Clayton County, GA Mobility & Curb Rules: E-Bike Classes (2026)

The definition sits in Article V of Chapter 94, the Motorized Cart Control Ordinance of Clayton County, adopted as Ord. No. 2019-32 on March 19, 2019 and applied in the unincorporated county. Section 94-152(a) lists the terms used in the article. Unlike statutes that sort e-bikes into Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3, Clayton County writes a single electric bicycle definition. Nothing in Chapter 94 separates throttle from pedal-assist models, so the sorting is done entirely by hardware limits.

The device must have two or three wheels, a saddle, and fully operative pedals for human propulsion, plus an electric motor. To be an electric-assisted bicycle it must meet the federal motor vehicle safety standards in 49 CFR 571 et seq., and it must operate so the motor disengages or ceases to function when the brakes are applied. The motor then faces three limits: a power output of not more than 1,000 watts, no ability to propel the device above 20 miles per hour on level ground, and no ability to add speed once human power alone is moving the device at or above 20 miles per hour. A traditional bicycle is a separate term: a human-powered device with only two tandem wheels, either of which is more than 13 inches in diameter.

The line matters because of what surrounds it. Section 94-156(a)(7) lists "Bicycles, traditional and electric (as defined in section 94-152)" among the authorized users of paved recreation paths and sidewalks. Section 94-157(a)(3) bars street and trail motorized bikes from the paths but carves out electric bicycles, while (a)(4) bars minibikes and mopeds and (a)(8) bars any vehicle designed to exceed 20 miles per hour under its own power. A moped, defined in § 94-152 by a two brake horsepower source and a 30 miles per hour ceiling, therefore gets no path access, and a motor that outruns the 1,000 watt or 20 miles per hour caps pushes the machine out of the electric bicycle category.

Riders inside the category still carry conditions. Under § 94-158(i) every user of an electric bicycle on the recreational paths must wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet meeting the American National Standards Institute or Snell Memorial Foundation bicycle standard, or a motorcycle helmet. Section 94-158(j) bars anyone under the age of 15 from operating an electric bicycle on those paths. Section 94-158(d) applies the rules of the road, with oncoming users keeping right and passing on the left, and a warning or announcement is required when approaching pedestrians from the rear.