New York City Announces Mandatory UL 2849 Certification for All E-Bikes Sold After January 2027

The New York City Council on Tuesday passed Local Law 39 of 2026 unanimously, requiring every electric bicycle, electric scooter, and replacement battery sold within the five boroughs to carry either UL 2849 (full-system) or UL 2271 (battery-pack) certification beginning January 1, 2027. The law applies equally to brand-new merchandise sold at retail and to aftermarket batteries sold online.

The legislation closes a loophole that has frustrated FDNY investigators for three years: counterfeit or 'compatible' lithium-ion battery packs sold through marketplaces like Amazon and AliExpress have been linked to the majority of fatal e-bike fires in the city. Under Local Law 39, those listings will be unenforceable for shipment to NYC ZIP codes and DOI is granted authority to subpoena platform sales records.

Industry response has been broadly supportive. PeopleForBikes, the largest US industry advocacy organization, issued a statement calling the law 'the right framework, finally codified.' Most major brands — Trek, Specialized, Giant, Aventon, Lectric, Super 73 — already certify their full lineups to UL 2849.

What it means for buyers: if you are shopping for an e-bike in 2026 or 2027 and you live in NYC, look for the UL 2849 mark. If you are an aftermarket-battery shopper, search for the matching UL file number in UL's free public database before purchase. Brands that cannot produce a certificate should be treated as disqualified.