Quogue's New Bike Law Sends the Ticket to the Parent

"In no event shall it be a defense that the parent or legal guardian has exercised due diligent supervision over the activities of the person under the age of eighteen (18) years."

That sentence comes from Section 70-18 of Quogue's new Village Code Chapter 70, "Bicycles, Skates, Skateboards, Scooters and Bicycles with Electric Assist." The Board of Trustees adopted it as Local Law No. 6 of 2026 on September 18, with all five votes in favor. The Village's announcement describes it in three lines about helmets, lights and reflectors. The full text of the law runs to ten pages, and most of those pages are about adults. Parents receive the summons, pay the fine, and file the claim to get a seized e-bike back. For a household with a teenager and an e-bike in the garage, that is the real change.

Who Gets the Summons

Chapter 70 is split into three articles. Article I covers helmets, Article II covers ordinary bicycles, and Article III covers e-bikes and electric or motorized scooters. Article I and Article III each contain a clause that redirects the summons. If a rider under 16 commits a violation in the presence of a parent, guardian or caretaker who is at least 18, the summons is issued to that adult. The law says it "shall not be issued to the person less than sixteen (16) years of age."

The payment clause covers a wider age range. Under Article III, the parent or legal guardian of any unemancipated rider under 18 who is found guilty of a violation must pay the fine. That parent also owes restitution for any damage to Village-owned property. The clause quoted at the top of this post applies to both obligations. So if a 17-year-old is ticketed alone on an e-bike on Quogue Street, the summons goes to the 17-year-old, but the bill goes home to the parent.

Article III fines are large enough to make that matter. A first violation can carry a fine of up to $500, and a second or later violation up to $1,000, or up to 15 days in jail, or both. For comparison, ordinary-bicycle violations under Article II are capped at $250 for a first offense and $500 after that. The Quogue Village Police Department and the Code Enforcement Officer enforce all three articles. Summonses are returnable in Quogue Justice Court.

Two Summers of Warnings

The law is aimed at households because that is where Village Hall's warnings were going. In a July 2025 update, Mayor Robert Treuhold described e-bikes speeding around the village, often ridden without helmets by teenagers or younger children. He asked parents not to give e-bikes to underage children and said police had been asked to increase enforcement.

A year later the message had not changed. His August 31, 2026 letter to residents said: "Notwithstanding receiving repeated reminders about wearing helmets, residents of all ages continue to cruise around town without them." The proposal had been introduced at the August 21 Board meeting. The minutes describe its goals as reinforcing helmet use, requiring helmets for cyclists under 18, limiting sidewalk riding and regulating e-bikes and electric scooters. No one spoke at the September 18 public hearing, and the Board adopted the law that afternoon.

The law's own findings give one more reason. They state that emergency room visits for injuries "among young drivers have jumped more than 600 percent in the last three years."

Where Quogue Goes Further Than Albany

The Village calls the all-ages helmet rule for e-bikes and scooters "consistent with NY State law." State law allows local governments to set stricter rules. The New York Attorney General said as much in a July 31, 2026 consumer alert. Set side by side, the two sets of rules show how much further Quogue goes.

The last row is the one most likely to catch out a weekend guest. Under the NY DMV's classification, Class 1 e-bikes give pedal assist up to 20 mph and Class 2 e-bikes can run on a throttle up to 20 mph. Class 3 e-bikes are limited to cities with a population of one million or more. On a Quogue street, the e-bikes in use are almost all Class 1 or Class 2, and state law sets no helmet requirement for adults on either one. Chapter 70 does. Albany has bills that would require helmets at every age, S7968 and S9361, but both were still in Senate committee as of late October 2026.

The helmet article has one built-in way out. A fine of up to $500 is waived for a first violation if the rider gives the court written proof of buying a qualifying helmet before the first court appearance. A second violation gets no waiver.

Four Blocks of Sidewalk and the Sunset Line

Most of Chapter 70 applies anywhere in the village. The law names only one specific place, the Jessup Avenue Business District. It is defined as both sides of Jessup Avenue from Midland Street south to Quogue Street, plus Quogue Street about 300 feet east and 150 feet west of that corner. That area takes in the village's coffee-and-errands blocks. Bicycles, e-bikes and electric scooters may not be ridden on its sidewalks, though they can be walked "in an orderly manner." When parked on a sidewalk, they must stand upright, stay out of pedestrians' way and off driveways, and use a bike rack where one is available.

On the roads, the limits are set by speed rather than by street name. Electric scooters are capped at 15 mph and e-bikes at 20 mph. Neither may be ridden on a street posted above 30 mph. Two or more riders must ride single file, and each device may carry only one person. Riders on electric devices must yield to pedestrians "in all circumstances."

The rule most affected by the time of year is about the clock. Electric and motorized scooters may not be ridden anywhere the public has access from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise. That curfew does not cover e-bikes. Ordinary bicycles ridden after dark need a front headlight visible from at least 300 feet and a red rear light or reflector visible from at least 200 feet in a car's headlights. In early November, the evening ride home from the Quogue Library falls after sunset, and once Chapter 70 takes effect, a scooter is off limits for that ride.

When the Device Goes to the Station

Four Article III violations lead to the most expensive outcome:

• riding while impaired
• riding an electric scooter during the after-dark curfew
• riding an e-bike or scooter at age 15 or younger
• reckless riding, which the law defines to include zig-zagging around moving cars and trick riding where there is traffic

Each of these "warrants the immediate seizure and impound" of the device, plus an extra fine of up to $1,500 on top of the regular penalty. The age rule matches the state minimum of 16 for e-bikes and e-scooters. What Quogue adds is the seizure.

Once a device is taken, the law sets out this sequence:

1. A sworn officer may seize an e-bike or scooter ridden by anyone under 16 if there is reasonable cause to believe the age, curfew, reckless or other operating rules were broken.
2. The Village Police notify the rider's parent or legal guardian by first-class mail.
3. Only an owner over 16, or the parent or guardian of a younger owner or rider, can claim the device.
4. Storage costs a $50 processing fee plus $5 a day, not counting the day of seizure or the day of pickup.
5. If no valid claim is made within 90 days, ownership passes to the Village of Quogue Police Department.

Ordinary bicycles have a separate impound process. Pickup is during police business hours, typically 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, and the claimant must sign a sworn affidavit of ownership. When a rider under 16 loses an e-bike or scooter this way, the parent is the one the Village notifies, the one who can claim it back and the one who pays the storage fees.

What Happens Next at Village Hall

Chapter 70 takes effect when it is filed with the New York Secretary of State under the Municipal Home Rule Law. The Village's notice of adoption is dated September 21, 2026, and says copies of the law are available to review at Village Hall during business hours. The Village's online code at eCode360 includes legislation only through July 17, 2026. For now, the PDF linked from the Village's announcement is the readable version of the law. The next Board of Trustees meeting is Friday, November 20, at 1 p.m. at Village Hall, 7 Village Lane.

This post is general information about a local law. It is not legal advice. Anyone facing a summons or an impound should confirm their situation with an attorney or with Village Hall directly.

Many Quogue homes are second homes, and many of the e-bikes in their garages are ridden by guests and tenants who have never read Chapter 70. Stoebe & Co. follows changes to village codes like this one for the owners whose homes we manage and lease, so the house rules match the Village's. Get on the VIP list to receive those updates as they're adopted.