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Maine e-bike and e-trike laws

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

Yes. Maine law expressly counts a 3-wheel e-bike with pedals and a motor under 750 watts as an electric bicycle: no license, registration, plate or insurance. Ride it on roads and shoulders, and a Class 1 or 2 on bike paths unless posted otherwise; gravel or dirt non-motorized trails need permission. Riders under 16 must wear a helmet and can only ride a pedal-assist Class 1.

Does an e-trike count as an e-bike here? Yes.
License
No driver's license, registration, plate or insurance is needed for an electric bicycle, and it is not a 'motor vehicle' (so no title).
Helmet
Anyone under 16 riding or carried as a passenger on any e-bike must wear a properly fitted, fastened bicycle helmet; no helmet requirement for adults.
Minimum age
You must be at least 16 to operate a Class 2 (throttle) or Class 3 e-bike; there is no minimum age for Class 1. (Class 2)
Where you can ride
E-bikes follow bicycle rules: ride on the right of the road as far as practicable, and you may use paved shoulders.
Sidewalks
No statewide e-bike sidewalk rule was found in Title 29-A; sidewalk riding is left to local ordinances.
Three wheels

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

Yes
“Electric bicycle" means a 2-wheel or 3-wheel bicycle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts”
29-A M.R.S. § 101(22-B) ↗
Classes

The e-bike classes

Class 1
Under 750WAssist to 20 mphNo throttle
29-A M.R.S. § 101(22-B)(A) ↗
Class 2
Under 750WAssist to 20 mphThrottle allowed to 20 mph
29-A M.R.S. § 101(22-B)(B) ↗
Class 3
Under 750WAssist to 28 mphNo throttle
29-A M.R.S. § 101(22-B)(C) ↗
Outside the classes
Treated as a moped (electric motor under 1,500 W, 2 or 3 wheels 10 in.+) or motorcycle (1,500 W or more); possibly 'motorized tricycle'.
driver's license (any class) or moped/motorcycle endorsementregistrationinsurance (as a motor vehicle)helmet under 18 / new riders
An e-trike with 750-1,499 W is a 'moped' (2 or 3 wheels of 10 in. or more): needs a valid license of any class or a moped/motorcycle endorsement, may not use interstates, and as a motor vehicle is subject to registration and financial-responsibility rules; helmets required for moped operators/passengers under 18 and learner-permit riders. 1,500 W or more is a 'motorcycle'. If modified past 20 mph (throttle) or 28 mph (pedal assist) it 'is no longer an electric bicycle'. Maine also has a 'motorized bicycle or tricycle' category (up to 1.5 bhp, 25 mph) treated as a bicycle under § 2063 with a 20 mph speed cap; how it overlaps with 'moped' for an electric trike is unclear.
Trikes in our guide

How the trikes we list are treated in Maine

77 of the 191 trikes we list fit Maine's e-bike rules on their published figures. 80 need checking before you buy, and 34 don't publish enough to tell. We check motor power, top speed and the stated class. Not legal advice.

Show the 77 that fit the rules
The rules

Every rule, with its source

License
Helmet
Minimum age
Where you can ride
Sidewalks
Bike paths and trails
  • Class 1 Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes may go anywhere bicycles can, including bike paths, unless the town or agency in charge of a path prohibits them. 29-A M.R.S. § 2063(14)(F)(1) ↗
  • Class 3 Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed on bike paths unless the path is within a road or the path owner authorizes them. 29-A M.R.S. § 2063(14)(F)(2) ↗
  • No e-bike of any class on non-motorized paths with significant natural surface (gravel, stones, wooden bridging) unless the path owner authorizes it. 29-A M.R.S. § 2063(14)(F)(3) ↗
State parks
  • State parks and state lands follow the same path rules: the public agency in charge can ban Class 1-2, must authorize Class 3, and must authorize any e-bike on natural-surface non-motorized trails; check the specific park. 29-A M.R.S. § 2063(14)(F) ↗
Passengers
Labels
  • Sellers must attach a permanent label with class, top assisted speed and wattage; you may not modify speed or throttle/pedal-assist engagement without relabeling. 29-A M.R.S. § 2063(14)(B)-(C) ↗
Also good to know
Changes and local rules

What's new, and what cities add

Statutes and sources
29-A M.R.S. § 101 Definitions (Maine Revisor of Statutes) ↗29-A M.R.S. § 2063 Bicycles ... (incl. sub-§14 Electric bicycles) ↗29-A M.R.S. § 2323 Bicyclist helmet use ↗29-A M.R.S. § 2084 Bicycles and scooters (night equipment) ↗29-A M.R.S. § 1252 License classes (mopeds) ↗29-A M.R.S. § 2083 Protective headgear (mopeds/motorcycles) ↗LD 1258 bill status (132nd Legislature) ↗P.L. 2025, ch. 317 (LD 1258) chaptered law ↗
What we couldn't confirm from official sources (4)
  • Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands / state trail e-bike policy was not found on an official page (the DACF biking page has no e-bike rules).
  • How a 750-1,499 W electric trike is classified between 'moped' and 'motorized bicycle or tricycle', and whether moped registration/insurance then applies, was not confirmed with the BMV.
  • Revisor statute pages were 'extracted on 10/20/2025', so 2026 session laws are not reflected there; a title search of the 132nd Legislature for 'bicycle', 'bike', 'moped', 'scooter' and 'micromobility' found only LD 1258, but e-bike provisions inside bills with other titles could have been missed.
  • Exact effective date of P.L. 2025, ch. 317 (non-emergency law) not verified.

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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