Tempe, AZ Mobility & Curb Rules: E-Bike Classes (2026)

Article XVI of Chapter 19 (Sections 19-181 through 19-217), adopted by Ordinance No. 22, governs bicycles, electric bicycles, human-powered and non-human-powered vehicles, and electric personal assistive mobility devices together. Section 19-1 defines an electric bicycle as a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of no more than 750 watts, whose top speed on a paved level surface under motor power alone is 20 mph; Arizona does not classify e-bikes by a numbered class system, so this single definition covers what other states might call a Class 1 or Class 2 bike.

A rider gets all the rights and duties of a bicycle rider under state and local law. Section 19-212 governs sidewalk and bike lane riding: a rider must slow to 5 mph and give an audible signal before passing a pedestrian, must yield when entering or crossing a roadway from a sidewalk, and may ride on a sidewalk without a bike lane only where the posted speed limit exceeds 25 mph. Subsection (E) singles out electric bicycles specifically: no one may operate an electric bicycle on a public sidewalk while the helper motor is engaged, so sidewalk riding must be pedal-only.

Section 19-214 then sets speed ceilings that apply once the bike leaves the sidewalk: no faster than 28 mph in a bicycle lane or on the street, or the posted speed limit if lower, and no faster than 20 mph on a multi-use path. Riders under 18 must wear an ANSI-certified bicycle helmet under Section 19-215, and after dark the bike needs a front white lamp visible 500 feet and a rear red lamp visible 50 to 300 feet under Section 19-216.