Roanoke, VA Mobility & Curb Rules: E-Bike Classes (2026)
Key Facts
- Class 1 / Class 2 cutoff speed
- 20 mph pedal or throttle assist
- Class 3 cutoff speed
- 28 mph, pedal assist only
- Max motor wattage
- 750 watts
- Helmet requirement
- Class 3 riders and passengers only
- Where e-bikes may ride
- Anywhere bicycles are allowed
Summary
Roanoke splits electric power-assisted bicycles into three classes by top pedal-assist speed of 20, 20, and 28 mph, and lets all three ride anywhere ordinary bicycles are allowed, including streets, shoulders, bicycle lanes, and shared-use paths, with helmets required only for class three.
An electric power-assisted bicycle... is a vehicle that travels on not more than three (3) wheels in contact with the ground and is equipped with (i) pedals that allow propulsion by human power, (ii) a seat for the use of the rider, and (iii) an electric motor with an input of no more than seven hundred and fifty (750) watts... Class one means an electric power-assisted bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of twenty (20) miles per hour... Class three means... twenty-eight (28) miles per hour.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 20-165 defines an electric power-assisted bicycle as a vehicle with no more than three wheels, pedals allowing human propulsion, a seat, and a motor of no more than 750 watts. Class one provides assistance only while pedaling and cuts off at 20 mph; class two can be powered by the motor alone and also cuts off at 20 mph; class three assists only while pedaling and cuts off at 28 mph. Under subsection (a), an e-bike and its operator get the same rights and duties as a bicycle and its operator, and subsection (b) exempts e-bikes from Virginia driver's license, registration, title, and license plate requirements.
Subsection (f) is the where-to-ride rule: e-bikes may be ridden in Roanoke and Carvins Cove Natural Reserve anywhere bicycles are allowed, including streets, highways, roads, shoulders, bicycle lanes, and bicycle or shared-use paths. Subsection (g) requires every operator and passenger of a class three e-bike to wear a properly fitted, fastened helmet meeting Consumer Product Safety Commission or ASTM standards; failing to wear one isn't itself negligence or admissible in a civil damages case, but the helmet duty stands. Since January 1, 2021, subsection (c) requires manufacturers and distributors to permanently label each e-bike with its class number, top assisted speed, and motor wattage in at least nine-point Arial type, and class three bikes must carry a speedometer.
Tampering with the motor's speed capability without replacing that label is barred by subsection (d), and the motor must disengage when the rider stops pedaling or brakes under subsection (e).
Violations & Fines
General e-bike violations under this article are traffic infractions punishable by a fine of not more than $200.00 under Sec. 20-132, except that removing, altering, or mutilating a frame or motor identification number is a Class 3 misdemeanor. Riding a class three e-bike without the required helmet is a violation of Sec. 20-165(g), though the code specifies that lack of a helmet cannot be used as evidence of negligence in a civil suit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a helmet to ride an e-bike in Roanoke?
Can I ride an e-bike on Roanoke's shared-use paths?
Do I need a license or registration for an e-bike in Roanoke?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roanoke
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