CITY OF SUN PRAIRIE ADOPTS E-BIKE, E-SCOOTER, AND E-MOTO ORDINANCE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 16, 2026
Ashley Manthei
Communications Manager
amanthei@cityofsunprairie.com
(608) 608-0322
 
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. – On Tuesday, October 6, the City of Sun Prairie Common Council adopted an updated ordinance regulating the use of e-motos. This ordinance is a revision to the existing Vehicles and Traffic ordinance (Title 10), and outlines several updates, including:

• Establishing clear electric vehicle classifications – aligning with state-defined categories for ebikes and e-scooters while establishing a local definition for “e-motos,” or higher-powered devices that exceed those classifications and are mopeds, motorcycles, and motor vehicles under state law.
• Strengthening safe and legal operation – Clarifying where all e-devices may legally operate and reinforcing rules for speeding, obeying traffic controls, yielding to pedestrians, and safe operation, while giving law enforcement a clear basis for issuing citations for violations.
• Expanding pedestrian and bicycle regulations – renaming Ch 10.32 from “Bicycles” to “Pedestrians, Bicycles, Electric Scooters, and Play Devices” to clarify that bicycles and scooters must follow applicable rules of the road.
• Regulating shared-mobility services – establishing rules for companies offering shared bikes and scooters and creating a legal framework for potential rental services in Sun Prairie.

The updated ordinance also includes a requirement that all bicycle or e-device riders under the age of 18 wear helmets when riding.

The purpose of this ordinance is to create clear rules and guidelines around e-devices, which are quickly growing in popularity.

“As more electric powered devices hit the streets, bike paths, and sidewalks of Sun Prairie, it’s important that residents know how to safely and legally operate them,” says David Salmon, Transportation Coordinator. “Some devices can operate at high speeds up to 50-70 mph – and those really cannot be treated the same as a bicycle. As a Vision Zero community, Sun Prairie is committed to achieving zero serious injuries and/or fatalities, which makes this emerging issue an essential one to get a handle on.”

Across Wisconsin, more people are purchasing electric devices that may not be legal to operate. Depending on their capabilities, e-bikes and e-scooters that exceed state-defined classifications may be considered mopeds, motorcycles, or other motor vehicles, which require registration, a valid license, and insurance. Devices capable of traveling faster than 20 mph on motor power alone fall outside the definitions of legal e-bikes or e-scooters and are subject to additional requirements or operating restrictions. E-motos cannot be legally operated on sidewalks, shared use paths, or in bike lanes. They also cannot  be operated on roadways unless they are appropriately registered, insured as a moped, motorcycle, or motor vehicle, and the operator is licensed to operate those types of vehicles. Due to a loophole used by manufacturers, E-motos are not legally motor vehicles under federal law and so cannot be registered as such in Wisconsin and are not street legal.

Many parents are purchasing these devices for their children without fully understanding the safety risks or legal requirements. Along with the updated ordinance, City staff are developing easy-to-understand educational materials tailored to parents and young riders. The goal here is to help the community understand if their devices are legal, where they can operate them, and provide clear directions about following rules of the road – including adhering to stop signs and traffic signals, slowing down and yielding to pedestrians, not riding recklessly, and that double riding is both illegal and dangerous.

City staff have also connected with Sun Prairie Area School District staff to coordinate and include education on this subject in the in-school bike curriculum.

To learn more about e-bike and e-scooter safety and regulation in Wisconsin, visit www.wisconsinbikefed.org/e-bike-resources/.

To stay up to date on Transportation in Sun Prairie, visit www.cityofsunprairie.com/1080/transportation.
 
About City of Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie is a vibrant and thriving community located in northeastern Dane county, just east of the City of Madison. The City of Sun Prairie has experienced strong population growth since its incorporation from a village to a city in 1958, undergoing a transformation from a relatively small community of less than 4,000 to an estimated 36,394 today.