E-bike riders lived after double sales tax at MVC
By: Colleen Wilson
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... Joseph Brucia and his wife, scheduled an appointment at the Flemington Motor Vehicle Commission office on June 29 [2026] to register his e-bike, several weeks before the new law regarding then went into full effect.
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The 72-year-old from Hillsborough bought his e-bike for $3,400 six years ago from Pete's Bike Shop in Flemington, but he no longer had the receipt.
..... Brucia doesn't think his e-bike, which has a motor that gives him a boost when he;s pedaling, should have to be registered at all, since it's nearly the equivalent of a regular bike.
..... but a new controversial law rushed through the Legislature last winter [2025] and singed by former Governor Phil Murphy on his last day in office reclassified e-bikes so they all require registration and a driver's license, and insurance if they go up to 28 miles per hour.
..... The law went into full effect July 19, [2026]and while some applaud the new registration for requiring e-bike rides to be 15 or older and all riders to wear helmets, many are frustrated by the confusing and changing interpretations of the law. Some believe more regulation is good to prevent fatal crashes and serious injuries, but critics say this law won't accomplish that and instead punishes those on lower speed bikes instead of focusing on vehicles - disguised as bikes - that travel more than 28 miles per hour.
..... Despite his concerns, Brucia was one of the first people to register his e-bike and waited more than three hours at the Flemington MVC to do so.
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He was nearly finished with the registration process - the stickers were on the desk - when the attendant told him he owed more than $200 in sales tax.
..... "I said, 'I'm not paying it.' I took my license off the desk," Brucia told NorthJersey.com in a phone interview. "I said, 'I'm not registering my bike. I'll be damned if I'm paying the state of New Jersey again. I paid it six years ago' "
..... And they left.
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He went home and called the governor's office and a few state representatives to see if they would do anything about it. One person called him back, but he wasn't feeling optimistic.
..... Three days later, Brucia got a call from someone at the Flemington MVC telling him it had received new "guidance" and he could return to complete the registration process without paying sales tax again.
..... He returned and registers his e-bike.
Many questions
..... But the question and concerns haven't abated.
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Brucia had the MVC print out two registration forms so he could keep one on the bike in case he's stopped, but what if he doesn't have his driver's license on him while riding? does registration have to be renewed annually? Neither of these inquisitions is answered on the MVC website.
..... And what kind of helmet is required? MVC's e-bike manual says it must "meet the specifications established by the U.S. Department of Transpiration" and includes pictures of bike helmets in its manual, but DOT standard helmets are meant for motorcycles and include face masks and weigh about 3 pounds.
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As the new law has ruled out in the last few weeks, the question are endless. Even MVC had to correct its website after NorthJersey.com reached out because of misleading information about the new classes of e-bikes.
.... There are reports of people resisting e-bikes in the "low-speed: category hat don't qualify. Out-of-sate visitors who can't register e-bikes in their home states will have to register then at a New Jersey MVC; some are staying away form New Jersey because of the new law.
..... Asked about others who were changed sales tax because they couldn't provide a receipt showing they paid sales tax for an e-bike they purchased years ago, MVC told NorthJersey.com that "any customer who believes they shooed not have paid sales tax may file for a refund with the Division of Taxation" and provided a link to the form.
..... But MVC still reserves the right to collect sales tax when appropriate, the agency said.
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Zoe Baldwin, vice president of state programs for the Regional Plan Association, said she understands the bill was written with safety in mind, but because it was not written clearly, it's having unintended consequences rippling across the state and affecting resident;s ability to get to work and appointments or enjoy a healthy outdoor activity.
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"What we've seen has been relatively inconstant implementation because the bill wasn't clear from the outset and that's made it harder for local police departments, local MVC officers and the riders themselves, frankly, to fully understand and comply with this new scheme,"Baldwin said.
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Senate President Nicholas Scutari, who drafted the legislation, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, who leads the lower chamber, have not returned e-bike legislation and how it should be interpreted.