North Shore residents who ride e-bikes on Green Bay Road, the Central Street corridor in Wilmette, or paths near Metra UP-N stations could face new statewide rules as soon as Tuesday, July 1.
Illinois Senate Bill 3484 would create the state's first uniform framework for e-bikes, e-scooters, electric skateboards, and electric unicycles. The bill passed the state Senate 54-0 on Thursday, April 16, and cleared the General Assembly on Monday, June 1. As of Monday, June 22, Gov. JB Pritzker had not yet signed the measure. The Village of Wilmette's June 17 civic alert said the governor's signature is anticipated "in the coming weeks."
If signed, the law would override key portions of the local ordinances that Wilmette, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Glencoe, and Northfield have individually adopted or debated. The Illinois Municipal League backed the legislation, a notable departure for an organization that typically resists state preemption of local authority.
What changes for riders
The law bans riding e-devices on sidewalks statewide, sets new age limits (the minimum for low-speed e-scooters drops to 16), and creates uniform classifications that sort devices by speed. Devices capable of exceeding 28 mph would eventually require a driver's license, title, registration, and insurance, but those requirements are slated for Wednesday, January 1, 2027. E-bikes and e-motos purchased before that date would be exempt from the title requirement but must still register.
The Illinois Secretary of State's Office said it plans to focus initially on education rather than enforcement for provisions like age limits and the sidewalk ban, according to an Axios Chicago report on the rollout plan.
Why the state acted
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office initiated the legislation, said some devices now on the market "resemble motorcycles more than they do traditional bicycles." His office cited federal data showing micromobility-related injuries and fatalities surged 300 percent nationally from 2019 to 2022.
State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), the bill's main Senate sponsor and chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, put it bluntly: "Innovation without guardrails puts people at risk."
Wilmette's own debate now superseded
Wilmette's Village Board took up e-bike and e-scooter regulation at its Tuesday, January 27 meeting at Village Hall. The village said its goal was safety for riders and other transit users through rules that are "easy to understand & enforce." A Chicago Tribune report from February 4 described the board as having clashed over e-bike rules without reaching resolution. The statewide law now sets the baseline on sidewalk use and device classifications, though each village will need to review whether additional local provisions conflict with the new framework.
Key dates
July 1, 2026 (pending signature): Sidewalk riding banned statewide. Age limits and device classifications take effect.
January 1, 2027: Riders of high-speed e-bikes and e-motos (over 28 mph) must carry a driver's license, title, registration, and insurance. Pre-existing devices exempt from title requirement but must register.
Wilmette has posted information at wilmette.gov/Edevices. The state's regulation matrix is available through the Secretary of State's "One Road One Focus" campaign at ilsos.gov.
