managed trail. All classes may use DNR roads. Michigan DNR land use order (2024), as described on the DNR e-bike page ↗
Passengers
  • You may not carry more people than the bike is designed and equipped for. MCL 257.658(2) ↗
Labels
  • E-bikes must carry a permanent label with class, top assisted speed and motor wattage. Modifying the bike beyond its class or above 750 W means it is no longer an e-bike. MCL 257.662a(2)-(3) ↗
Also good to know
  • State and local agencies must apply e-bike trail rules consistently with the ADA and Michigan's disability civil-rights act, which matters for riders with mobility limits. MCL 257.662a(11) ↗
Changes and local rules

What's new, and what cities add

Statutes and sources
What we couldn't confirm from official sources (3)
  • The DNR trail rules rest on a 2024 Land Use Order of the Director; the order text itself was not reviewed, only the DNR's official page.
  • HB 6166 would require a restricted license for some riders under 18 on Class 2/3 e-bikes; the bill text itself was not reviewed.
  • Insurance requirements for mopeds (over-750 W e-bikes) were not confirmed.

This page explains the law in plain language. It is not legal advice. Cities, counties and park agencies can add their own rules; check posted signs and confirm with your state before you ride.

Other states
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