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Arkansas e-bike and e-trike laws

✓ Last verifiedVerified Sep 2026Every rule links to the statute or state agency page
In short

Probably yes: Arkansas treats a pedal e-bike with a motor under 750 watts like a regular bicycle, with no license, plate or insurance, though the law does not say whether three-wheelers count. Ride on roads and on bike paths unless the local path owner says no. The fastest (28 mph) type is for riders 16 and up, stays off most paths, and riders under 21 need a helmet.

Does an e-trike count as an e-bike here? Unclear.
Rules below
Apply to e-bikes. Whether Arkansas law counts a trike as one isn't settled; see below.
License
No driver's license, registration, title or insurance is needed for an e-bike that meets the classes; it is not a motor vehicle.
Helmet
Riders and passengers under 21 on a Class 3 e-bike must wear a bicycle helmet; no helmet rule for Class 1 or 2 was found. (Class 3)
Minimum age
You must be at least 16 to operate a Class 3 e-bike; younger riders may be passengers on one built for passengers. No minimum age for Class 1 or 2. (Class 3)
Where you can ride
E-bike riders have the same rights and duties as bicyclists, so they may ride on roads where bicycles may go.
Three wheels

Does an e-trike count as an e-bike?

Unclear
“Electric bicycle" means a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than seven hundred fifty watts (750 W)”
Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-1702(4) ↗
Classes

The e-bike classes

Class 1
Under 750WAssist to 20 mphNo throttle
Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-1702(1) ↗
Class 2
Under 750WAssist to 20 mphThrottle allowed to 20 mph
Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-1702(2) ↗
Class 3
Under 750WAssist to 28 mphNo throttle
Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-1702(3) ↗
Outside the classes
Treated as a motorized bicycle or motor-driven cycle (unclear for electric motors).
driver's license or motorized bicycle certificate (unconfirmed)registration (unconfirmed)
Act 956 excludes electric bicycles from 'motorized bicycle'. A bike or trike outside the classes loses that exclusion. Arkansas's motorized bicycle (50 cc or less) and motor-driven cycle (250 cc or less, no more than three wheels) definitions are written for gas engines, so how an over-limit electric bike is classified is unclear. The license and registration duties for those categories were not checked against the statute.
Trikes in our guide

How the trikes we list are treated in Arkansas

Arkansas law doesn't settle whether a trike is an e-bike, so we can't say which trikes fit. 80 of the 191 we list would need checking even if trikes do count; they're listed below. We check motor power, top speed and the stated class. Not legal advice.

The rules

Every rule, with its source

License
Helmet
Minimum age
  • Class 3 You must be at least 16 to operate a Class 3 e-bike; younger riders may be passengers on one built for passengers. No minimum age for Class 1 or 2. Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-1706(a) ↗
Where you can ride
Bike paths and trails
  • Class 1 Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes may use bike paths and multi-use paths where bicycles are allowed, unless the local authority in charge bans them. Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-1705(a) ↗
  • Class 3 Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed on bike or multi-use paths unless the path runs next to a road or the local authority allows them. Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-1705(b) ↗
Labels
  • Makers must put a permanent label on each e-bike showing its class, top assisted speed and motor wattage; if you modify the bike's speed you must replace the label. Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-1704(b)-(c) ↗
Also good to know
Statutes and sources
Act 956 of 2017 (HB 2185), Electric Bicycle Act, Arkansas Legislature ↗Ark. Code § 27-51-1702 (locator, FindLaw, current to 3-28-2024) ↗
What we couldn't confirm from official sources (4)
  • The Arkansas definition of 'bicycle' (and so whether three-wheelers count as e-bikes) could not be retrieved from an official source.
  • No 2019-2026 amendments to Ark. Code §§ 27-51-1701 to -1706 were found (FindLaw text current to Mar 2024 matches Act 956). The arkleg.state.ar.us act/bill search could not be queried automatically, so 2025-2026 acts were not fully ruled out.
  • Arkansas State Parks and Game & Fish e-bike trail policies were not reviewed.
  • License, registration and helmet duties for motorized bicycles and motor-driven cycles (for bikes outside the classes) were not verified against the statute.

This page explains the law in plain language. It is not legal advice. Cities, counties and park agencies can add their own rules; check posted signs and confirm with your state before you ride.

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