A new Illinois law taking effect Friday, January 1, 2027, will replace Lake Forest's local e-bike restrictions with statewide rules that set age minimums, ban sidewalk riding, and require licensing for high-speed devices.

Lake Forest Police Chief John Burke said in June he supports the law and is working with the city's communications team on a social media campaign to inform residents about the changes. The Lake Forest Police Department also posted a warning on its official Facebook page urging parents to think twice before purchasing high-powered e-bikes or e-scooters for children under age 15, citing the new legislation.

The law, Senate Bill 3484, passed the Illinois Senate 54-0 in April and cleared the full General Assembly by early June. Gov. JB Pritzker signed it. Under the legislation, championed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, any e-bike or e-moto capable of exceeding 28 mph or powered by a motor larger than 750 watts will be classified as a "motor-driven cycle," requiring a valid driver's license, title, registration and insurance. Those high-speed devices will be banned from bike paths, bike lanes and sidewalks.

The law also sets a minimum age of 15 for Class 1 and Class 2 e-bike riders and 16 for all other electric micromobility devices.

Lake Forest acted early. The City Council approved an ordinance in October 2023 prohibiting e-bikes and e-scooters on sidewalks in the Central Business District. Riders must walk their devices through downtown or face fines up to $300. The rule also requires bicycles to be walked on CBD sidewalks between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

"It can be dangerous if you are walking out of a store onto the sidewalk and someone goes by at 20 mph," Burke told the Pioneer Press on June 22, explaining the rationale behind the city's 2023 sidewalk ordinance. "That can create dangerous situations."

Lake Bluff enacted its own ordinance in 2025. Under those rules, all three classes of e-bikes are allowed on roads in the village's central business district, but riders must walk them on sidewalks throughout the village. Electronic dirt bikes are prohibited entirely.

Lake Bluff Police Chief Matt Smizinski said on June 22 that village officials were waiting to see whether Pritzker would sign the bill and planned to consult with legal counsel to assess its implications. The governor has since signed it.

The statewide law will preempt local ordinances, creating a single set of standards. The Illinois Municipal League, which typically resists state preemption of home rule authority, backed the legislation.

The urgency behind the law is underscored by two recent Lake County crashes involving teenagers. On Wednesday, July 22, a 14-year-old boy was killed while riding an electric dirt bike near Wauconda High School. Authorities said the teen was crossing the 500 block of North Main Street just before 10 p.m. when he collided with a 2025 Honda Pilot SUV and was thrown from the bike. He died at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. He would have been a freshman the following month.

Earlier in July, a 15-year-old girl was critically injured in Libertyville after the e-bike she and another teen were riding collided with an SUV at Milwaukee Avenue and Winchester Road, according to a Tribune opinion column.

Micromobility-related injuries and fatalities increased 300 percent nationwide between 2019 and 2022, according to the Illinois Secretary of State's office.

Enforcement of the new licensing requirements begins Friday, January 1, 2027, with an initial focus on education around age limits and sidewalk riding. Burke said he is already preparing Lake Forest residents for the transition through social media outreach.