A bill introduced in the New Hampshire House of Representatives (House Bill 1703) would require all bicycle owners in the state to pay $50 per year per bicycle to register their bikes with the Division of Motor Vehicles. This registration fee would apply to both e-bikes and standard non-motorized bikes. The New England Mountain Bike Association has publicly opposed the bill.
The bill, sponsored by Representatives Thomas Walsh, Gregory Hill, and Ted Gorski, would require registrants to furnish the applicant’s name and age, proof of ownership or authorization to operate, a parent or guardian signature for applicants under 18 years old, and the annual $50 fee per bicycle. Once registered, riders must either carry their certificate of registration at all times or have the registration number permanently affixed to their bicycle.
If a person is found riding an unregistered bicycle or e-bike on public ways or lands, they’ll be fined $100 per violation.
The bill claims the fees will be used to maintain and build bike paths and trails
According to the language of the bill, all of the fees collected from both registrations and citations will “be used for the creation and maintenance of bicycle routes, lanes, paths, or trails.”
However, the draft legislation notes that there are substantial costs associated with running the program. According to the bill, the initial cost for DMV database programming is expected to be $150,000. As for ongoing expenses, the DMV will have to add three additional staff positions expected to cost $156,000 in 2027, increasing to $225,000 in 2029. Note that this is an ongoing expense in order to run the program. Finally, registration materials will cost $0.45 per certificate, and law enforcement costs are in addition to these amounts.
Out-of-state riders are not exempt
The bill could have a dramatically negative impact on out-of-state mountain bike tourism because there’s no exemption built in for out-of-state visitors. The bill states: “it is a violation for any person to operate a bicycle or electric bicycle on a public way unless said bicycle or electric bicycle maintains registered status with the division of motor vehicles.”
NEMBA states that this would “undermine the […] tourism benefits biking brings to New Hampshire” and “create confusion for visitors and tourists who travel to New Hampshire specifically to ride its roads and trail systems.”
Per-bike fees could prove costly
The bill doesn’t include an exemption for low-cost bikes, meaning that the per-bicycle fee could prove very costly for local residents. As a personal anecdote, my wife and I have 10 bikes between the two of us. If we lived in New Hampshire, we’d be forced to pay $500 per year just in bicycle registration — more than we pay for our sole motor vehicle.
Now imagine a household with 2-4 kids, who each have one or more bikes, and the costs can quickly get exorbitant.
NEMBA has publicly opposed the bill
The New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) publicly opposed the bill in a letter addressed to Walsh and Gorski and dated January 16, 2026. “HB1703 is unnecessary, and would undermine the significant health, transportation and tourism benefits biking brings to New Hampshire,” NEMBA wrote.
They continue, saying:
Bicycles and e-bikes are among the most affordable and accessible transportation options available. Registration requirements and fees would negatively impact residents who rely on bicycles the most: people living with disabilities, lower-income residents who cannot afford vehicles, older adults, and youth. For many, traditional bikes and low-speed pedal-assist e-bikes are essential tools for participating in their communities, and/or accessing jobs or school.
HB 1703 would also create confusion for visitors and tourists who travel to New Hampshire specifically to ride its roads and trail systems. Added bureaucracy and fees would negatively impact local bike shops, outfitters, and tourism businesses without delivering clear public benefit.
Bicycle registration systems have consistently failed where attempted. They are costly to administer, difficult to enforce and have not been shown to improve safety or accountability. No U.S. state currently requires bicycle or e-bike registration. Advancing HB 1703 would move New Hampshire away from established best practices regarding bicycle use.
New Hampshire has long benefited from policies that support outdoor recreation, local economies, and personal mobility. HB 1703 moves in the opposite direction.
For these reasons, NEMBA respectfully urges the committee to reject HB 1703.
Contrary to NEMBA’s claim, Hawaii is currently the only US state that requires all bicycles to be registered, though a few local municipalities have implemented registration fees as well. The state currently charges a one-time $15 fee for a non-motorized bike and $30 for a low-speed e-bike, but the one-time fee is handled by the bicycle dealer and is much lower than the fee proposed by New Hampshire.
New Jersey also just passed an e-bike registration law on January 19, 2026. However, that law only applies to e-bikes, and registration costs $15 per year.
Residents are overwhelmingly opposed
New Hampshire has an online tool for collecting testimony from residents, and they’ve turned out in force to oppose HB1703. As of Wednesday morning, January 28, 14,113 opposed responses had been recorded, with 41 people in support and five listed as neutral.
A public hearing was held on Tuesday, January 27, and according to NEMBA, “The hearing room was packed. Except for one person, everybody there opposed the bill.”
Even though the proposed bill is supposed to fund the construction of paved bike paths, “the [bill] sponsor admitted that he did not understand how rail trails were funded,” according to a NEMBA attendee.
Testimony in opposition to the bill included a representative of the New Hampshire Fish & Game Commission. “The Bureau of Trails (which is part of Fish & Game) currently manages ~280 miles of rail trails, and they are doing just fine without the Department of Transportation getting involved,” said NEMBA.
Due to the public outcry, late on Tuesday, the sponsor of the bill recommended that it be “inexpedient to legislate,” meaning that the bill will most likely die in committee. However, that’s not yet guaranteed, so if you live in New Hampshire and you ride bikes, continue to speak up and make sure your voice is heard!
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