Delivery by Bike or E-Bike

A delivery worker wearing a bike helmet and bright vest rides an e-bike in Brooklyn.

Bikes, e-bikes, and cargo bikes are an efficient and sustainable way to make deliveries in New York City. Businesses that employ workers to make deliveries using these modes must abide by the City’s regulations to ensure safety on city streets. This page provides resources to delivery cyclists and offers an overview of the regulations that apply to businesses and workers making deliveries using bikes, e-bikes, and cargo bikes.

On This Page

Safety Trainings and Resources

NYC DOT provides safety training and resources for delivery workers who use bikes, e-bikes, or cargo bikes.

Rules for Delivery Cycling

As set forth in §10-157 and §10-157.1 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, businesses that use bicycles, e-bikes, or cargo bikes for commercial purposes must abide by rules and regulations to ensure safe operation on city streets.

Failure to comply with these regulations will result in fines and—for third-party delivery services—may be grounds for denial, revocation, or non-renewal of a business’ license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

The regulations set forth in §10-157 and §10-157.1 also set requirements for delivery workers that use bikes, e-bikes, and cargo bikes.

Requirements for Businesses

A business using a bike, e-bike, or cargo bike for commercial purposes is subject to Commercial Bicycling Laws. Each business must:

  • Ensure each delivery cyclist completes NYC DOT’s Do You Deliver? Bicycle Safety Course for Delivery Workers.
  • Ensure that all delivery cyclists have access to a compliant helmet, and that their bicycles have working brakes, bells, lights, and reflectors. If cyclists do not have this safety equipment, the business must provide them at no cost to the cyclist.
  • Provide each delivery cyclist with a unique ID number.
  • Provide each delivery cyclist with a physical or digital worker ID card that displays the name of the business, the worker’s name, unique worker ID number, and photo.
  • Provide each delivery cyclist with a retro-reflective vest that displays the business name and unique worker ID number.
  • Maintain an up-to-date roster of all delivery cyclists they employ or contract. For each delivery cyclist, the roster must include the worker’s name, unique worker ID number, and the date they completed the NYC DOT Bicycle Safety Course. The business must share this roster with NYC DOT upon request.

Business Registration

Businesses that dispatch delivery workers on bikes, e-bikes, or cargo bikes in New York City and whose primary site of operation is either located outside New York City or not open and accessible to the public are required to register with NYC DOT. Register your business with NYC DOT

Do You Deliver? Poster that businesses must post in their establishment if they employ delivery workers who ride bikes or e-bikes in NYC.

Delivery Cyclist Safety Poster

Businesses with brick-and-mortar locations open to the public within New York City must display a Delivery Cyclist Safety Poster summarizing delivery cyclists’ and businesses’ responsibilities while operating in NYC. This poster must be visible to delivery cyclists and must be translated into Spanish and languages that their delivery workers understand.

The required NYC DOT Delivery Cyclist Safety Poster is available in multiple languages. This poster is currently being updated to reflect recent updates to the NYC Administrative Code. Businesses and delivery cyclists should consult the Administrative Code for the most up-to-date information on current delivery cycling regulations (Administrative Code §§ 10-157 and 10-157.1).

NYC DOT's Delivery Cyclist Safety Poster is available in multiple languages:

English | Delivery Cyclist Safety Poster (pdf) Chinese (Traditional) | 自行車貨遞員人身安全 (pdf) Greek | Θέματα ασφάλειας για επαγγελματίες ποδηλάτες (pdf) Haitian Creole | Sekirite pou Moun k ap Fè Komès sou Bisiklèt (pdf) Italian | La sicurezza degli addetti alle consegne in bicicletta (pdf) Korean | 영업용 자전거운전자 안전 수칙 (pdf) Russian | Правила безопасности для велосипедистов-курьеров (pdf) Spanish | Cartel de seguridad para ciclistas comerciales (pdf)

Businesses are also encouraged to display the NYC DOT Bicycle Safety Course Poster, which is available in multiple languages.

English | Do You Deliver? Bicycle Safety Course Poster (pdf) Bengali | আপিন িক ডেলিভারি কেরন? সাইকেল নিরাপত্তা েকান পোস্টার (pdf) Chinese (Traditional) | 您是否從事 送貨工作？自行車安全課程 海報 (pdf) French | Faites-vous des Livraisons? Affiche du Cours sur la Sécurité à Vélo (pdf) Spanish | Cartel del Curso de seguridad en bicicleta ¿Realiza entregas? (pdf)

Requirements for Delivery Workers

Delivery workers who use bikes, e-bikes, and cargo bikes must comply with Commercial Bicycling Laws (Administrative Code §§ 10-157 and 10-157.1).

These regulations require delivery cyclists to:

Illustration of a delivery worker riding a bicycle for work and wearing the required safety gear. Required items include a bicycle helmet and retroreflective upper body apparel for the riders and bell, white headlight and red taillight on the bike or e-bike.
Illustration shows a delivery cyclist wearing required safety gear and riding a bicycle.
  • Complete NYC DOT’s Do You Deliver? Bicycle Safety Course for Delivery Workers.
  • Use safety equipment including a helmet and a bike equipped with bells, lights, reflectors, and working brakes. If any of these items are missing or broken, delivery workers have the right to request replacements from their employer at no cost to the worker.
  • Wear a retro-reflective safety vest with their unique worker ID number and the name of the business they are working for. This vest must be provided by their employer at no cost to the delivery worker.
  • Carry a physical or digital worker ID card issued by their employer that contains their unique worker ID number.

Do You Deliver? Bicycle Safety Course for Delivery Workers

NYC DOT's Do You Deliver? Bicycle Safety Course must be completed by all delivery workers that use bikes, e-bikes, or cargo bikes. The course covers a cyclist’s rights and responsibilities while making deliveries, lists all required safety equipment, and safety tips. After a delivery worker has completed the course, employers must indicate the completion date on their delivery cyclist roster.

The bicycle safety course is available in multiple languages:

Traffic Laws

Delivery workers must follow all Traffic Rules set forth in Title 7 of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law and Chapter 4 of Title 34 of the Rules of the City of New York. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Yield to pedestrians
  • Go with “the walk” signal
  • Stop at all red lights and stop signs
  • Do not ride on sidewalks
  • Ride in the direction of traffic
  • Use a white headlight and red taillight at night
  • Follow citywide 15 MPH speed limit for e-bikes and cargo bikes

For more information visit E-Bikes in NYC.

This webpage is for informational purposes only. Relevant laws, rules, and regulations can be found:
New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law The Administrative Code of the City of New York The Rules of the City of New York