Riverton, Wyoming, will take up a draft e-bike and e-scooter ordinance on first reading on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. A first reading only introduces an ordinance, so no rule is in force yet.
Separately, police in Wausau, Wisconsin, seized an e-moto from a juvenile who kept running from officers. The case is a good reason to spell out how Wisconsin separates e-bikes from e-motos, and what parents can be held to.
Riverton: what is on the agenda Tuesday
County 10’s Katie Roenigk reported on Oct. 4 that the council will consider Ordinance 26-009 at 7 p.m. Its title lists bicycles, e-bikes, skateboards, one-wheeled devices, and both human-powered and powered scooters.
The council room is in City Hall at 816 N. Federal Blvd. A Finance Committee meeting runs first, at 6:45 p.m. The public can attend, and the city streams the meeting on its YouTube channel. The city’s phone number is (307) 856-2227.
Ordinance 26-010 is on the same agenda. It revises the recreational pathways code as it applies to bicycles and powered devices.
We can’t tell you what the draft says. County 10’s Oct. 4 report lists no definitions, speed limit, minimum age, helmet rule, sidewalk rule, permit, penalty or start date for 26-009. We also couldn’t get the city’s agenda packet.
Per County 10’s earlier coverage, an ordinance needs three separate approvals before it joins the Riverton Municipal Code. Tuesday’s first reading is step one.
Step one can also fail. Citizen Portal reports that Ordinance 25-005, an earlier scooter measure, did not clear first reading. Its account dates to April 2025. That measure proposed a downtown ban on motorized scooters along Main and Federal streets. Council members worried about enforcement and unclear definitions, and wanted public education first.
What council members floated in September
The council held a work session on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Citizen Portal’s record says it adopted no ordinance and told staff to draft e-mobility options for later formal consideration.
County 10’s Sept. 15 report said the council was sketching the “general bones” of a possible ordinance. Residents had raised worries about fast riders, mixing with walkers and cars, road space, and child safety.
These ideas came up in September. Nothing we found confirms that any of them is in Ordinance 26-009.
- Keep e-bikes and e-scooters off city sidewalks. The council agreed on that, and Mayor Tim Hancock wants riders to stay “as far to the right” of the roadway as they can.
- A 15 mph speed cap on public streets.
- No riders under 15 on city streets. Councilmember Karen Johnson recommended it. She said young riders can’t grasp the dangers.
- Helmets for riders under 18.
- Permits for devices that go faster than 15 mph, with a safety class first.
- Required equipment: a speedometer, brake light, headlight and turn signals.
- A possible ban on Federal Boulevard and Main Street.
Councilmember Mike Bailey said he saw a rider top 32 mph on Federal Boulevard. Citizen Portal’s Sept. 16 report says staff flagged “state limits on mandatory registration” as a possible cap on what the city can require. The council also weighed inspections, age-based safety courses and enforcement.
Wausau: e-moto seized from a juvenile who fled police
WSAW reported on Oct. 4 that Wausau police seized one battery-powered motorcycle from a juvenile. Police said the rider blew through stop signs and signals, rode against traffic, sped, and kept fleeing officers. One of those flights came earlier that same day.
The bike had no side mirror. Police said that let officers approach from behind and take the rider into custody safely.
The Yahoo copy of the story says the juvenile had drawn multiple community complaints. Neither version gives the rider’s age or name, the date of the seizure, or any citation or charge.
Police also had a message for parents: “step up” and stop letting kids ride these on public roads. Many e-motos aren’t street legal and lack gear such as side mirrors, police said. They added that children keep being hurt and killed in e-moto crashes across the state.
The warning isn’t new. In June, Wausau Pilot & Review and WSAW both reported police telling parents that e-motos count as motorcycles. WSAW added that some parents had bought e-motos believing they were legal e-bikes. Police said they wanted to help people fix mistakes before citations, towing or injuries.
On June 17, WSAW quoted Patrol Captain Melinda Pauls. She said many e-moto riders are juveniles with no driving education. A driver who fled an officer got a reckless driving citation, she said, and summer resources would go to e-moto education and enforcement.
How Wisconsin tells an e-bike from an e-moto
Pedals come first. Under Wisconsin Statute 340.01(15ph), a bike counts as an e-bike when its pedals work and its motor is 750 watts or less. It then falls into one of three classes. Class 1 is pedal assist only. Class 2 can move without pedaling. Class 3 is pedal assist only, at a higher speed.
| Feature | E-bike | E-moto |
|---|---|---|
| Pedals | Working pedals required | None, per Wausau police |
| Motor and speed | 750 W or less; assist ends at 20 mph (Class 1, 2) or 28 mph (Class 3) | Can pass 30 mph, per police |
| Driver license | None | Class M (motorcycle) or Class D (moped) |
| Title and registration | None; DMV does not issue them | Needed for road use, with plates and insurance |
| Where it can go | Roads allowed; Wausau caps river trails at 15 mph | Police say private property |
The e-bike column draws on the statute and the Wisconsin DOT page on motorcycles and mopeds. DOT says e-bikes need no license, and the DMV neither titles nor registers them. A motorcycle that can top 30 mph needs a Class M license or instruction permit. A moped needs a Class D license, a title and registration.
For e-motos, Wausau police say a road-legal one needs safety equipment, a title, registration, plates, and a licensed, insured driver. Children generally can’t meet the license and insurance part. Police also told WSAW that e-motos can’t be registered as street legal and belong on private property.
Age is a separate question. DOT says nobody under 16 may operate a Class 3 e-bike, and younger riders can use lower-speed models. The DOT page words that rule around throttle power up to 28 mph, while the statute defines Class 3 as pedal assist only. Confirm the class before you buy for a teen.
What parents risk
Wausau police said in June that parents who knowingly let an unlicensed child ride an e-moto could face a charge of “permitting an unlicensed person to drive.”
Wisconsin Statute 343.45 covers similar ground in general terms. Subsection (1) bars causing or knowingly allowing a child or ward under 18 to drive on a highway when the minor isn’t authorized. Subsection (2) bars letting an unauthorized person drive a motor vehicle you own or control. Subsection (3) caps the forfeiture at $100.
We haven’t seen which statute Wausau would use in a given case. The seizure reports mention no charge against anyone.
Check before you ride or buy
- In Riverton, read the agenda packet for 26-009 and 26-010 before Tuesday’s 7 p.m. meeting. The city’s phone is (307) 856-2227.
- California is also going after electric motorcycles. Our California e-bike laws explainer covers SB 1167, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
- Buying for a young rider in Wisconsin? Look for working pedals, a motor of 750 watts or less, and a class the seller states in writing.
If a listing can’t give you the class, the wattage and whether the bike can be registered, skip it.
