House Bill 948 Looks to Educate Ohioans on E-Bikes
Vol. IV, No. 2 - Electric bikes are everywhere and the State is looking to educate residents on where these two wheelers should and should not be.
If you’ve watched a 13-year-old blast down a sidewalk at 20 miles per hour on a bike with no pedaling required, you already understand the problem Ohio lawmakers are trying to solve. Electric bicycles are everywhere — and the rules governing them haven’t kept up.
Introduced in the 136th General Assembly by Representatives Andrea White (R-Kettering) and Kevin Miller (R-Newark), House Bill 948 takes direct aim at that gap. It doesn’t ban e-bikes or pile on new regulations for casual riders. What it does is close three specific holes in Ohio law: what drivers need to know, what schools need to teach, and what happens where e-bikes are — and aren’t — allowed to go.
Not All E-Bikes Are the Same
Before you can understand the law, you need to understand the vehicles. Ohio recognizes three distinct classes of electric bicycles, and the differences between them matter.
A Class 1 e-bike provides motor assistance only when the rider is actively pedaling, and that assistance shuts off at 20 mph. Think of it as a traditional bicycle with a helpful push — the motor works with you, not for you.
A Class 2 e-bike is different. The motor can propel the bike entirely on its own, without any pedaling at all. It also tops out at 20 mph, but a rider can travel the full distance without ever turning a pedal. This is the category most commonly associated with the throttle-powered bikes you see on sidewalks.
A Class 3 e-bike operates like a Class 1 — motor assists only when pedaling — but it can reach 28 mph before the motor cuts off. That’s faster than many people can comfortably react to on a shared path or sidewalk. Under current Ohio law, Class 3 riders and passengers must be at least 16 years old and must wear a helmet. Class 3 bikes are also prohibited on dedicated bike paths and shared-use paths unless the local authority specifically allows them.
All three classes must have motors under 750 watts. Once a bike exceeds that threshold or can exceed 28 mph, Ohio law classifies it as a motorcycle or motorized bicycle — requiring registration, a motorcycle endorsement on your license, and insurance. These higher-powered vehicles, often called e-motos, are a separate and growing problem that HB 948 acknowledges but largely leaves for a future legislative session.
What’s Actually in the Bill
The bill amends three sections of the Ohio Revised Code.
The first change hits the driver’s license exam. Under current law, applicants are tested on school bus stops, distracted driving, and traffic control devices. HB 948 adds a new requirement: applicants must now demonstrate knowledge of how to safely operate a motor vehicle near pedestrians and bicyclists — specifically including those on electric bicycles. This is a modest but important shift. It means the first time a new driver legally has to think about sharing the road with an e-bike is before they ever get behind the wheel on their own.
The second change goes into driver education curriculum. Ohio already requires 24 hours of classroom instruction and 8 hours of behind-the-wheel time for new drivers. HB 948 expands what that classroom time must cover by adding a third mandatory topic: the laws for sharing the roadway with pedestrians and bicycle operators — including e-bike riders — with specific instruction on hand and arm signals, right-of-way rules, and passing protocols. Previously, only distracted driving and impaired driving were explicitly required topics. E-bike awareness would now stand alongside them.
The third change deals with what people need to know when they buy one. The bill adds a new consumer protection requirement: no retailer can sell an electric bicycle without giving the buyer — either on paper or electronically — an educational leaflet created by the Ohio Department of Transportation. That leaflet is also newly required by the bill, which directs ODOT and the Department of Public Safety to jointly produce materials outlining Ohio law for e-bike operators, distinguish between e-bikes and higher-powered vehicles like mopeds and motor-driven cycles, and publish explanatory videos on both agencies’ websites.
Why This Matters for Communities Like Troy
The conversation Troy City Council had at its last meeting reflects what is happening in cities across Ohio. Council President Bill Rozell, Mayor Robin Oda, and Service Director Patrick Titterington were already grappling with the question — and acknowledged the state was looking at it too. The Troy Police Department has developed a “wheels chart” to help students and the community understand the wide range of electric bikes and motorized vehicles now on the streets. Resource officers are going to the Troy Rec to talk with kids directly.
That ground-level education effort is exactly what HB 948 tries to systemize at the state level. And this isn’t just a kids problem. Adults are buying e-bikes in large numbers. E-bikes account for 63% of all bicycle sales growth over the past seven years. Some of those bikes are purchased at pawn shops and big box retailers where no one is explaining Ohio law to the buyer. The new retail education requirement in HB 948 is designed to change that.
What the Bill Doesn’t Do — Yet
HB 948 does not require registration, licensing, or insurance for e-bike riders. It does not raise age requirements for Class 1 and Class 2 bikes. What it does do is commission a formal study. Section 3 of the bill directs the Director of Public Safety to begin a study within 30 days of the bill’s effective date, examining whether Ohio’s current vehicle definitions and classifications accurately reflect how these vehicles are actually being used, and whether additional safety training or requirements for Class 3 e-bike riders are warranted. That report goes to the Governor and legislative leaders within three months.
In other words, HB 948 is a first step, not a final answer. It’s the state catching its breath, educating new drivers, requiring retailers to take some responsibility, and commissioning the data it needs to decide what comes next.
For a community like Troy — where the police department is already filling the education gap on its own — that study could matter a great deal.
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