San Diego Police Can Now Cite Riders Under 12 on E-Bikes

This post is general information, not legal advice. Check the city's rules and the ordinance text before you buy or ride.

What the San Diego rule says

The rule is City Ordinance O-2026-142, and it took effect August 13, 2026. A 60-day grace period on citations ran until October 12. After that date, violators may be cited and fined. ABC 10News reports that citations can be issued starting Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Here are the age and helmet rules the city lists by class:

• Class 1 (pedal assist only, 20 mph): minimum age 12, helmet required under 18.
• Class 2 (pedal and throttle assist, 20 mph): minimum age 12, helmet required under 18.
• Class 3 (pedal assist only, 28 mph): minimum age 16, helmet required at every age.
• Pedal bike: no minimum age.

E-bikes are not allowed on sidewalks. Passengers are allowed only if the bike was designed for them. A driver's license, registration or insurance is not required for an e-bike. It is illegal to modify an e-bike to go faster without updating its class label.

The city's e-bike page says e-motorcycles are not authorized to be ridden anywhere within the City of San Diego. Riding one on a roadway takes a motorcycle license, DMV registration and insurance.

What a citation means for a family

The fine is $25. Councilmember Raul Campillo said the amount is set by state law. He told 10News, "The $25 was what the state law allows us to actually charge ... partly because we don't want to be incredibly punitive towards families." He also said, "Education is always the best solution to problems."

Under the city code (S.D.M.C. 84.20), a person who gets an e-bike safety citation can complete an approved online e-bike safety course within 120 days instead of paying the fine. The state-approved Online Electric Bicycle Safety & Training Course is free. You submit the certificate following the instructions on the citation.

The state pilot law behind the program, AB 2234, makes a parent or guardian jointly liable for the $25 fine. It lets a local authority in San Diego County ban riders under 12 from Class 1 and 2 e-bikes through January 1, 2029. Under the law, the first 60 days bring warnings, and the fine follows.

Campillo called the program a pilot, saying, "This is a pilot program. It's a first of its kind." The city plans to collect citation and crash data.

Why the city did it

Campillo cited data from Rady Children's Hospital showing a 1,770% increase in e-bike injuries in San Diego County since 2022. He said e-bike injuries are now the hospital's second-leading reason for trauma activations.

KPBS reported a Rady study on serious crashes involving riders under 18. In 2017, e-bikes were involved in fewer than 2% of them. By 2023, the share was nearly 40%.

Dr. Justin Assioun of Rady Children's told KPBS the hospital had three trauma activations from e-bike accidents in 2021 and 262 by the end of 2025. Patients of all severities exceeded 1,000 through 2025. He also raised speed: "We're putting kids on bikes that travel 20 to 28 miles per hour...and some are modifying them so they're going 45 or even 50 miles an hour."

Assioun also pointed to helmet classification NTA 8776, which is designed for e-bikes and for higher impact.

The Bike Coalition's counterpoint

The San Diego County Bike Coalition opposes the rule. Its main points, as reported by 10News:

• The riding that worries families, such as running red lights and stop signs or riding on sidewalks, is already illegal.
• Many of the scary incidents involve high-speed electric motorcycles, which state law does not classify as e-bikes.
• In hilly neighborhoods, an e-bike is often the only way a kid gets to school. Removing it means more car trips.
• The group has seen no data on crashes involving under-12 riders on legal Class 1 or 2 e-bikes.

The Coalition asks the city to track and publish citation and crash data, and to revisit the rule if it does not make riders safer. That fits the data collection the pilot already calls for.

Other places with age rules

CalMatters reported that deadly e-bike crashes shaped three new California safety laws. One is AB 2595 (Chapter 843, Statutes of 2026), chaptered Sept. 30, 2026. Until Jan. 1, 2031, it lets local authorities in San Mateo County, or the county in unincorporated areas, adopt a ban on riders under 12 on Class 1 and 2 e-bikes. It is not statewide. After a 60-day warning period, the fine there is also $25, and a parent or guardian is jointly liable for it. In 2024, the governor also signed laws for similar programs in San Diego (AB 2234) and Marin (AB 1778) counties.

California has no age minimum for most e-bikes, and Class 3 riders must be at least 16. Alaska, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania set minimum e-bike ages between 14 and 16, according to CalMatters.

Also coming: SB 1167 takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, and bars vehicles over the e-bike limits from being labeled or marketed as e-bikes. Our SB 1167 explainer has the details.

A 5-point check before you buy for a young rider

1. Check the rider's age first. In the City of San Diego, a child under 12 can't ride a Class 1, 2 or 3 e-bike on city paths, roads, trails, parks or boardwalks.
2. Get the class in writing. Ask whether the bike is Class 1, 2 or 3. Class 3 requires a rider who is at least 16.
3. Make sure it is an e-bike and not an e-motorcycle. The city says e-motorcycles are not authorized to be ridden anywhere in San Diego.
4. Ask about speed settings. Modifying an e-bike to go faster without updating its class label is illegal.
5. Match the helmet to the bike. Helmets are required under 18 on Class 1 and 2, and at every age on Class 3. Ask about NTA 8776, the classification Assioun said is designed for e-bikes.

Ask who services the bike, too. A brand with no phone number and no parts won't help you after a breakdown.

Where a local shop helps

A local shop can tell you the class of the exact bike on the floor and what the city allows for your rider's age. Start with our directory of San Diego e-bike shops, browse San Diego County, or see San Diego e-bike sales. Two listings to look at are Moment Bicycles and Electric Bike Center North San Diego. Our best e-bike shops in San Diego post covers more. For state rules, see our California e-bike laws guide.

Sources: City of San Diego / SDPD e-bike laws and safety tips; ABC 10News, City of San Diego begins issuing citations under new e-bike safety ordinance; KPBS, March 13, 2026; CalMatters, October 2026; AB 2595 (Ch. 843, Stats. 2026) and AB 2234 (Ch. 823, Stats. 2024) Legislative Counsel digests; SB 1167 (Ch. 846, Stats. 2026).

Frequently Asked Questions

When can San Diego police cite riders under 12 on e-bikes?
Starting Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. The 60-day grace period on citations ended Oct. 12. The fine is $25.

Can a parent be held responsible for the fine?
Yes. The state pilot law, AB 2234, makes a parent or guardian jointly liable for the $25 fine.

Can the fine be avoided?
Under S.D.M.C. 84.20, a person who gets an e-bike safety citation can complete the free, state-approved Online Electric Bicycle Safety & Training Course within 120 days instead of paying the fine, and submit the certificate following the citation instructions.