Just as the dust is settling from New Jersey’s widely criticized move to treat many electric bicycles more like motor vehicles, another state is floating a proposal that has riders and advocates shaking their heads.
This time, it’s New Hampshire, where lawmakers are considering a bill that would require bike and e-bike owners to register their rides annually and pay a $50 fee just to use public roads, paths, and trails.
House Bill 1703, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Walsh (Republican-Hooksett) and currently in committee, would apply not only to electric bikes but to all bicycles used on state or municipally funded infrastructure. Failure to register could result in a $100 fine per violation.
The proposal would charge $50 to register a bike and is being framed as a way to help shore up transportation funding, with the bill’s sponsor pointing to registration systems already in place for snowmobiles and off-highway recreational vehicles.
Local officials and cycling advocates have raised practical concerns. Police in college towns like Hanover note that bikes are frequently bought, sold, or passed along, making ownership tracking a mess. State agencies estimate it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars just to create and staff a new registration system, potentially wiping out much of the revenue the program is supposed to generate.
Critics argue that the proposal risks discouraging exactly the kind of low-impact, healthy transportation states should be encouraging. That argument echoes much of the backlash seen recently in New Jersey, where a new law dismantling the three-class e-bike system sparked opposition even from groups that support cracking down on illegal high-powered bikes.
At a time when states say they want fewer cars, cleaner air, and healthier residents, forcing people to pay for the privilege of pedaling – or lightly throttling – down a trail or bike path seems like a strange way to get there.
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