New Jersey

New Jersey defines a dirt bike as any two-wheeled motorcycle that is designed and manufactured for off-road use only and that does not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or United States Environmental Protection Agency on-road emissions standards. For the penalty and impoundment sections (N.J.S.A. 39:3C-33 and 39:3C-34), an off-road vehicle is any motorized vehicle with two or more wheels or tracks that is capable of being operated off of regularly improved and maintained roads, including motorcycles and dirt bikes. Neither definition names a power source.

N.J.S.A. 39:3C-1; N.J.S.A. 39:3C-32, checked 2026-10-01. Official text for New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 39:3C-1; N.J.S.A. 39:3C-32, external site

No dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile may be operated on or across a public highway or on public lands or waters of New Jersey unless the owner has registered and numbered it; registration is $50 for a period not to exceed 24 months, plus an additional $10 fee for the Off-Road Vehicle Recreational Fund. On public lands and waters under the Department of Environmental Protection's jurisdiction, these vehicles must be operated only in areas designated and marked for such operation and only with a special use permit issued by the department. Vehicles solely operated for use on a farm are exempt from registration and numbering, and the registration provisions do not apply to nonresident owners who have complied with their home state's registration and licensing laws and display the number it issued.

N.J.S.A. 39:3C-2(b)(2); 39:3C-3(a), (f); 39:3C-6(a); 39:3C-7, checked 2026-10-01. Official text for New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 39:3C-2(b)(2); 39:3C-3(a), (f); 39:3C-6(a); 39:3C-7, external site

It is unlawful for any person to operate or ride as a passenger on any dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile without wearing a protective helmet approved by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. The helmet must be of a type acceptable for use with motorcycles under N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7 through 39:3-76.10.

N.J.S.A. 39:3C-19(a); N.J.S.A. 39:3C-1, checked 2026-10-01. Official text for New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 39:3C-19(a); N.J.S.A. 39:3C-1, external site

A person under the age of 14 may not operate, or be permitted to operate, any dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile on public lands or waters or across a public highway. A person under 18 may not operate one registered in New Jersey on public lands or waters or across a public highway unless the person has completed a safety education and training course established or certified by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, and must possess the course completion certificate at all times while operating. Vehicles operated at special events are exempt from the course requirement.

N.J.S.A. 39:3C-16(a), (c); 39:3C-23; 39:3C-1, checked 2026-10-01. Official text for New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 39:3C-16(a), (c); 39:3C-23; 39:3C-1, external site

No person may operate a dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile on limited access highways or within their right-of-way limits, or on the main traveled portion or the plowed snowbanks of any public street or highway or within its right-of-way limits, except in two cases. A properly registered vehicle may cross a public street or highway, other than a limited access highway, as directly as possible where the crossing can be made in safety without interfering with traffic, after a complete stop and yielding to all traffic. Where immediate access to a riding area next to a public highway is impracticable, the vehicle may be operated adjacent and parallel to the highway, but only between the point where it is unloaded from (or loaded onto) a motorized conveyance and the area of operation, when loading or unloading cannot be done near that area without a hazard to traffic, and the loading or unloading must be done with due regard to safety at the nearest possible point to the area of operation.

N.J.S.A. 39:3C-17(a), (b)(1)-(2), checked 2026-10-01. Official text for New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 39:3C-17(a), (b)(1)-(2), external site

Since January 19, 2026, a low-speed electric bicycle is a two-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor that assists only while the rider is pedaling and stops assisting at 20 mph. Pedal bicycles with throttle propulsion or faster assistance, up to a maximum of 28 mph on a flat surface, are defined as motorized bicycles. A two-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor capable of more than 750 watts that can exceed 28 mph is an electric motorized bicycle, which the law includes in the definition of motorcycle.

R.S.39:1-1 (as amended by P.L.2025, c.285, s.1), checked 2026-09-26. Official text for New Jersey, R.S.39:1-1 (as amended by P.L.2025, c.285, s.1), external site