The Garage

E-Moto Hub

Nebraska

What Nebraska law says about riding an electric dirt bike, question by question. 6 of 6 answered from official text. Where the state has no rule on a question, the page says "No statewide rule found" and what the law does cover.

Published

Reviewed . Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-636, 60-638, 60-6,355(1)(a); Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-678(1), 60-6,347; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279(1)-(2); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,353; Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-6,352, 60-6,353, 60-6,351, 60-6,350, 60-6,349, 60-6,348; Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-618.03, 60-614.02, 60-614.03, 60-614.04.

The answers

Is an electric dirt bike an off-highway vehicle?

Section 60-636 defines a minibike as a two-wheel motor vehicle that has a total wheel and tire diameter of less than fourteen inches, has an engine-rated capacity of less than forty-five cubic centimeters displacement, has an engine power output of less than three horsepower, has an engine-rated capacity of less than two thousand two hundred thirty-eight watts, or was primarily designed by the manufacturer for off-road use only; a minibike does not include an electric personal assistive mobility device. Motor vehicle means every self-propelled land vehicle not operated upon rails, except bicycles, mopeds, self-propelled chairs used by persons who are disabled, and electric personal assistive mobility devices. For purposes of sections 60-6,355 to 60-6,362, an all-terrain vehicle is any motorized off-highway vehicle that is fifty inches or less in width, travels on three or more nonhighway tires, and is designed for operator use only with no passengers or specifically designed by the original manufacturer for the operator and one passenger.

Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-636, 60-638, 60-6,355(1)(a), checked . Official text for Nebraska, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-636, 60-638, 60-6,355(1)(a), external site

What it needs to ride public off-road land

No statewide rule found

No statewide off-road registration, decal or permit rule found. Section 60-6,347 exempts minibikes, their owners and their operators from the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Operator's License Act, the Motor Vehicle Registration Act and the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act, and section 60-678 authorizes the state or any department, board, commission or governmental subdivision, in its jurisdiction, to enact regulations permitting, prohibiting and controlling the use of minibikes, motorcycles and off-road recreation vehicles of any and all types, and makes it a Class III misdemeanor to operate one without the permission of the appropriate governmental entity or in a place, time or manner that entity has prohibited.

That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.

What we read: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-678(1), 60-6,347, checked . Official text for Nebraska, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-678(1), 60-6,347, external site

Helmet rule off-road

No statewide rule found

No statewide off-road helmet rule found. Section 60-6,279 covers operating or being a passenger on a motorcycle or moped on any highway in this state, where a protective helmet meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 must be worn unless the section's exception for persons at least twenty-one years of age applies.

That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.

What we read: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279(1)-(2), checked . Official text for Nebraska, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279(1)-(2), external site

Age and supervision rules for young riders

No statewide rule found

No statewide age, supervision or training rule for operating an off-road motorcycle found. Section 60-6,353 lets any state department, board or commission with jurisdiction over state parks, state recreation areas and state wayside areas that admit motor vehicles of any type adopt rules controlling minibike operation in the public recreation area under its control, and those rules may establish restrictions on the age of the operator.

That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.

What we read: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,353, checked . Official text for Nebraska, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,353, external site

Riding it on public roads

Section 60-6,352 makes it unlawful to operate a minibike on any state highway except under section 60-6,353. Section 60-6,353 lets any state department, board or commission with jurisdiction over state parks, state recreation areas and state wayside areas that admit motor vehicles of any type adopt rules controlling the operation of minibikes and designating the place, time and manner of that operation in the public recreation area under its control, and lets any political subdivision with jurisdiction over highways adopt rules, regulations, ordinances or resolutions in conformity with such sections. Section 60-6,351 states the Legislature's intent to remove from street use and operation minibikes and similar two-wheeled, three-wheeled or four-wheeled miniature vehicles, the visibility, power and equipment of which are inadequate for mixing with normal vehicular traffic upon streets and highways. Section 60-6,350 says nothing in sections 60-678 and 60-6,348 to 60-6,351 prohibits occasional necessary movement of the vehicles described in section 60-6,349 (minibikes and similar two-wheeled, three-wheeled and four-wheeled miniature vehicles offered for sale in this state) on streets for purposes of moving the vehicle across streets or a turnaround on the streets. Section 60-6,348 exempts minibikes and all off-road designed vehicles not authorized by law for use on a highway from sections 60-678, 60-6,351 to 60-6,353, 60-6,380 and 60-6,381 during any public emergency or while being used in parades by regularly organized units of any recognized charitable, social, educational or community service organization.

Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-6,352, 60-6,353, 60-6,351, 60-6,350, 60-6,349, 60-6,348, checked . Official text for Nebraska, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-6,352, 60-6,353, 60-6,351, 60-6,350, 60-6,349, 60-6,348, external site

Where the e-bike definition stops

An electric bicycle means a Class I, Class II or Class III electric bicycle. Each class is a device with two, three or four wheels, a saddle or seat for the rider, fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power, and an electric motor not exceeding seven hundred fifty watts of power that produces no more than one brake horsepower. A Class I motor only provides power when the rider is pedaling and a Class II motor is capable of providing power whether or not the rider is pedaling; both have a maximum design speed of no more than twenty miles per hour on level ground and do not provide power above twenty miles per hour. A Class III motor only provides power when the rider is pedaling, has a maximum design speed of no more than twenty-eight miles per hour on level ground and does not provide power above twenty-eight miles per hour.

Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-618.03, 60-614.02, 60-614.03, 60-614.04, checked . Official text for Nebraska, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-618.03, 60-614.02, 60-614.03, 60-614.04, external site

Before you ride

This page restates state law in plain words and links the text it came from. It is not legal advice. Cities, counties and the agencies that manage federal land (the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service) add rules of their own, so check with whoever manages the ground you plan to ride.

For a young rider, the before-you-ride checker puts the helmet and age rules first.

Official riding areas and the permits Nebraska asks for: where to ride in Nebraska.

Statutes change. Each answer carries the date it was checked; the page is re-checked at least every 180 days and says "Review due" if that slips.

Other states