Parents in Downers Grove who buy e-bikes for their kids will face new financial liability under a state law taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Illinois Senate Bill 3484, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker on Aug. 26, creates the state's first statewide rules for e-bikes, e-scooters and other micromobility devices. Downers Grove Police Officer Wade Larkin, who regularly handles incidents involving teenagers on e-bikes, told the Downers Grove South High School Blueprint that the law makes parents financially responsible.
"It's going to be more strict on parents. Anytime they are buying it and they are giving it to their juvenile, they're going to be responsible anytime there's an accident or anything happens with that bike," Larkin said.
Fines under the new law range from $164 to $1,000 depending on the violation, according to Larkin's characterization. He added that juvenile riders caught breaking e-bike laws could lose an existing driver's license. For those who don't yet have one, Larkin said it's possible their eligibility could be delayed until age 21.
The law sets statewide age minimums for the first time. Riders must be at least 15 to operate a Class 1 or Class 2 e-bike, which tops out at 20 mph. Class 3 e-bikes, capable of 28 mph, require riders to be at least 16. The law also bans all e-bikes from sidewalks statewide, according to GovTech.
Riders under 18 cannot carry passengers unless the passenger is an immediate family member and the bike is built for multiple riders.
Any electric two-wheeled device with a motor exceeding 750 watts or capable of speeds above 28 mph will be reclassified as a motor-driven cycle. That means a driver's license, title, registration and liability insurance will be required to ride on public roads.
Downers Grove already has local rules
The Village of Downers Grove adopted its own e-bike ordinance in October 2025. Under those local rules, Class 3 riders must be at least 16. Neither Class 1 nor Class 2 e-bikes are allowed on sidewalks. Parents can already be cited for allowing an unlicensed minor to ride and are responsible for violations, damages or injuries.
But the village currently sets no age minimum for Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. That changes Jan. 1. The new state law will add a floor of 15 for those classes.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said the law is part of a broader "Ride Safe, Ride Smart, Ride Ready" campaign. His office noted that micromobility-related injuries and fatalities nationwide surged 300 percent between 2019 and 2022, according to an Illinois Secretary of State press release.
Larkin urged families to check their own village's codes before riding and said protective gear matters most.
