Rochester, MN Mobility & Curb Rules: E-Bike Classes (2026)

City Code § 11-11-1 defines "low power vehicle" to include autocycles, e-bikes, mini-trucks, motor scooters, motorized foot scooters, and neighborhood electric vehicles, folding e-bikes into the same regulatory chapter as scooters and small electric vehicles rather than giving them a standalone local classification. Section 11-11-2 then sets the operating rule for every category on that list, including e-bikes: operation upon a public street, alley, highway, sidewalk, or other public property in the city is governed by the corresponding provisions of Minnesota Statutes chapter 169. Rochester's own code does not restate the state's three-class e-bike system or specify separately where each class may ride; instead it incorporates whatever chapter 169 requires and lets that state framework control.

The chapter does add city-specific restrictions that apply to e-bikes when parked: § 11-11-3 bars securing any low power vehicle to a tree, parking meter post, street light post, traffic signal post, or sign post, though a personally owned e-bike that is not part of a sharing operation may be parked on a sidewalk or temporarily attached to a sign post or bicycle rack as long as it does not block pedestrian or other traffic. Chapter 11-11 was adopted in its entirety by Ordinance No. 4407 in April 2020, and § 11-11-6 makes any violation of the chapter a petty misdemeanor.