Own an e-bike or e-moto in Idaho? Here’s what changed this week and what to know
This week marked a big shift for electric motorcycle or “e-moto” riders in the Treasure Valley.
Boise City Council members unanimously passed an ordinance allowing the vehicles only on public roads and requiring them to be street legal, and Meridian Police announced they will “focus enforcement efforts” on people riding e-motos and e-bikes illegally or unsafely.
“I think about this from the perspective of a mom who just wants to make sure that their kid’s safe,” Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said, ahead of the council’s vote.
Boise’s move came amid a “concerning surge” of injuries related to electric transportation methods, as well as an influx of vehicles sold as e-bikes even if they were more powerful.
The ordinance, which took effect July 1, defines an e-moto as a “two or three-wheeled vehicle propelled in part or wholly by an electric motor exceeding 750 watts or capable of a top speed of more than 28 miles per hour,” differentiating it from an e-bike.
To be street legal, the e-motos have to be “titled, insured and registered,” a city press release said. Riders need a valid driver’s license plus the motorcycle endorsement.
The change is expected to bring more people to the Department of Motor Vehicles, according to Idaho Transportation Department spokesperson Britt Rosenthal. Customers looking to title and register their e-motos will need ownership documents, a vehicle identification number inspection and a notarized motorbike conversion affidavit, Rosenthal said.
Officials throughout the state have tried to wrestle with the gray area e-bikes occupy — faster than humans strolling on the greenbelt but not quite at the same level as cars and trucks.
Boise and Ada County have created infractions for speeding on the Greenbelt, and the city worked with Lime, a popular electric transportation company, to limit scooter speeds in parts of the city.
This legislative session, lawmakers changed the state’s law to include e-bikes, closing a loophole that came to light after a 2024 case where a driver turned into an e-bike rider in downtown Boise. Police cited the driver, arguing he violated state code that requires drivers to watch out for pedestrians and human-powered vehicles.
But the judge dismissed the case because it wasn’t clear if e-bikes are human powered. The change means cars would need to watch out for e-bikes on the road. The legislation also clarified that e-bike riders need to follow regular traffic laws and sit only on the permanent, attached seat. There also couldn’t be more e-bike riders than normal under the proposed bill, a regulation that already applies to regular bicycles.
But tensions remain. This week, at a meeting of HOA leaders in Eagle, residents expressed anger and frustration, including by nearly being run over by a kid going 25 mph on a walking path. “When does it stop?” one person asked. “Who are we supposed to call?” said another.
Noah Daly contributed reporting
