E-bikes will be banned from every sidewalk in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff starting Jan. 1, 2027, under a new statewide law.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 3484 on Wednesday, Aug. 26, creating Illinois' first comprehensive regulations for e-bikes, e-scooters, electric skateboards and other micromobility devices. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said the law replaces a "patchwork of local ordinances" with uniform statewide standards, Patch reported.

For Lake Forest, the statewide sidewalk ban aligns with what the city already required downtown. The City Council approved an ordinance in October 2023 banning powered recreational devices from sidewalks in the Central Business District, with fines up to $300. The state law now extends that prohibition to all sidewalks everywhere in Illinois.

Lake Forest's existing ordinance also banned e-motos (devices with motors of 750 watts or more) from all public property in the city. The new state law overrides local ordinances enacted since 2024, according to Suburban Chicago Bicycling, though the precise interaction with Lake Forest's 2023 rules has not been publicly addressed by city officials.

What the law requires

The law sets age minimums. Riders must be at least 15 for Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, which top out at 20 mph, and at least 16 for Class 3 e-bikes, which reach 28 mph.

High-speed e-scooters and electric micromobility devices capable of exceeding 28 mph are classified as motor vehicles. Owners must carry a driver's license, title, registration and insurance, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Those riders are also subject to Illinois DUI laws.

The law caps speeds at 28 mph on roads, bike lanes and paths. It does not set lower speed limits on paths, meaning local limits such as 15 mph would be overruled. Park districts, forest preserves and conservation districts retain authority to regulate devices on their own trails.

Lake Bluff

Lake Bluff's police department maintains a public information page on e-bikes and e-scooters referencing existing state law definitions. No distinct Lake Bluff village ordinance beyond state law was confirmed in available records. The new statewide standards will apply directly.

Safety backdrop

The legislation followed a string of Lake County crashes. In July 2026, a 14-year-old boy was killed when his electric dirt bike collided with an SUV in Wauconda, and two 15-year-old girls were injured after the e-bike they were riding was struck by an SUV in Libertyville on July 15.

Giannoulias said in a July 27 Chicago Tribune column that e-bikes had become "a huge issue throughout Illinois, whether you live in Chicago, or the suburbs or even in rural areas … They're on our sidewalks, causing mayhem, scaring people, scaring families."

Micromobility-related injuries and fatalities nationwide increased 300 percent between 2019 and 2022, according to Giannoulias' office.

Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement reported by Northern Public Radio that "without clear regulations for these devices, we are seeing increased injuries and accidents." The bill passed both chambers with bipartisan support on June 1.

What's next

The Secretary of State's office announced a "Ride Safe, Ride Smart, Ride Ready" public awareness campaign to prepare residents through updated driver education materials, law enforcement guidance and partnerships with schools and municipalities.

Neither the Lake Forest City Council nor the Lake Bluff Village Board has publicly scheduled discussion of how the new state law interacts with existing local rules.