Class 1 e-bike, photo courtesy city of San Diego<\/p>\n
By Karen Pearlman<\/p>\n
Aug. 12, 2026 (San Diego) \u2014Electric bicycle riding days for kids under 12 are about to be officially over in the city of San Diego.<\/p>\n
Starting Thursday, Aug. 13, a new city ordinance will be in place, prohibiting children under the age of 12 from operating Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles<\/a> on city streets, bike paths, parks, trails and boardwalks.<\/p>\n Approved by the San Diego City Council in June, the new regulations essentially make traditional, human-powered pedal bikes the only legal option for pre-teens in the city.<\/p>\n The regulations were made possible at the state level through Assembly Bill 2234, also known as the San Diego Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program<\/a>, authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner<\/a>.<\/p>\n San Diego now joins a growing list of neighboring municipalities \u2014 including La Mesa, Carlsbad and Encinitas \u2014 that have cracked down on e-bike riding in part to address a surge in youth-involved collisions.<\/p>\n To ease into the new laws, the regulations establish a 60-day warning and education period before citations are issued; formal citations can be issued starting Oct. 12. Under the new ordinance, parents or guardians will share liability for any citations issued to minors.<\/p>\n However, San Diego leaders are prioritizing education over punishment: the regulations provide the option for cited individuals to complete an online e-bike safety course within 120 days in lieu of paying a $25 fine, aiming to increase safety for children and reduce reckless riding.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is to keep our kids safe and out of the hospital,\u201d said San Diego Police Commander Benjamin Kelso<\/a> during a public outreach launch last week. \u201cLocal law enforcement and hospitals are seeing a rise in serious e-bike injuries, and this new ordinance establishes clear rules to protect our community. If your child is under 12, the only bike appropriate for them is a traditional pedal bike.\u201d<\/p>\n The push for tighter restrictions didn\u2019t happen in a vacuum.<\/p>\n Since 2021, hospitals across San Diego County have reported an approximate 20 percent increase in e-bike and electric-motorcycle injuries. Medical professionals have treated a wave of head injuries, torso trauma, rib fractures and spinal fractures, which they say are disproportionately affecting children and teenagers.<\/p>\n Dr. Romeo Ignacio, Trauma Medical Director at Rady Children\u2019s Hospital San Diego<\/a>, said that as a pediatric trauma surgeon who cares for injured children, \u201cI\u2019ve seen how quickly e-bike crashes can change a family\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n Ignacio said that \u201csetting a minimum age of 12 is a simple, practical safeguard that helps keep our youngest riders safe while still supporting active transportation for older youth.\u201d<\/p>\n San Diego\u2019s ordinance mirrors actions taken earlier in East County, such as La Mesa\u2019s recent 5-0 City Council vote<\/a> approving an e-bike safety pilot program.<\/p>\n State lawmakers recognized that the explosion in e-bike popularity outpaced traffic safety education among school-aged children.<\/p>\n \u201cE-bikes are a great mode of sustainable transportation, but they can be quite dangerous to maneuver when students are navigating unsafe situations without knowing the rules of the road,\u201d Boerner said. \u201cAB 2234 ensures that children under 12 do not ride class one and two e-bikes to protect them from potential dangers on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n With the school year getting underway, the San Diego Unified School District Police Department<\/a> confirmed officers will be actively monitoring compliance around campuses.<\/p>\n