New York City has issued cease-and-desist orders to 42 online retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Wayfair, demanding they stop selling motorized devices that exceed legal speed and weight limits on city streets. Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the enforcement action on August 5, giving retailers until August 18 to comply or face civil penalties of up to $2,000 per illegal sale.
Key Takeaways
- City Corporation Counsel Steve Banks sent cease-and-desist letters to 42 online retailers selling motorized devices that exceed NYC legal limits across 175 ZIP codes.
- Since 2017, illegal e-bikes capable of exceeding 25 mph have been involved in 45 rider fatalities, representing 54% of all e-bike rider deaths citywide.
- Illegal stand-up scooters exceeding 20 mph accounted for 14 rider deaths, or 52% of all stand-up scooter fatalities, over the same period.
- The crackdown follows the death of 17-year-old Gabriel Nacato, killed while riding a Deepower QS7 device purchased on Amazon that weighed 100 pounds and could reach 30 mph.
- Retailers that continue selling prohibited devices after August 18 face civil penalties of up to $2,000 per sale, and illegal devices on city streets may be impounded.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a statewide consumer advisory alongside the city’s enforcement action.
Illegal Devices Account for Over Half of All Rider Fatalities
The data behind the enforcement action reflects a pattern that has accelerated over nearly a decade. Between 2017 and 2025, devices marketed as e-bikes but capable of speeds above the 25 mph legal limit were involved in 45 rider deaths across New York City, according to the Mayor’s Office. That figure represents 54% of all e-bike rider fatalities during the period. Stand-up scooters exceeding the 20 mph threshold contributed another 14 deaths, or 52% of all scooter fatalities citywide.
Under New York City law, it is illegal to sell or operate 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 are similarly prohibited. Seated mopeds without a valid Vehicle Identification Number cannot lawfully be sold or operated on public streets.
NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn pointed to speed and weight as the two primary variables in crash severity. The proliferation of heavier, faster devices sold through national online marketplaces has introduced a category of vehicle to city streets that was never intended to coexist with pedestrians, cyclists, or legal e-bike riders in shared infrastructure.
A 17-Year-Old’s Death Prompted the Enforcement Push
The immediate catalyst was the death of Gabriel Nacato, a 17-year-old killed in Lower Manhattan when the Deepower QS7 device he was riding collided with an SUV near City Hall. Nacato’s family had purchased the device on Amazon, where it was listed as an e-bike despite exceeding every legal threshold for that classification in New York City.
The Deepower QS7 weighs 100 pounds, carries a 1,500-watt motor (double the 750-watt legal limit), and can reach a top speed of 30 mph. New York City’s legal speed limit for e-bikes is 25 mph. Nacato’s case was not isolated. In May 2026, two men were killed in a bike lane on the Queensboro Bridge when an illegal e-scooter and a bicycle collided. Last month, a woman riding a stand-up e-scooter was struck and killed by a driver.
Online Retail Created the Primary Distribution Channel
The Mamdani administration has traced the rise of illegal motorized devices directly to the growth of online retail. Unlike brick-and-mortar shops subject to local enforcement and inspections, online platforms ship directly to consumers with little verification that products meet local regulations. A device that cannot legally be ridden in New York City can arrive at a doorstep in any of the five boroughs within days.
Mayor Mamdani specifically named Amazon, Best Buy, and Wayfair during the announcement, describing a pattern of large national retailers operating outside the bounds of city law. The administration’s position is that the burden of verifying whether a device is legal should not fall on individual consumers or delivery workers purchasing what they believe to be compliant products.
Attorney General James Broadened the Action Statewide
Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert alongside the city’s enforcement action, reminding businesses and consumers across New York State that marketing and selling vehicles as “e-bikes” or “e-scooters” when those devices exceed state speed or power limits constitutes a violation of New York law. The AG’s advisory framed the issue as a statewide consumer protection matter, noting that the same national retailers targeted by the city’s cease-and-desist orders ship to addresses throughout the state.
James stated that those who sell illegal motorized devices to New Yorkers are fueling a rise in injuries and fatal accidents on city streets, and that her office will continue working alongside city agencies to hold retailers accountable.
Delivery Workers Navigate a Confusing Marketplace
Worker’s Justice Project, an advocacy organization representing app-based delivery workers, supported the crackdown while highlighting the economic pressures that push workers toward cheaper, unregulated devices. Delivery workers in New York City depend on e-bikes and mopeds for their livelihoods, and many face a marketplace where illegal vehicles are often the most accessible and affordable option.
Ligia Guallpa, Executive Director of Worker’s Justice Project and co-founder of Los Deliveristas Unidos, called on the city to pair enforcement with education and access to safe, legal transportation alternatives. Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Ben Furnas described the online retail ecosystem as one that preys on consumers who believe they are purchasing legal products.
The Mamdani administration reported that the first half of 2026 recorded historic lows in pedestrian fatalities, citing street redesign projects across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. The illegal e-bike crackdown is positioned as the next phase of that broader safety campaign.
FAQs
What Makes an E-Bike Illegal in New York City?
Any motorized two-wheeled device that exceeds 25 mph, has a motor larger than 750 watts, or weighs more than 100 pounds (for stand-up scooters) cannot legally be sold or operated on NYC streets. Seated mopeds without a valid Vehicle Identification Number are also prohibited.
What Happens to Retailers That Ignore the Cease-and-Desist Orders?
Retailers that continue selling prohibited devices to NYC ZIP codes after August 18 face civil penalties of up to $2,000 for each illegal sale. Illegal devices found on city streets are also subject to impoundment by city agencies.
How Does This Affect Delivery Workers Who Use E-Bikes?
Legal e-bikes that comply with NYC speed and power limits remain fully permitted. The enforcement targets devices that exceed legal thresholds, not compliant e-bikes used by delivery workers and commuters.
