New York City is now pursuing illegal high speed devices at both the point of sale and on the street. Mayor Mamdani announced cease and desist orders to 42 online retailers on 5 August. Gothamist reported on 21 August that NYPD ticketing and seizures had also risen sharply.
NYPD figures supplied to Gothamist show 973 e bikes seized during the reported 2026 period, compared with 415 at the same point in 2025. Moving violation tickets issued to e bike riders were reported to be 55 percent higher than in the comparable period last year.
The action targets sellers rather than treating every person on an electric bike as the problem. Legal e bikes remain permitted and useful. The City says the prohibited products are heavier or faster devices that retailers market as ordinary e bikes or scooters even though they cannot legally be sold or operated on city streets.
The rise in police enforcement makes transparency more urgent. City Hall now has to show which devices are seized, why each stop occurs, where enforcement happens and whether delivery workers or lawful riders are being swept into an operation intended for prohibited devices.
What changed on the street
Gothamist reports that more than half of the moving violations issued to e bike riders in the 2026 data period came between 27 May and 9 August. NYPD officials said targeted enforcement had begun at busy corridors including bridges.
The same report says police inspected 51 physical shops during the first six months of the year and reported finding none selling illegal motorised scooters. Police and the Department of Transportation have also provided shop owners with information about which devices are legal.
These figures were attributed to NYPD by Gothamist. A complete public table showing summonses, seizures, locations, device classifications and outcomes was not linked with the report, so the comparison should remain open to independent checking.
What the law allows
The official City Hall release says an e bike is prohibited if its motor exceeds 750 watts or it can travel faster than 25 miles per hour. A motorised stand up scooter is prohibited if it weighs more than 100 pounds or can travel faster than 20 miles per hour. A seated moped must have and display a valid vehicle identification number.
These distinctions matter. A legal electric bicycle is not the same as a high speed electric motorcycle sold under an e bike label. Delivery workers, families and other riders need safe legal devices, clear product information and affordable routes to compliant equipment.
Why City Hall acted
City Hall said a prohibited device was involved in the death of a 17 year old New Yorker one week before the announcement. Its release reports that from 2017 through 2025, illegal e bikes capable of exceeding 25 miles per hour were involved in 45 rider deaths, or 54 percent of e bike rider deaths in that period.
The same release reports 14 rider deaths involving stand up scooters capable of exceeding 20 miles per hour, or 52 percent of stand up scooter rider deaths in that period. These are City figures and should be accompanied by the underlying crash data so the public can examine device type, speed, road design and collision circumstances.
The City also asked representatives of the online marketplaces to meet officials from the Department of Transportation, the Police Department and the Law Department to develop measures that stop prohibited products reaching New Yorkers.
Who carries the burden
Los Deliveristas Unidos told Gothamist that increased ticketing and seizures fall heavily on delivery workers, many of whom rely on an e bike for their income. The organisation called for trade in support so workers do not lose expensive equipment without an affordable route to a legal replacement.
An NYPD spokesperson told Gothamist that officers do not ask people receiving tickets about their immigration status. The City should still publish enough stop and enforcement data to test whether particular workers, neighbourhoods or corridors are carrying a disproportionate burden.
A cease and desist order puts a retailer on notice, but the public still needs to know which listings were removed, which sellers refused, how inspections work and whether penalties are imposed. Enforcement should start as far up the sales chain as possible rather than waiting until an unlawful device reaches a worker or rider.
Safe street design remains part of the answer. Removing dangerous products from sale does not replace protected lanes, safer junctions, responsible driving, rider education or access to certified charging and batteries.
Public record
- Publish the NYPD table behind the reported 55 percent ticket rise and the 973 seizures, with comparable 2025 periods.
- Break down summonses and seizures by device type, legal reason, location, outcome and whether equipment was returned.
- Publish the names of all 42 retailers and the cease and desist letters sent to them.
- Report prohibited listings removed and attempted sales blocked by retailer and device type.
- Publish every civil penalty, inspection result and retailer compliance agreement.
- Show how delivery workers and low income riders can trade in prohibited devices and obtain affordable legal equipment.
What to check next
Check whether prohibited devices can still be ordered for delivery to New York City addresses.
Track tickets and seizures by device, location, legal reason and final outcome.
Measure trade in support and the supply and cost of legal e bikes, certified batteries and safe charging.
Compare crashes, injuries and deaths after enforcement while publishing the full method.