Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced legal action against online retailers illegally selling dangerous motorized devices - including high-speed e-bikes, stand-up e-scooters and other products that cannot legally be operated on New York City streets.
The City has issued cease-and-desist orders to 42 online retailers demanding they immediately stop selling these illegal devices to customers in New York City's 175 ZIP codes. The products being marketed and shipped into the city exceed legal limits for speed, weight or other safety requirements and cannot lawfully be sold or operated on City streets. Just last week, one such illegal device was involved in a tragic crash that claimed the life of a 17-year-old New Yorker.
"Every family deserves to know that when their loved ones leave home, they will make it back safely. That promise becomes harder to keep when companies profit from knowingly selling illegal, high-speed vehicles that have no place in our city. Since 2017, more than 45 people have been killed while riding illegal e-bikes, including the young New Yorker whose life was cut short last week, and more than 14 people have died while riding illegal stand-up scooters, including the horrific incident at the Queensboro Bridge earlier this year. These are not unavoidable tragedies, they are preventable losses," said Mayor Mamdani. "Today, we're putting online retailers on notice: if you continue selling dangerous, illegal devices into New York City, you will be held accountable. We will use every tool available to make our streets safer for everyone who walks, bikes, drives or rides."
"Two of the biggest factors of the severity of a traffic crash are the speed and weight of a vehicle, which is why the proliferation of faster, heavier illegal e-mobility devices is such an alarming trend on our streets. While legal e-mobility remains a great option to get around the city, faster illegal e-bikes and scooters are dangerous for everyone who shares our streets, including riders," said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. "These online retailers have allowed New Yorkers to purchase products that are illegal to sell or operate on city streets - and that must come to an end."
Under New York City law, it is illegal to sell or operate on public streets:
- Motorized stand-up scooters weighing more than 100 pounds or capable of traveling faster than 20 mph.
- E-bikes equipped with electric motors larger than 750 watts or capable of speeds exceeding 25 mph.
- Seated mopeds that do not have and display a valid Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Dangerous illegal e-bikes and stand-up e-scooters have proliferated in recent years largely through online sales. These illegal devices now account for more than half of all rider fatalities involving e-bikes and stand-up scooters.
Between 2017 and 2025, 45 rider fatalities involved illegal e-bikes capable of traveling faster than 25 mph, accounting for 54% of all e-bike rider deaths during that period. During the same period, 14 rider fatalities involved stand-up scooters capable of traveling faster than 20 mph, representing 52% of all stand-up scooter deaths.
Retailers that continue selling prohibited devices after receiving a cease-and-desist order may face a civil penalty of up to $2,000 for each illegal sale. Illegal devices found operating on New York City streets may also be impounded.
The Mamdani administration continues to take aggressive action to improve street safety, with the first half of 2026 recording historic lows in pedestrian fatalities.
NYC DOT continues to redesign streets using proven safety measures that reduce crashes and save lives. Recent projects include improvements along Tremont and Bailey avenues in the Bronx, McGuinness Boulevard and the area surrounding Wingate Park in Brooklyn, 31st Avenue and 31st Street in Queens and Sixth and Ninth avenues in Manhattan.
"Every New Yorker should be able to walk down the sidewalk and cross the street without fear," said New York Attorney General Letitia James. "Those who sell illegal e-motos to New Yorkers are fueling a tragic rise in injuries and fatal accidents on our streets. My office has sent an advisory to businesses and consumers throughout our state about these vehicles, and I thank Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Flynn for taking action to hold these retailers accountable."
"Delivery workers rely on e-bikes and mopeds to earn a living in one of the most exploitative - and dangerous - jobs in New York City. With little support from the app companies they work for, many are forced to navigate a confusing marketplace where illegal, unsafe vehicles are often the most accessible and affordable option. Improving street safety for all New Yorkers means ensuring those vehicles are never sold in the first place. Worker's Justice Project applauds the City's efforts to address this problem at its source and hold retailers accountable for selling illegal vehicles that put far too many workers and New Yorkers at risk. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Department of Transportation to strengthen worker safety through education and access to safe, legal transportation options and resources, alongside smart enforcement and accountability for those who profit from selling illegal vehicles," said Ligia Guallpa, Executive Director of Worker's Justice Project and Co-Founder of Los Deliveristas Unidos.
"We applaud the Mamdani administration for issuing these cease-and-desist orders to keep New Yorkers safe on our streets. Online retailers have been preying on unwitting customers. It is cruel and unacceptable to sell dangerous, illegal high-speed electric motorcycles or scooters to New Yorkers who think they're buying something legal. As we've seen as recently as last week, this shady business practice has had deadly results. It has to end," said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives.
