California ebike laws are among the most permissive in the country, and then the state lets 483 cities build on top of them. The state rules fit on a card: 750 watts or less, working pedals, three classes, no license, no registration, no plate, no insurance, a helmet under 18 and on every Class 3.
The rules that write tickets are mostly local. We checked every incorporated city in the state at its own code, one by one, and 158 of them have an e-bike rule of their own. Three more state bills passed the Legislature in August and sit on the Governor's desk with a September 30 deadline.
750 W cap · 3 classes · no license, no registration · Class 3 from 16 · 483 cities checked · 158 with their own rules · 25 rebate programs tracked · 193 bikes screened · verified September 8, 2026
Author: Milad Ghobadibeygvand, BScN (Western University, 2014), Redtail eBikes. Corrections: mehran@redtailebikes.com. Last verified: September 8, 2026.
Quick Answer
California ebike laws sort e-bikes into three classes under CVC § 312.5: Class 1 and 2 assist to 20 mph, Class 3 to 28 mph, all capped at 750 watts with working pedals. No license, registration, plate or insurance (§ 24016). Helmets under 18 on any class, every age on Class 3. Then your city's rule applies.
New for 2026: batteries must be certified to be sold (HSC § 26302), every e-bike needs a rear reflector or light at all hours (§ 21201), and a Class 3 under a rider younger than 16 can be impounded (§ 22651.08). The local rules cover sidewalks, trails, ages and helmets, and they change at every city limit: as of September 8, 2026, 158 of the 483 cities have one.
If you take one number from this page, take 750. California's ceiling is inclusive, so a bike rated at exactly 750 watts qualifies, and 67 of the 193 e-bikes on our shelf carry that rating. 60 clear every limb of the definition on the figures our listings publish.
Every one of those 60 listings shows you the nominal motor rating and the top assisted speed the class label must carry. Every order ships free to any California address, and the warranty and the support desk are in the US.
Browse every e-bike we sellIn this guide
- What California ebike laws changed in 2026, and what sits on the Governor's desk
- What makes an e-bike legal in California: the five rules
- Do you need a license, insurance, or plates for an e-bike in California?
- Age and helmet: the two rider rules
- Where can you ride an e-bike in California, and where not?
- Who gets to restrict your ride?
- Every city with its own e-bike rule: all 483 checked
- Rebates, vouchers and incentives, with status as of September 8, 2026
- What invalidates your legal status
- What each rule costs, and what to do if you are stopped
- What is next: the bills, the cities and the dates
- Where riders get caught out
- The honest ledger
- The 6-point California compliance checklist
- Which bikes on our shelf are California legal
- Which e-bike for which California ride
- Why buy a California-legal e-bike from us
- Frequently asked questions · The bottom line · Source register · Limitations
How we verified this guide
Every rule on this page was read at its publisher on the date beside it, and every statute is a working link to the section that carries it. Every statute linked. Every city checked.
The statute layer. Every Vehicle Code and Health and Safety Code section cited below was re-opened at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov on September 8, 2026, and the nine 2026 e-bike bills were read at their leginfo status pages and, for the three on the Governor's desk, in their enrolled text. The Governor's deadline comes from article IV, section 10(b)(2) of the state Constitution, read the same day.
The local layer. All 483 incorporated cities, the Census Bureau's count cross-confirmed against the Department of Finance's Report E-1 and the League of California Cities' tally of 125 charter and 358 general-law cities, each checked at its own municipal code or official record. Every finding was then put through a second check whose job was to refute it.
On September 8, 2026 sixteen records that had been in doubt were re-read at their publishers: council minutes for Canyon Lake, Escondido, Fairfax and La Mesa, and the current code for the other twelve. The dated dataset ships beside this article, so you can open the row for your own city and read what it rests on.
The rebates. 25 programs at state, air-district, utility, county and city level, each re-read at its own page on September 8, 2026; four pages that refuse automated readers were rendered through Google's PageSpeed service and read from the render, and one district site was unreachable on every route, which its row says.
The shelf. 193 active listings on our store screened against all four limbs of § 312.5 on the figures the listings publish: pedals, nominal motor rating, top assisted speed and class. The screen and its field coverage are in the shelf section.
The questions. 432 search phrasings harvested from 4 independent sources (Google and Bing autocomplete, related searches, the headings of the pages that rank, and an AI-search panel run on September 8, 2026); every question heading on this page maps to one of them. Google Search Console showed no California query reaching this site in the ninety days to September 6, 2026, which is a fact about the index and says nothing about demand.
This is general information, not legal advice. Codes change monthly. For anything with money or safety riding on it, open the linked section and read the current text; every claim here links to one so you can. Corrections to mehran@redtailebikes.com are published and credited.
What California ebike laws changed in 2026, and what sits on the Governor's desk
Four state changes took effect on January 1, 2026, and three more bills wait on the Governor until September 30 under article IV, section 10(b)(2) of the state Constitution. Decide on the wrong side of them and you own a machine the state calls a motor vehicle, or ride a path your city has already closed. This section sets out what changed, what is pending, and what each one means for the bike you buy.
Nothing on the Governor's desk changes how you ride today; two of the three would change what is sold, labelled and posted from January 1, 2027. Read them as widening rules that already exist rather than creating them: the not-an-e-bike list has been in the code since January 1, 2025.
The four changes already in force, three of them confirmed in the CHP's December 2025 "New Year, New Laws" release, the fourth (AB 545) in its chaptered text:
- Some machines are already excluded by name (SB 1271). Since January 1, 2025, § 312.5(d) has listed three things that are not electric bicycles and may not be advertised, sold or labelled as one: a two- or three-wheeler "intended by the manufacturer to be modifiable" past 20 mph on motor power alone or past 750 watts; one actually modified to exceed either; and one modified to have its operable pedals removed. This is current law, not a proposal.
- Certified batteries to sell (SB 1271). Selling, leasing, or distributing an e-bike or spare battery in California now requires accredited-lab testing to a standard like UL 2849 or EN 15194, with the lab's mark on the product (HSC § 26302). A bike you already own stays legal; the duty falls on the seller. Rental fleets get until 2028. A second physical battery pack doesn't need a second certification mark under this law, but every pack sold with the bike does; our dual-battery electric bike guide covers which of our two-pack bikes actually carry it.
- An always-on rear light or reflector (AB 544). Every e-bike now needs a red rear reflector or a solid or flashing red light, visible from 500 feet, during all hours, daylight included (CVC § 21201).
- Impound for underage Class 3 riders (AB 875). Police may impound a Class 3 ridden by anyone under 16, for at least 48 hours (CVC § 22651.08).
- Speed-hack software banned from sale (AB 545). The existing ban on selling devices that push an e-bike past its class now covers applications too (CVC § 24016).
On the Governor's desk, statuses read at leginfo on September 8, 2026:
- SB 1167 (Blakespear), presented to the Governor September 4. It rewrites the not-an-e-bike list, which already exists at § 312.5(d), to reach further: past 28 mph on assist as well as past 750 watts and past 20 mph on motor power, and any vehicle "without operable pedals" rather than only one modified to remove them; adds the brand and the maker to the class label; redefines a moped as an electric or combustion machine under 4 gross brake horsepower (3,000 watts), designed for highway use, with a 17-digit VIN and a federal safety label, and a motor-driven cycle as one of up to 5 gross brake horsepower (3,750 watts); and requires every crash report to record the brand, class, top assisted speed and wattage (new § 21065). No urgency clause, so it takes effect January 1, 2027 if signed; some label and battery provisions carry 2028 and 2029 dates. Enrolled text.
- AB 2346 (Wilson), presented August 25. It lets a city set a 10, 15 or 20 mph limit on a bike path or multi-use trail by ordinance, signed within 400 feet of each end (new § 21214.8; a limit set before January 1, 2027 stands); creates a 10 mph prima facie sidewalk speed limit that carries no license point (new § 22352.1); requires the class label in Arial 9-point type and written point-of-sale disclosures of class, top speed, continuous and peak wattage, age and helmet rules and a tamper warning (new Article 19, § 28170); and requires a speedometer on every Class 2 and front and rear lamps on every e-bike made or sold from January 1, 2029. Enrolled text.
- AB 2595 (Papan), presented August 25. A San Mateo County pilot on the San Diego model: cities and the county may bar riders under 12 from Class 1 and 2, with warning notices for 60 days and then a $25 infraction waivable by a safety course; it sunsets January 1, 2031 (new § 21214.9). Enrolled text.
Signed. AB 1569 (Davies), a school e-bike safety and training program in the Education Code, was approved August 27, 2026 as Chapter 128 of the Statutes of 2026. It binds schools, and no rider.
Did not advance in 2026. AB 1557 (a rewrite of § 312.5 with lower class speeds) was held on the Assembly Appropriations suspense file on May 14; AB 1942 (registration and license plates for e-bikes) was held the same day.
SB 956 (an Orange County plate pilot) lost its April 21 hearing at its author's request; AB 2284 (an Attorney General list of non-compliant e-motos) failed passage in Assembly Transportation on April 20; AB 1995 (a lithium-battery working group) was held on May 14.
Meanwhile the local layer moved faster than the state one. San Diego's under-12 rule took effect August 13, and Canyon Lake adopted a full mobility-device chapter on August 5, in force from September 4.
Escondido introduced its ordinance on August 26 by a 4-1 vote and has not yet adopted it. None of that is visible from the state statutes alone.
What makes an e-bike legal in California: the five rules
An e-bike in California is a bicycle with fully operable pedals and a motor that does not exceed 750 watts, in one of three classes, and everything else on this page follows from that sentence. The line between an e-bike and a motor vehicle is a short list of numbers, every one of them from CVC § 312.5, quoted below and then translated.
| Requirement | The rule | What it actually means |
|---|---|---|
| Motor power | "does not exceed 750 watts" | 750W is the ceiling for every class. A 1,000W bike is not an e-bike in California, full stop |
| Pedals | "fully operable pedals" | No pedals, no e-bike. Pedal-delete kits convert your bike into a moped in the eyes of the law |
| Class 1 | Assist only while pedaling, cuts off at 20 mph | The most widely accepted class — parks and trail managers restrict it least |
| Class 2 | Throttle may move the bike alone, cuts off at 20 mph | The only class you can ride without pedaling — and the class local pilots regulate hardest |
| Class 3 | Assist while pedaling to 28 mph, speedometer required | Fastest legal class. Riders 16+, helmet at every age, and no true throttle — only a 3.7 mph walk-assist |
Three classes, one 750-watt ceiling. The class label on the frame is the first thing anyone checks.
Every e-bike carries a classification label, and if you modify the bike's speed capability the label must change to match (CVC § 24016).
A four-word definition decides everything downstream. Under CVC § 231, "an electric bicycle is a bicycle", which is why e-bikes inherit the road rights of bicycles, and why every bicycle rule in a city code reaches your e-bike too.
Bottom line 750 watts or less, working pedals, and a class label that matches how the motor behaves. Meet those three and California treats your e-bike as a bicycle everywhere state law reaches.
Do you need a license, insurance, or plates for an e-bike in California?
Start with what you don't need. A legal Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike in California requires no driver's license, no registration, no license plate, and no insurance, per CVC § 24016 exempts electric bicycles from all four.
The catch is that every one of those exemptions rides on the bike staying inside its class. Over 750 watts, past its speed limit on motor power, or pedals removed, and it stops being an e-bike. It becomes a moped or motor-driven cycle, and the license, registration, and insurance requirements arrive with it (CVC § 406).
Reading the ratings label before you buy is what keeps a $2,000 e-bike inside the no-paperwork rule: the class, the top assisted speed and the wattage on that label are the three facts the exemption turns on.
The commuter shelf is where most of the California-legal bikes we sell live, and each listing carries the nominal motor rating and the top assisted speed the class label must state, so the no-license line is a thirty-second read on the listing itself. Free shipping to any California address, a US warranty, and Shop Pay instalments at checkout.
Shop commuter and city e-bikesAge and helmet: the two rider rules
Under 18 on any class, every age on a Class 3 — California's two helmet rules.
Age. No statewide minimum for Class 1 or Class 2. Sixteen for Class 3 (CVC § 21213). The state rule ends there: the under-12 bans you may have heard about are city ordinances under two county pilot programs, covered in who gets to restrict your ride.
Helmets. Two rules stack. Every rider under 18 wears one on any e-bike (CVC § 21212). On a Class 3, everyone does: riders and passengers, at any age (CVC § 21213).
A minor cited without a helmet faces an infraction of not more than $25 (CVC § 21212(e)), and since 2026 the ticket is built to be dismissed once fixed. Show proof of a helmet and a completed e-bike safety course, the CHP runs one, within 120 days, and the citation is never transmitted to court and no fee is imposed (§ 21212(f), added by AB 544).
Passengers ride only on a seat built for a passenger. A child four or younger, or 40 pounds or lighter, needs a retaining seat that protects them from moving parts (CVC § 21204).
The 2026 impound rule lands here too: a Class 3 under a rider younger than 16 can be taken for at least 48 hours (CVC § 22651.08).
Where can you ride an e-bike in California, and where not?
On the road, an e-bike has every right and duty of a bicycle (CVC § 21200). Roads and bike lanes are open to all three classes, statewide.
A painted San Francisco bike lane, open to every class by state default; the promenade three streets over may sit under a city rule that closes it.
Bike paths are where old advice goes wrong. Since January 1, 2023, the path-and-trail ban in CVC § 21207.5 applies to motorized bicycles — mopeds, and not to e-bikes. All three classes may use bike paths by state default. Guides still claiming a statewide Class 3 path ban are quoting a rule that died three years ago.
"By state default" is the operative phrase, because three different authorities can override it:
- Cities and counties can close equestrian, hiking, and recreational trails to any or all e-bike classes (CVC § 21207.5(b)).
- California State Parks bans e-bikes everywhere in a park unit except public roadways and trails a Superintendent's Order specifically opens (State Parks e-bike policy, checked September 8, 2026).
- Sidewalks have no statewide rule at all — each city decides (CVC § 21206). Counted by the word across our 158 city-ordinance summaries below, 85 carry a sidewalk rule, 81 a trail or park rule, 39 a helmet rule and 25 an age line. The commonest local e-bike rule in California is a sidewalk rule.
Buying locally and want to ask a shop about class before you pay? Our directory of ebike shops in California lists every verified store with the date it was checked, and the San Jose guide shows what a city-depth pass adds.
Two more rules surprise people. Riding under the influence is illegal on an e-bike, with a fine of up to $250 (CVC § 21200.5). And federal land runs on its own rulebook entirely: we mapped State Parks, the national forests, BLM, and the National Park Service district by district in the California trail atlas.
Wide tires and real suspension for the coast, the fire roads and the sand where the land manager allows them. The fat-tire shelf mixes Class 1 and 2 bicycles with off-road machines built for private land and OHV areas, and the nominal rating on each listing tells you which one you are looking at before you order. Free shipping to California, a US warranty, and US support on every one.
Shop fat-tire e-bikesWho gets to restrict your ride?
State default first, then whoever manages the path: the sign at the trailhead is the local authority's answer.
Two Vehicle Code sections power the entire local layer, and knowing them lets you tell a real rule from a rumor, because a city rule that traces to neither of them, and to no pilot statute, binds nobody.
CVC § 21113(g) lets any public agency regulate e-bikes on property it controls — that's how a parks district or a university closes a trail. CVC § 21207.5(b) lets local authorities restrict recreational trails specifically.
Texas wrote its law in the opposite direction — Transportation Code § 551.106 bars cities from prohibiting e-bikes anywhere ordinary bicycles are allowed, as our Texas guide documents, and the two states make a useful pair:
| California | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| State model | State sets a floor; agencies and cities restrict further | State preempts most local bans outright |
| Cities can... | Close trails, restrict sidewalks, add pilot age and helmet floors | Only regulate sidewalks, speeds, and closed natural-surface trails |
| Result | 158 of 483 cities have their own e-bike rules (verified September 2026) | 62 of 1,224 municipalities (Texas guide, August 2026) |
A third model sits between these two. Washington doesn't preempt like Texas or leave the default open like California — it sets a restrictive statewide default for Class 3 e-bikes and requires cities to affirmatively opt in before loosening it, the mirror image of how California's own default runs permissive until a city restricts it.
On top of the general powers, two county pilot programs, both sunsetting January 1, 2029, let cities go further on age and helmets:
- San Diego County (CVC § 21214.7): cities may ban riders under 12 from Class 1 and 2, with a 60-day warning window and then $25 fines waivable through a safety course. Eight cities have adopted it, each confirmed at its own code or council minutes: Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, La Mesa, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos and Santee. Escondido introduced a ninth on August 26, 2026 and has not yet adopted it.
- Marin County (CVC § 21214.5): cities may bar riders under 16 from Class 2, or require Class 2 helmets at any age. Eleven Marin cities carry a version confirmed at their own codes or minutes, Belvedere to Tiburon, and every one is in the Marin table below.
A third pilot is one signature away: AB 2595 would give San Mateo County the San Diego model until 2031.
A real local e-bike rule traces to § 21113(g), § 21207.5(b), or a pilot statute. A "rule" that traces to a press release, a council motion, or a sign somebody remembers is not enforceable law, and as you'll see with Los Angeles below, that distinction is currently doing a lot of work.
We checked all 483 California cities: every local e-bike ordinance
State law is only the floor. The layer built on top of it is every incorporated California city, checked one by one at its own municipal code or official record, and the result is that one city in three has written an e-bike rule of its own.
In August 2026 we checked all 483 incorporated cities in California — the US Census Bureau's count, cross-confirmed against the CA Department of Finance's Report E-1 and the League of California Cities' tally of 125 charter and 358 general-law cities — for a local e-bike ordinance, at each city's own municipal code, and on September 8, 2026 we re-read every record that had been in doubt.
As of September 8, 2026: 158 cities have their own e-bike ordinance, confirmed at the city's own code or official record. 316 have none we could locate. 9 could not be verified, and every one is named below, never folded into "none found." 158 + 316 + 9 = 483. One California city in three writes its own rule.
What those 158 ordinances reach, counted by the word across our summaries of them: sidewalks in 85, trails or parks in 81, helmets in 39, shared or rental fleets in 36, and a rider's age in 25. Checking every city is not the same as resolving every one; nine remain genuinely unresolved, and until a city's status is confirmed, assume nothing in either direction.
Sidewalks and trails first, helmets a distant third: the subjects of 158 city ordinances, counted by the word in our summary of each. A city can appear under more than one.
How we told "no ordinance" from "couldn't check"
Every city landed in one of three buckets, kept separate on purpose:
- ORDINANCE — a local e-bike rule found and independently re-verified at the city's own code or official record, by a checker whose job was to refute the finding instead of rubber-stamping it.
- NONE FOUND: the code was checked on a stated date and nothing e-bike-specific was located. Some checks read the entire code (Concord: all 209 chapter files); others were table-of-contents level. Both count as checked; a full crawl is the stronger claim.
- UNRESOLVED: the code host blocked access, a citation died, or a first-pass finding failed re-verification. Not evidence of absence.
Collapsing that third bucket into the second (turning "we couldn't look" into "there's nothing there") is how legal guides quietly lie. The seams stay visible here: a city that could not be read is named as unread, and a rule reported by the news but not found in the city's own record stays out of the count until the record is read.
Los Angeles: resolved, and the popular story about it is wrong
Los Angeles — 3.8 million people (Census SUB-EST2025), the single largest answer this project could get wrong — regulates e-bikes in at least two confirmed places. Neither is the one the news usually points to.
The operative rule is LAMC § 63.44 B.16, re-confirmed September 8, 2026 from the LA Department of Recreation and Parks' own published text. In any city park, a term the code defines to include beaches, bridle paths, trails, piers and golf courses, the rule reads in full:
"No person shall drive or ride any cycle or vehicle, whether powered by a motor or human power, except on paths, roads or drives designed and provided for such purposes."
On its face, "motor or human power" covers an e-bike — that is the plain reading of the quoted text. A second section, LAMC § 56.15.3 (Ord. 187,564, effective August 8, 2022), regulates bicycle assembly and parts sales on sidewalks, and matters here because it defines "bicycle" as anything "propelled either exclusively by human power or with assistance from a motor," written proof that the LA code's bicycle rules reach e-bikes.
A third section, LAMC § 86.04, bans bicycles on posted "trails" and would reach e-bikes too. Its most recent confirmable capture is from May 2022, and no current version could be retrieved by any legitimate route as of this check, so it is labelled here instead of being counted. For what binds a rider in Los Angeles today, § 63.44 B.16 is the rule.
And the headline everyone saw? Council File 26-0338 ("LA bans e-bikes on trails") was adopted May 1, 2026 as a motion. It directs Rec and Parks to bar Class 3 e-bikes from all equestrian, hiking, and recreational trails by signage, and Class 2 from all but paved or wide trails, and asks the City Attorney to draft an ordinance.
Re-checked against the City Clerk's own record on September 8, 2026: the council's action on the motion became final on May 5, 2026, and the file carries no ordinance number and no adopted ordinance. What binds a rider today is § 63.44 B.16, in force for years, while the motion is still working through the process.
On August 25, 2026 the council went a step further and ordered city departments, the police and LA Metro to report within 90 days on how to regulate e-bikes, e-mopeds and e-motos, including storage and charging rules. That action is reported by City News Service and the Los Angeles Wave; its council file was not retrieved for this page, so treat it as a report request until it appears in the Clerk's record.
Adopted but not yet in the code: what the agenda sweep caught
Code searches miss ordinances that passed recently. So we also swept city council agendas and minutes, and it caught what the code sweep couldn't:
- Adopted, codification not yet confirmed (7): La Mesa (Ordinance 2026-2928, adopted May 12, 2026, 4-1, per the city's own minutes), Canyon Lake (Ordinance 281, adopted August 5, 2026 per the city's minutes, in force September 4 under its own 30-day clause), Oceanside, Carlsbad, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach. Each is in the tables with its adoption record.
- Adopted and already codified (2): San Diego, SDMC §§ 84.19–84.20, effective August 13, 2026; and San Marcos, whose under-12 rule sits at § 12.25.050 of the code current to June 22, 2026.
- Introduced and awaiting adoption (1): Escondido. Ordinance 2026-07, which would bar riders under 12 from Class 1 and 2, bar mobility devices from every sidewalk, set $50, $100 and $200 fines and let police seize a recklessly ridden bike, passed its first reading on August 26, 2026 by 4-1 (Mayor White opposed) per the council's minutes. It was not on the September 2 agenda, and it binds no one until a second reading, adoption, and the 60 days the ordinance gives itself after that.
- Still pending (3): the LA trail motion (no ordinance drafted as of September 8, 2026), Imperial Beach (a council direction to draft rules, reported in February 2026, with nothing in its code), and Encinitas (its council reviewed options on August 19 and 26 and asked for a return in October, as reported by the North Coast Current; the council record was not retrieved). None of the three binds anyone today. An OCTA compilation from October 2024 also listed an Anaheim draft as pending, since overtaken by the adopted unsafe-operation ordinance already in the Orange County table.
Every city with its own e-bike rule
Grouped by county. Every row links to the city's own code or official record; read the operative section yourself, that is what the links are for. A city not listed here and not in the unresolved list came back clean when its code was read. The City of Los Angeles is counted among the 158, covered in its own section above instead of a row.
Los Angeles County
| City | What the local rule does | Citation | Adopted/amended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agoura Hills | Bars electric mobility devices — defined to include CVC 312.5 electric bicycles — on public sidewalks, drainage facilities, outside roadways/paved public areas, in parks, athletic fields, courts, gymnasiums, and equestrian/hiking/recreational trails; escalating penalties. | Ch. 10, §§ 31000–31004 | — |
| Avalon | Applies all rules of the road to riders of bicycles, electric bicycles and motorized bicycles; sections on prohibited locations, speed, sidewalks, equipment, parking and age/licensing; separate chapters bar rental of personal mobility devices. | §§ 4-1.301, 4-1.311; 5-11.18, 5-14.15 | — |
| Azusa | Prohibits use of motorized bicycles and scooters in parks and on sidewalks, within the offenses-against-public-health chapter, keyed to the CVC 231 bicycle definition. | § 46-321 | — |
| Baldwin Park | Prohibits wheeled devices, expressly defined to include electric bicycles, from designated public/private property by City Council resolution, with signage requirements. | § 130.80 | Ord. 1511, adopted Nov 20, 2024 |
| Burbank | Full three-class e-bike definition matching CVC § 312.5, plus a sidewalk/path operating prohibition — the newest ordinance in the city's current code. | §§ 6-1-2801, 6-1-2802 | Ord. 26-4,038, adopted Feb 24, 2026 |
| Calabasas | Bars operating or riding an electric mobility device on public sidewalks, in drainage facilities/culverts/ditches/channels, outside any roadway or paved public area, in public parks, athletic fields, sports courts or gymnasiums, and over equestrian trails. | Ch. 10.24, § 10.24.020 | — |
| Claremont | Only bicycles and Class 1 and 2 e-bikes may operate in the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park — Class 3 is prohibited outright; riders must stay on designated roads/trails and ride at a safe speed. | § 11.10.080 | — |
| Culver City | Regulates "motorized" mobility devices including electric bicycles under CVC § 312.5; the non-motorized exemption applies only under 5 mph. | § 9.10.055(F) | Ord. 2024-002 |
| Downey | Shared fleets plus a moped rule: shared-use rental devices need a city permit under a director-run program; motorized bicycles (CVC 406) barred from every public sidewalk; no bicycle or scooter riding inside public parking structures. Privately owned CVC 312.5 e-bikes are otherwise untouched. | §§ 3163(e), 3164.2, 3199.12 | Ord. 20-1423, Jan 28, 2020 |
| Hawthorne | Shared/rental fleets only: unlawful to provide, park, abandon or wireless-lock any dockless shared mobility device — motorized or not — in the public right-of-way or on public property, with impoundment. Nothing reaches privately owned e-bikes. | Ch. 10.62 | Ord. 2163, 2018 |
| Hermosa Beach | Codified e-bike operating rule with a helmet clause, confirmed against both the enacting urgency ordinance and the current code. | § 10.12.175 | ORD-24-1478U, 2024 |
| Huntington Park | Shared/rental fleets only: unlawful to operate, park or offer any motorized on-demand shared mobility device anywhere in the city; $500 administrative fine per device plus impound. Private e-bikes untouched. | Art. 21, §§ 4-7.2102–.2104 | Ord. 2020-985, eff. Oct 1, 2020 |
| La Verne | Comprehensive private-e-bike chapter: under-18 helmet; ride with traffic; passengers only on a real seat with a 16+ licensed (or 18+) operator; night riding 16+ with CVC-spec lights; no stunts or handheld phones; no e-bikes in parks unless signed; Class 1 and 2 may use sidewalks where no bike lane exists, yielding to pedestrians; Class 3 riders 16+, helmeted, banned from sidewalks and off-road trails; shops must hand the chapter to every buyer or renter. | Ch. 10.80 | Ord. 26-1144, Jun 1, 2026 |
| Lawndale | Shared/rental fleets only: unlawful to place, offer or operate a motorized shared mobility device in any public right-of-way; misdemeanor or infraction plus impound and storage fees. Private e-bikes untouched. | Ch. 12.64 | Ord. 1157-19 |
| Lomita | Comprehensive private-e-bike chapter: defines Class 1, 2 and 3; bars operation on business-district sidewalks, in posted parks/plazas/playgrounds and city parking structures; caps speed at 28 mph and requires reasonable-and-prudent speed. | Ch. 9 | — |
| Long Beach | Shared Micromobility Device Program expressly covering electric bikes and scooters (up to six operator permits, business license, insurance, prohibited conduct, impoundment); separate chapters cover electrically motorized boards and bar motorized scooters on marina-adjacent bike paths. | Chs. 10.51, 10.71; § 10.38.020 | — |
| Malibu | Shared/rental fleets only: unlawful to provide, place or offer any shared on-demand handlebar-equipped mobility device — electric or human-powered — on streets, rights-of-way, public places or unauthorized private property; $500 first fine, escalating to $1,000. Private e-bikes untouched. | Ch. 9.33 | Ord. 448, 2019 |
| Manhattan Beach | Bars riding electric or motorized bicycles (Class 1, 2 and 3 per CVC 312.5) on city sidewalks, the beach, walk streets, Veterans Parkway, plazas, the Strand, parking structures/lots and other listed areas; officers may declare beach-path “Walk Only” zones. | Ch. 3.01, § 3.01.040; §§ 14.28.140, 14.28.170 | — |
| Pasadena | Rewritten bicycle chapter adds a local electric-bicycle definition (fully operable pedals, under 750W); riding regulations require yielding to pedestrians on sidewalks, with a 10 mph sidewalk cap and 5 mph where pedestrians are present. | Ch. 10.60, §§ 10.60.020, 10.60.140 | Ord. 7460 |
| Pomona | Shared Dockless Micro-Mobility article: defines electric bicycle (under 750W, fully operable pedals) and the Class 1, 2 and 3 tiers, and governs shared dockless deployment. | Art. XIII, § 30-782 | — |
| Rancho Palos Verdes | Governs motor vehicles and electric bicycles in parks, preserves and recreational areas (§ 12.16.020) and electric-bicycle operation on city streets and sidewalks (§ 12.16.180); operating motorized devices contrary to the section is unlawful. | §§ 12.16.020, 12.16.180 | — |
| Redondo Beach | Shared Mobility Devices article bars shared mobility devices from being placed in the public right-of-way or on public property, or offered for use anywhere in the city, with an impound-retrieval procedure. | Art. 24 | — |
| Rosemead | Makes it unlawful to provide, place, offer or use a shared on-demand personal mobility device — any handlebar-equipped wheeled device accessed via an on-demand portal — or operate as such an operator, in any street, public right-of-way or public place. | Ch. 10.28, § 10.28.020 | — |
| San Marino | New comprehensive e-bike/micromobility ordinance: sidewalk ban in business districts, crosswalk-dismount rule, unsafe-operation ban, and a ban on riding posted streets in the C-1 Commercial Zone; correctly cites CVC § 312.5 rather than the CVC § 406 moped definition. | §§ 15.11.00–15.11.05 | Ord. No. O-26-1424, adopted Jan 30, 2026 |
| Santa Monica | E-bikes banned from the Beach Promenade, every public sidewalk and every public parking structure; the Beach Bike-Path allows Class 1 and 2 but bars Class 3 and motorized pedicabs; the beach, all city parks and the Municipal Pier are off-limits to e-bikes entirely; reckless-riding and passenger rules on top. | §§ 3.12.600, 4.55.065, 10.08.460 | amended through Ord. 2711CCS, Aug 23, 2022 |
| Walnut | Defines Class 1, 2 and 3 per CVC; under-18 helmet on any e-bike and all-ages helmet on Class 3; e-bikes limited to designated multi-use trails and paved park pathways; high-powered electric dirt bikes banned from all public property; unsafe operation banned with citations and impound for repeat or severe violations. | § 3.32.145 | Ord. 26-04, Mar 25, 2026 |
| West Hollywood | All electric bicycles (CVC § 312.5(a)) are banned from every sidewalk in the city at all times — stricter than the ordinary-bicycle rule, which allows sidewalk riding only where no bike lane adjoins; a separate chapter bans unpermitted shared on-demand devices with a Class 1 and 2 e-bike-share carve-out for one city-selected operator. | § 10.04.030 (Ch. 15.53); Ch. 11.30 | Ord. 19-1072 |
| Westlake Village | Bars operating or riding an electric mobility device on public sidewalks, in drainage facilities/culverts/ditches/channels, outside any roadway or paved public area, in public parks, athletic fields, sports courts or gymnasiums, and over equestrian trails. | Ch. 3.10, § 3.10.020 | — |
Orange County
| City | What the local rule does | Citation | Adopted/amended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aliso Viejo | Bans unsafe e-bike operation (wheelies, careless sidewalk riding, wrong-way riding, distracted phone use) on public or public-facing private property; requires helmets under 18; sidewalk riding capped at 5 mph, 10 mph in parks. | § 10.06.030 | — |
| Anaheim | Bans unsafe e-bike operation on streets, sidewalks, bike paths, trails, parks, or open private property; requires helmets under 18; reported limits: 20 mph streets/paths, 10 mph trails, no parks/unpaved trails, 5 mph sidewalks. | § 14.72.030 | — |
| Brea | Restricts e-bike operation in public areas: sidewalk riding, equestrian/hiking trails, and athletic fields prohibited; 27 mph cap; riders must be 16+; police may refer juvenile offenders to e-bike education in lieu of a fine. | City of Brea | Effective Jan 2, 2025; the adopted text is not published online, so no section is quoted — see Limitations |
| Buena Park | Bans riding on sidewalks, drainage facilities, athletic fields, gymnasiums, playgrounds, and landscaped parks, plus unsafe operation on roadways, trails, and bike paths; 25 mph cap; sidewalk riding barred except for riders under 18. | § 10.56.030 | — |
| Costa Mesa | Minimal, non-dedicated provision: permits motorized and electric bicycles in a bicycle lane ‘at a speed no greater than is reasonable or prudent’ without endangering other bicyclists; no speed cap, no sidewalk rule, no restricted zones. | § 4-22(b) | — |
| Cypress | Park-only restriction: unlawful to operate an e-bike or motorized vehicle within a park or recreation facility except on surfaces maintained and open for vehicular travel; city/district-sanctioned events are exempt. | Municipal Code (park e-bike restriction — no section number stated in detail) | — |
| Dana Point | Prohibits e-bike and motorized-bike use in designated areas of the city, including parks, trails, and public athletic fields; sidewalk riding prohibited; first-offense fine $25. | Ch. ‘Rollerskating, skateboarding, bicycling, motorized or electric biking, and scootering prohibited...’ (no numeric chapter/section stated in detail) | — |
| Fountain Valley | Bans unsafe operation of bicycles, e-bikes, mopeds, and similar conveyances on public or open private property, including careless sidewalk riding, wrong-way riding, and failure to yield; no riding in parks except designated areas. | § 10.64.055 | — |
| Fullerton | Newly added chapter bans unsafe operation of motorized wheeled conveyances, expressly including e-bikes, on streets, sidewalks, bike paths, trails, parks, or open private property; 5 mph on sidewalks, 15 mph on trails; fines $100/$200. | § 8.90.030 | — |
| Huntington Beach | Amended in 2023 to let officers issue civil or criminal citations for unsafe riding of bicycles and e-bikes, extend enforcement to open private property, and impound non-street-legal bikes ridden by juveniles; 25 mph cap. | Bicycle Chapter (Huntington Beach Municipal Code — no specific section number stated in detail) | Amended 2023 |
| Irvine | Full bicycle-code rewrite: caps e-bikes at 28 mph on public highways, 10 mph on sidewalks, 5 mph near schools; bans unsafe operation; requires yielding and audible signals on sidewalks/parks; requires helmets under 18; allows impoundment. | §§ 4-7-205–4-7-215 | — |
| La Habra | Bans unsafe operation of e-bikes and other ‘electric mobility devices’; sidewalk riding prohibited; no riding in drainage facilities, athletic fields, or equestrian/hiking trails, or outside roadways and paved public areas; 27 mph cap. | Municipal Code (electric mobility device ordinance — no section number stated in detail) | — |
| La Palma | Prohibits operating an ‘electric mobility device’ anywhere else prohibited by law, while preserving e-bike use on bicycle paths; exempts on-duty personnel and disabled riders; sidewalk riding prohibited; no riding in drainage facilities or athletic fields. | § 40-312 | — |
| Laguna Beach | New chapter: unlawful to ride an e-bike on any sidewalk, the Main Beach Boardwalk, or in any city park; 25 mph cap; bans unsafe operation; adopted under CVC 21100 and 21207.5 local-authority grants. | § 10.02.020 | — |
| Laguna Niguel | Bans unsafe e-bike operation on public or open private property, including wheel-lifting, careless sidewalk riding, wrong-way riding, and swerving around stopped traffic; bans acrobatics (jumps, spins, handstands) and non-hands-free phone use. | § 7-4-501.1 | — |
| Laguna Woods | Applies only to public streets and public right-of-way and never private streets or property; permits sidewalk riding at 5 mph with yielding to pedestrians and traffic; street speed capped at applicable CVC limits; bans unsafe riding. | Ch. 8.12 (Municipal Code — no specific section number stated in detail) | — |
| Lake Forest | Caps e-bike speed at 10 mph on roads/trails in park and recreation areas; bans riding that endangers any person or animal; sidewalk riding capped at 5 mph except business districts/near schools; helmet required under 18. | Bicycle Chapter (Lake Forest Municipal Code — no specific section number stated in detail) | — |
| Los Alamitos | Bans unsafe e-bike operation on roadways, highways, sidewalks, parks, or private property. Class 3 e-bikes banned from sidewalks entirely; Class 1 and 2 permitted except in business districts, near recreation centers, schools/churches in use, or parks. | § 10.45.030 | — |
| Newport Beach | Chapter repealed/replaced Nov. 2025 (effective Jan. 2026): prohibits sidewalk riding except where designated by Council resolution; bans unsafe operation on public right-of-way or in parks, including weaving between pedestrians and full-power riding on crowded sidewalks. | §§ 12.56.030, 12.56.060 | Repealed & replaced Nov. 2025; eff. Jan. 2026 |
| Orange | Strict class-based scheme: conveyances outside the three CVC classes barred from roadways without licensing; bans tampering that changes speed capability without reclassifying; 20 mph limit on bike lanes/trails/paths; Class 3 e-bikes banned from bicycle paths. | §§ 10.10.040, 10.10.080 | — |
| Placentia | Legacy, non-e-bike-specific ordinance defining ‘motor-driven cycle’ to include ‘every bicycle with motor attached’ (OCTA reads this as covering e-bikes); bans operation on sidewalks, walkways, parks, or public property except highways; requires a police permit. | § 13.72.030 | — |
| Rancho Santa Margarita | Bans unsafe operation of ‘regulated mobility devices’ (e-bikes, EPAMDs, scooters) on streets, roads, sidewalks, bike paths, trails, parks, or public-facing private property, including intentionally lifting a wheel; penalty is an infraction or discretionary administrative citation. | § 12.08.030 | — |
| San Clemente | Dedicated e-bike chapter: defines ‘Seat’ in factory-installed terms to block multi-rider retrofits; bans unsafe operation; requires helmets for all riders/passengers under 18; makes parents/guardians jointly and severally liable with the minor rider. | §§ 10.62.010–10.62.040 | — |
| Seal Beach | Bans operation of ‘regulated mobility devices’ in posted public areas, and on sidewalks, drainage facilities, ditches, athletic courts, or gymnasiums; imposes a duty of due care, to reduce speed, and to obey traffic control devices. | § 7.65.010 | — |
| Stanton | Bans unsafe operation, including acrobatic stunts/tricks and non-hands-free phone use, on public right-of-way, streets, sidewalks, bike paths, trails, parks, or open private property; separately bans riding electric bicycles in any park or playground. | §§ 10.38.030, 14.04.050 | — |
| Tustin | Bans unsafe operation of bicycles/regulated mobility devices on streets, sidewalks, bike paths, trails, parks, or open private property; lets police seize an unaccompanied under-18 rider's device if ridden dangerously and transport it to Tustin PD. | §§ 5346, 5348 | — |
| Villa Park | Bans operating in designated city parks, school athletic areas, recreational areas, or city offices; requires a headlight visible 200 feet at night; requires helmets under 18; caps sidewalk riding at 5 mph. | §§ 5-7.5–5-7.7 | — |
| Yorba Linda | Bans unsafe operation of ‘regulated mobility devices’ on streets, sidewalks, bike paths, trails, parks, or open private property, including wrong-way riding, operating other than designed, and exceeding 25 mph on highways or Class II/III/IV bikeways. | § 10.80.030 | — |
Every city in these two tables sits on the same state floor. A Class 1 or 2 rated at 750 watts or less is inside the definition from Long Beach to Yorba Linda, and the rows tell you where a sidewalk or a park is closed. Commuter and city e-bikes ship free to any California address with a US warranty and US support.
Shop commuter and city e-bikesSan Diego, Marin, and Riverside Counties
San Diego County
| City | What the local rule does | Citation | Adopted/amended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad | Under-12 Class 1 and 2 ban (CVC § 21214.7); police seizure of minors’ e-bikes for reckless riding; no sidewalk riding citywide; helmet under 18, Class 3 all ages; dismount on sub-5-ft trails when pedestrians/equestrians are within 50 ft. | Carlsbad Municipal Code | — |
| Chula Vista | Under-12 ban on Class 1 and 2 (sunsets Jan 1, 2029); under-18 helmet; Class 3 helmet all ages; no passengers for operators under 18; Class 1 and 2 barred from business-district sidewalks and parking structures; Class 3 from all sidewalks; 30-day impound. | CVMC Ch. 10.73 | — |
| Coronado | Under-12 ban on operating or riding Class 1 and 2 (CVC § 21214.7); 60-day warnings then fines up to $25; sunsets Jan 1, 2029 or CVC 21214.7 expiry, whichever is later; dismount-and-walk zones on all city sidewalks plus specified waterfront walkways. | CMC §§ 56.18.050–.060 | — |
| Del Mar | Bicycle chapter expressly includes e-bikes (CVC § 312.5); bans riding on business-district and posted sidewalks, on streets with designated bike paths (ride in lane), in parks/preserves, and San Dieguito Lagoon trails unless signed; Coast to Crest Trail excepted. | Ch. 14.54 | — |
| El Cajon | Unlawful to ride an e-bike (also scooters, skateboards, dockless vehicles) in any city park, playground or public facility, on Expanded Civic Center grounds, and on public property between Main Street and Douglas Avenue; classes defined per CVC § 312.5. | §§ 9.42.020–.030 | — |
| Encinitas | Shared/rental fleets only: a single licensed bike-share operator may rent bikes limited to Class 1 and 2 e-bikes meeting CVC § 312.5; every other rental mobility device is a "prohibited mobility device" banned from deployment citywide, with impound — and the chapter expressly leaves private, non-commercial devices alone. | Ch. 9.55 | Ord. 2019-02 |
| La Mesa | Under-12 ban on operating Class 1 and 2 e-bikes citywide under the San Diego pilot (CVC § 21214.7): 60-day warning period, then $25 infractions waivable if the rider completes an approved safety course within 120 days; parents jointly liable; CVC § 22651.08 seizure of non-compliant electric vehicles and unlawfully ridden Class 3; sunsets Jan 1, 2029. | Ch. 12.38 (Ord. 2026-2928) | adopted May 12, 2026, 4–1 |
| National City | § 11.52.010 defines e-bikes per CVC 312.5 incl. Class 3 rules (16+, helmet, barred from Class I multi-use paths unless authorized); § 11.52.020 bans sidewalk riding in business or residence districts; council may allow residential sidewalks by resolution. | Ch. 11.52 | — |
| Oceanside | Bans bicycles and mobility devices (incl. e-bikes) on Municipal Pier, Pier Amphitheater, Junior Seau Community Center, Pier Plaza and the Strand area; none on sidewalks fronting businesses unless signed; sidewalk riding max 10 mph, with traffic, yielding to pedestrians. | §§ 5.1, 5.14 | — |
| Poway | Under-12 ban on Class 1 and 2; under-16 ban on Class 3; under-18 helmet; speed caps: 28 mph highway, 20 paths/trails, 10 sidewalks, 5 school-zone sidewalks when children present; no riding parks/playgrounds/school grounds not designated bike paths. | Ch. 10.57 | — |
| San Diego | Under-12 ban on operating a Class 1 or Class 2 e-bike on all public rights-of-way, parks, paths, trails, and any other area open to bicycle travel (SDMC § 84.19); infraction with a $25 fine, waived with no court record if a parent/guardian proves within 120 days the minor completed a safety course (SDMC § 84.20). | SDMC Ch. 8, Art. 4, Div. 0 | Added 7-14-2026 by O-22123 N.S.; effective 8-13-2026 |
| San Marcos | Bicycle chapter expressly covering e-bikes (business-district sidewalk ban, safe-operation and helmet-wear rules); under-12s banned from Class 1 and 2 citywide per CVC § 21214.7 with a $25 fine waivable by a safety course; parks rule bans Class 3 and homemade e-bikes from every park and city trail while allowing Class 1 and 2 except on posted trails. | Ch. 12.25; § 9.04.070 | Ord. 2024-1544, Jul 23, 2024; § 12.25.050 by Ord. 2025-1567, Nov 10, 2025 |
| Santee | Until Jan 1, 2029, no under-12 may operate or ride Class 1 and 2, nor anyone knowingly permit it; 60-day warnings then $25 infraction waivable via SHC 894 program; parent jointly liable; e-bike sidewalk riding barred where City-Engineer designated. | §§ 10.22.015–.016 | — |
| Solana Beach | Bicycle rules that reach e-bikes: no sidewalk riding in business districts or on streets with a designated bike path, no handlebar passengers — with a police-approved safety-course diversion for first-time violators added by the 2023 e-bike safety ordinance; a separate chapter bans unpermitted shared mobility rentals with impound. | § 10.44.010; Ch. 10.46 | Ord. 531, 2023 |
| Vista | § 10.68.010 defines “bicycle” to include e-bikes (under-750 W motor; CVC 231 and 312.5), so the entire chapter reaches them; § 10.68.030 bans riding on any sidewalk citywide except Bicycle Master Plan locations with approved signage and striping. | Ch. 10.68 | — |
Marin County
Marin's pilot ordinances share the same § 21214.5 mechanics: an under-16 Class 2 ban and/or an all-ages Class 2 helmet rule, 60-day warning period, then $25 infractions waivable via a safety course. The rows note where a city varies.
| City | What the local rule does | Citation | Adopted/amended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belvedere | Enacts CVC § 21214.5 pilot: under-16 ban on Class 2 operation; all-ages Class 2 helmet (CVC 21213(b)); 60-day warnings, then $25 infractions waived via SHC § 894 course within 120 days; parent jointly liable; repealed Jan 1, 2029. | Ch. 10.66 | — |
| Corte Madera | Under-16 ban on Class 2 plus all-ages Class 2 helmet mandate on public roadways, highways, multi-use paths and other areas where Class 2 allowed; 60-day warnings, then $25 infractions waivable by safety course; sunsets Jan 1, 2029. | Corte Madera Municipal Code | — |
| Fairfax | Class 2 AND Class 3 riders must be 16+; helmets under 18 and on every Class 2 and 3 rider regardless of age; no riding on sidewalks, drainage facilities, athletic fields or courts; due-care and single-rider rules; shops must hand safety information to buyers and renters; Marin pilot mechanics (60-day warnings, then $25, course waiver). | Ch. 10.030 | adopted Jun 4, 2025 |
| Larkspur | Under-16 prohibition on operating a Class 2 e-bike; all-ages Class 2 helmet requirement; standard 60-day warning window, then $25 infractions waivable on proof of a safety course within 120 days. | Ch. 10.78 | — |
| Mill Valley | Class 2 and 3 riders must be 16+; helmets under 18 and for all Class 2 and 3 riders; no devices on sidewalks, drainage facilities, athletic fields/courts/gyms, or wherever bicycles banned; e-bike businesses must provide safety information. | Mill Valley code (eCode360) | — |
| Novato | Under-16 ban on Class 2 operation plus all-ages Class 2 helmet mandate; 60 days of warning notices, then $25 infractions with safety-course waiver; no Superior Court record; parent jointly liable; inoperative Jan 1, 2029. | Novato Municipal Code | — |
| Ross | Under-16 prohibition on Class 2 operation and all-ages Class 2 helmet requirement across public roadways, highways and multi-use paths; 60-day warnings, then $25 infractions waivable on proof of an SHC § 894 course within 120 days. | Ch. 10.60 | — |
| San Anselmo | Under-16 ban on operating a Class 2 e-bike; all-ages Class 2 helmet requirement; 60-day warnings, then $25 infractions waivable by completing an e-bike safety course within 120 days; parent jointly and severally liable; inoperative Jan 1, 2029. | San Anselmo Municipal Code | — |
| San Rafael | Under-16 ban on Class 2 plus all-ages Class 2 helmet; 60-day warnings, then $25 infractions; no fixed sunset — in force as long as CVC § 21214.5 is; separate Ch. 5.34 restricts bicycles and EPAMDs in posted areas. | San Rafael Municipal Code | — |
| Sausalito | Under-16 ban on Class 2; all-ages Class 2 helmet; expressly reaches parks plus roadways, highways and multi-use paths; self-repeals if CVC § 21214.5 is repealed instead of a calendar sunset; 60-day warnings, then $25 infractions with safety-course waiver. | Sausalito code (eCode360) | — |
| Tiburon | Class 3 riders must be 16+ and helmeted; no electric mobility devices on sidewalks, drainage facilities or athletic fields/courts, nor anywhere bicycles are barred; the town's bicycle/pedestrian paths stay closed to motorized vehicles but expressly open to Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes; $25 infractions waivable via a safety course. | Ch. 23, Art. VI (§§ 23-64–23-71) | Ord. 607 N.S., Mar 6, 2024; Ord. 610 N.S., May 21, 2025 |
Riverside County
| City | What the local rule does | Citation | Adopted/amended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont | All-ages helmet mandate beyond CVC § 21212: unlawful to operate or ride as passenger on bicycles, scooters, skateboards, skates, Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes or electric mobility devices in any public area without a conforming helmet, regardless of age. | § 10.35.030 | — |
| Canyon Lake | Purpose-built chapter (Ch. 14.03) that adopts the CVC class definitions and separately defines electric motorcycles, off-highway electric motorcycles and "noncompliant electric vehicles" marketed as e-bikes; no operation where posted; the City Manager may close public areas, parks, trails, pathways, sidewalks and parking lots; reckless operation, stunts, wheelies and riding against traffic banned; administrative citations, impound, cost recovery and parent liability; a framework for enforcement on private property that adopts matching rules. | Ord. 281, Ch. 14.03 · minutes of Aug 5, 2026 | Ord. 281, adopted Aug 5, 2026 (5-0); in force Sep 4, 2026 |
| Corona | Adopts "an electric bicycle is a bicycle" per CVC § 312.5; regulates e-bike operation and equipment citywide. | Ch. 10.48 | Ordinance No. 3430, adopted Jul 1, 2026 |
| Hemet | Parks rule naming e-bikes expressly: except by permit, no person may propel any vehicle, electric bicycle, cycle or automobile (or ride any animal) in a park except in designated roads, trails, parking lots or driveways, only in posted directions. | § 50-15 | — |
| Indian Wells | Flat ban on rental "mobility sharing devices," a category expressly defined to include e-bikes, with the CVC 400, 405, 406 and 313 exclusion list. | Ch. 11.62, §§ 11.62.010–.030 | Ord. 718 § 2, 2019 |
| Indio | Development standard, no operating rule: requires e-bike-charging parking outlets for new residential projects and defines "nonmotorized bicycles" for trail purposes. | Ord. 1782 | Sep 21, 2022 |
| Lake Elsinore | Purpose-built e-bike chapter: under-18 helmet (all ages on Class 3); ride with traffic; passenger and night-riding limits; no stunts or phone use; e-bikes barred from sidewalks, parks, playgrounds and undesignated trails — Class 1 and 2 expressly allowed on the Levee Trail, Murrieta Creek Trail, skate parks and the BMX pump track, Class 3 banned from all public trails; sellers and renters must hand out the chapter and label every device. | Ch. 10.54 | Ord. 1535, May 26, 2026 |
| Menifee | E-conveyance framework with 20 mph cap for bicycles/e-conveyances on trails, paths, parks and other public property; unlawful to operate an e-bike modified to exceed 28 mph on any public roadway/sidewalk/trail/path; no class-label tampering; under-18 helmet required. | Ch. 12.30 (§§ 12.30.030, .070, .110) | — |
| Murrieta | “E-Conveyance” framework covering e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards; helmet for under-18 on any e-conveyance on public roadways/bikeways/paths/trails regardless of class, and for all Class 3 riders and passengers; no tampering, nor operating e-bikes modified past 28 mph. | Ch. 10.55 (§§ 10.55.020, .060) | — |
| Riverside | Regulates shared and rental fleets only, never private riders: unlawful to provide, place, abandon or offer a shared mobility device, or operate as an operator, in public right-of-way or public areas; device definition reaches e-bikes; impoundment provided. | Ch. 13.22, § 13.22.050 | — |
| Temecula | Class 3 e-bikes prohibited on all sidewalks and trails; bicycles and Class 1 and 2 may ride sidewalks except business districts, bridge sidewalks, pedestrian under/overpasses, and beside schools; riders must yield; Class 1 and 2 may ride city trails. | § 10.24.040 | — |
| Wildomar | Applies to bicycles and E-Conveyances (incl. Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes) on streets, sidewalks, public property and bike paths; bans riding playgrounds, parks or school grounds not designated bike paths unless posted; 20 mph cap on paths/trails. | Ch. 10.56 (§§ 10.56.080, .160, .180) | — |
Remaining counties
| City | County | What the local rule does | Citation | Adopted/amended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atascadero | San Luis Obispo | Bicycle parking in multifamily and mixed-use development must include EV charging outlets for e-bikes; separately, a citywide sidewalk bicycle ban applies via a definitions clause that defaults to the Vehicle Code, which folds electric bicycles into "bicycle." | §§ 9-3.262, 9-3.340; § 4-2.1006 | Ord. 671 (2024); § 4-2.1006 Ord. 34 (1980) |
| Bakersfield | Kern | Kern River Trail exclusion by definition: the trail chapter defines "bicycle" as propelled exclusively by human power, opens the trail to bicycles and other nonmotorized transport, and bans every motorized vehicle — read together, motor-assisted e-bikes are excluded from the city's marquee trail. No e-bike-specific language anywhere else in the code (all 314 chapters searched). | Ch. 10.80 | Ord. 4614 § 1, 2010; § 10.80.010 read Sep 8, 2026 through a rendered copy, the host refusing direct readers |
| Bishop | Inyo | Purpose-built e-bike chapter: Class 1 and 2 e-bikes may ride sidewalks at 5 mph or less, yielding to pedestrians with an audible signal before overtaking; Class 3 banned from sidewalks except entering/leaving adjacent property by the most direct route. | Ch. 10.54 (§10.54.050) | — |
| Brentwood | Contra Costa | Within parks/trails "other power-driven mobility device" rules: electric bicycles exempt from the 48-inch length cap and limited to the posted speed limit or 15 mph on paved and unpaved city trails; no age, helmet or class rules. | Parks/trails mobility-device rules | — |
| Burlingame | San Mateo | "Electric micromobility devices" (all e-bike classes, EPAMDs, e-skateboards, motorized scooters) barred from public areas where bicycles are prohibited; device inspection required on lawful peace-officer contact; nuisance abatement; on-duty agency personnel and ADA users exempt; city-owned Bay Trail portions carved out. | Electric micromobility device chapter | — |
| Capitola | Santa Cruz | "Personal transportation device" (an e-bike per CVC 406(b) together with a CVC 407.5 motorized scooter, each capped at 20 mph; mopeds and gas scooters excluded) regulated alongside bicycles: sidewalk rules, municipal-pathway operation, roadway use, and parking. | Ch. 10.44 (§§10.44.030–.050) | — |
| Carpinteria | Santa Barbara | Defines e-bikes per CVC 312.5; helmet for every rider under 18 and on a Class 3 at any age; no one under 16 may operate a Class 3; brakes, reflectors, and a white lamp visible 300 ft after dark; sidewalk riding banned in the Central Traffic District and in public drainage facilities. | Ch. 10.60 (§§10.60.050, .070) | — |
| Chino Hills | San Bernardino | Flat citywide all-class sidewalk ban: unlawful to ride an electric bicycle or motorized scooter on any sidewalk, with no business-district or school carve-outs; adopts CVC 312.5 definition covering Classes 1, 2 and 3. | Ch. 10.40 (§10.40.030) | — |
| Danville | Contra Costa | Bars operating any "vehicle," incl. electric bicycles under CVC § 312.5, on posted trails/paths where prohibited, plus a general due-care riding duty and equipment rules; three CVC cross-references confirmed verbatim. | §§ 4-19.1, 4-19.2, 13-2.3(o) | — |
| Davis | Yolo | Shared micromobility devices (a bicycle, electric bicycle or scooter made available for rent) regulated through business permits: fees, fleet-expansion caps, retrieval, impoundment, suspension/revocation; customers must follow bicycle/e-bike law, rack devices downtown and not leave them lying. | Art. 6.05 (§6.05.170) | — |
| Dixon | Solano | Defines Classes 1–3 per CVC 312.5: one hand on handlebars at all times, no mobile-device use while riding, no extra passengers; helmets under 18 on any e-bike and at all ages on Class 3; Class 3 capped at 28 mph on roadways; escalating $50/$100/$200 fines; impoundment. | E-bike chapter | — |
| Dublin | Alameda | Bans riding micro-mobility devices (defined to include electric bicycles) on any pedestrian sidewalk except to enter/leave adjacent property or on designated shared-use paths; disabled EPAMD users exempt; park rules restrict devices to officially designated routes. | §6.73.020 | — |
| El Centro | Imperial | Bans operating any electric bicycle — all three CVC classes — within any city-owned park, trail or recreational area, including walking paths, park parking lots, athletic fields and playgrounds; on-duty city staff/emergency personnel and ADA devices exempt. | §§19-42.1–19-42.3 | — |
| Elk Grove | Sacramento | Park-facility trail rules: motorized vehicles including "motorized bicycles" barred from bicycle trails except at crossings, absent a Director's permit; 15 mph cap on designated off-street bicycle trails; no riding on unpaved roads/trails except authorized routes. | §9.36.067 | — |
| Fairfield | Solano | Class-based park restriction: only Class 1 e-bikes may be ridden in Rockville Hills Regional Park — Class 2 and Class 3 prohibited there; helmet required in Open Space Areas regardless of age; no riding above posted bicycle speed limits or contrary to IMBA trail etiquette. | Title 12B | — |
| Fort Bragg | Mendocino | Park rules reaching e-bikes without modern e-bike vocabulary: in all city parks, bicycles only on designated bicycle trails and "motorized bicycles and scooters are prohibited"; Segways and EPAMDs expressly permitted on developed park trails per CVC 21281 and 21281.5. | Ch. 9.68 (§9.68.050) | — |
| Fremont | Alameda | Shared-fleet permit program regulating e-bike fleet operators and fleet size; expressly defines "electric bicycle" (operable pedals, motor under 750 watts); does not restrict private e-bike riders. | Ch. 10.35 | — |
| Galt | Sacramento | E-bike chapter adopting CVC 312.5 Class 1, 2 and 3 definitions with an "e-conveyance" umbrella; sets rules on helmets, headphones/earbuds, lights and reflectors, speed, roadway/bicycle-lane riding, sidewalk and playground riding, parking, impound, and tampering. | Ch. 10.44 | — |
| Grover Beach | San Luis Obispo | Writes the full CVC 312.5 three-class e-bike scheme into the municipal traffic code, subjects electric-bicycle riders to CVC Article 4 (commencing with §21200), and carries the manufacturer/distributor labeling duty. | Traffic-code e-bike definitions | — |
| Hanford | Kings | Defines e-bike Classes 1–3 per CVC 312.5 plus an "e-conveyance" umbrella; bans riding any e-conveyance on any sidewalk citywide — sidewalks "reserved exclusively for pedestrian use," regardless of device type or class. | §12.30.020(I) | — |
| Highland | San Bernardino | New chapter defines "electric mobility device" (incl. CVC 312.5 e-bikes) and bars it from five location types; effectively paved-roadway-only given narrow ADA/first-responder exemptions. | Ch. 8.60 | Ord. 482, adopted May 12, 2026 |
| Lathrop | San Joaquin | "An electric bicycle is a bicycle" pulls e-bikes into the bicycle chapter: after a CVC violation, the police chief may prohibit operating that bicycle on city streets, alleys and public places for up to 30 days and shall impound it for that period. | §§9.28.010–.030 | — |
| Los Altos | Santa Clara | Bans riding regulated mobility devices (including CVC 312.5 e-bikes) on any sidewalk or pedestrian path citywide, with no under-10 or bike-route carve-out; helmet required for all riders 17 and under; maximum two abreast; no trick riding; one rider unless built for more. | Ch. 8.32 | — |
| Los Gatos | Santa Clara | Bans sidewalk/pedestrian-path riding for regulated mobility devices (including CVC 312.5 e-bikes), except children under 10 exercising due care (never on business-district sidewalks) and signed approved bicycle-route sidewalks; two-abreast limit, no racing without Town Council permission, no trick riding. | Ch. 5 | — |
| Mammoth Lakes | Mono | Power-and-modification test: an e-bike with fully operable pedals, 750 W (1 hp) or less, unmodified, is an allowed "alternative transportation device" on multi-use trails; operating any e-bike outside that definition on Town multi-use paths, sidewalks or trails is unlawful. | §§10.28.030–.040 | — |
| Manteca | San Joaquin | E-bikes folded into the bicycle chapter ("a bicycle unless otherwise defined in the CVC"): no sidewalk riding within a business district; no one twelve or older may ride on any sidewalk in any district; police chief may sign-post sidewalks/roadways against riding. | Ch. 10.68 (§10.68.010) | — |
| Millbrae | San Mateo | "Regulated mobility devices" expressly include e-bikes: no one over 10 may ride on any sidewalk, drainage facility, culvert, ditch, channel, athletic or park field (sidewalk devices must be walked); dismount on city trails under 5 feet wide when a pedestrian or equine is within 50 feet. | Regulated mobility device chapter | — |
| Monterey | Monterey | Zoning, no riding rules: the "Bicycle/Equipment Rentals" use classification limits "electric bicycle" to Class 1 and Class 2 only, excluding Class 3 — so a rental business in Monterey cannot rent Class 3 e-bikes. | §38-15 | — |
| Mountain House | San Joaquin | Park rule naming e-bikes directly: no driving any motor vehicle, motorcycle (gas or electric), go-cart, e-bike/e-scooter or wheeled conveyance in any park area not designed for public vehicular use; baby carriages, wheelchairs and city-service vehicles exempt. | §2-4-201(aa) | — |
| Mountain View | Santa Clara | Sidewalk riding permitted with a due-care duty and duty to yield to non-riders; Council may designate posted sidewalks where e-bikes are banned (children 10 and under exempt); no device 3 feet or wider on sidewalks except to enter/exit property; no riding in city parking structures except to access parking. | Ch. 19, Art. VI | — |
| Oakdale | Stanislaus | Adopted but not yet codified: defines e-bikes per CVC 312.5 (Classes 1–3) and "motorized device" expressly including e-bikes; prohibits operating any bicycle, e-bike or motorized device in a public park, on a trail or sidewalk; the linked ordinance PDF carries the full operative text. | Uncodified ordinance (eCode360 New Laws) | ≈June 2026 (adoption reported; codification pending as of Aug 14, 2026) |
| Oakland | Alameda | Protective, never restrictive: riders of bicycles or "electric motorized bicycles" (CVC 406(b)) are protected "vulnerable users"; motor-vehicle operators barred from assaulting, threatening, or intentionally inflicting emotional distress on them for being cyclists. | Ch. 12.61 | — |
| Ojai | Ventura | Valet-parking carve-out only: expressly states it "does not regulate valet parking of bicycles" (incl. e-bikes) — not a riding restriction. | § 10-2.1411.5 | Ord. 942, eff. Nov 10, 2023 |
| Oxnard | Ventura | Narrow skatepark rule: no person shall operate any type of motorized vehicle, motorized scooter, e-bicycle, motorized bicycle, bicycle or motorcycle on or about the skateboard park — the only e-bike reference in the Oxnard code (spelled "e-bicycle"). | §7-378(G) | — |
| Pacific Grove | Monterey | Bans riding bicycles/electric bicycles in Perkins' Park and Lovers Point Park (seaward of Ocean View Blvd) except on the paved recreation trail; §14.08.021 adopts CVC classes and bans Class 1 and 2 e-bikes in Perkins' Park, the Golf Links and El Carmelo Cemetery. | §§14.08.020–.021 | — |
| Palo Alto | Santa Clara | Bars riding a bicycle or e-bike in any park or open-space lands except as expressly permitted by park regulations; a parallel traffic-code section carries the same rule. | §§ 22.04.220(a), 10.64.220(a) | Ord. 5576, adopted Mar 13, 2023 |
| Pleasanton | Alameda | Permissive: expressly allows Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes on trails, pathways, parks and recreation facilities (responding to AB 1909), with a 15 mph cap or slower as conditions require and yielding to pedestrians/equestrians; BMX park excluded. | Ordinance (uncodified PDF) | — |
| Rancho Cucamonga | San Bernardino | Bans riding a bicycle or "e-conveyance" (defined to include e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards) in an unsafe manner on any publicly owned property — public streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way, parks, bicycle paths and trails. | "Bicycles and E-Conveyances" chapter | — |
| Redlands | San Bernardino | Defines Class 1, 2 and 3 per the CVC and bans riding an e-bike "in an unsafe manner" on any publicly owned property — roadways, sidewalks, parks — and on private property open to the public. | §§ 10.56.210–.230 | Ordinance No. 3000, adopted Mar 3, 2026 |
| Redwood City | San Mateo | Shared-fleet permit regime: Chapter 8 retitled "Micromobility Devices and Operations," covering powered and non-powered bicycles/scooters; rental permits with fees, fleet-expansion controls, mandatory removal of devices with defective batteries or motors, impound, revocation and appeal. | Ch. 8 | — |
| Rio Dell | Humboldt | Trail rule with express e-bike language: motor-driven vehicles are banned on the Eel River Trail, and the definitions provide an e-bike "shall not be considered motor-driven when the motor is not powered or otherwise engaged" — pedal unpowered and it's allowed, ride on motor and it's barred. | Ch. 12.30 | Ord. 412, 2025 |
| Ripon | San Joaquin | Park rules reach e-bikes by definition: "Personal Transportation Device" includes electric bicycles as defined in the CVC, and PTDs are expressly carved out of the chapter's "Motor Vehicle" definition, so PTD rules — not the motor-vehicle prohibitions — govern them. | §9.23.020(G)–(H) | — |
| Rohnert Park | Sonoma | Legacy pre-class drafting: "motorized bicycle" (fully operative pedals, electric motor up to 1,000 watts, cannot exceed 20 mph) is subject to all CVC and city bicycle regulations; muffler/exhaust rule aimed at gas mopeds; signed sidewalk riding bans authorized. | Motorized-bicycle provisions | — |
| Roseville | Placer | Bans shared on-demand personal mobility devices citywide, with impoundment and fines — but the definition expressly excludes "electronically assisted bicycles," EPAMDs, permitted bicycle-share programs and mopeds, leaving private e-bikes outside the ban. | Ch. 11.13 (§§11.13.030–.040) | — |
| Sacramento | Sacramento | Ch. 5.18 folds e-bike share (operable pedals, motor under 750 watts) into a permitted shared-rideable regime with permits, fees, insurance, parking and impoundment; Ch. 10.76 bans riding a bicycle on sidewalks only where a sign is posted, with children under 18 accompanied by an adult exempt and a $25 first-violation fine avoidable through a bicycle education program. Separately, the county bars Class 3 e-bikes from every bicycle trail, the American River Parkway included, and caps all bicycles at 15 mph. Full Sacramento breakdown. | Chs. 5.18, 10.76 · Sac. County § 9.36.066 | — |
| San Buenaventura (Ventura) | Ventura | Bars bicycles, electric bicycles and other listed devices from sidewalks and public parking areas within a defined downtown business district. | Ch. 16.350 (§§ 16.350.020, .040) | Ord. No. 2023-002, Jun 26, 2023 |
| San Francisco | San Francisco | Bars selling or delivering any e-bike or replacement battery in the city without accredited-lab lithium-ion certification (UL 2849/2272 or EN 15194/17128); a separate ordinance created the city's own E-Bike Incentive Fund. Penalties run $500 for a first violation and $1,000 after that, and the ban reaches DELIVERY to any San Francisco address, so it binds online sellers too. Full San Francisco breakdown. | Fire Code § 326.2 | Ord. 122-26, eff. Jul 27, 2026 |
| Fresno | Fresno | The whole code uses the phrase "electric bicycle" once, at § 9-3403(b), inside a shared-mobility-device article whose own § 9-3410 repealed it at the end of a pilot capped at 30 June 2020 — and which is still printed in the code. Chapter 14 defines "bicycle" as a device "propelled by human power through a belt, chain or gears," so § 14-102 sends electric bicycles to CVC 312.5. Sidewalk riding is barred only in the central business district and on mall streets. Full Fresno breakdown. | §§ 9-3401 to 9-3410 · §§ 14-103, 14-1703 | Ord. 2019-034, eff. Nov 11, 2019 |
| San Jose | Santa Clara | Shared-fleet permit regime for rental micromobility devices in the public right-of-way: operator permit, fees, prohibited conduct, removal and impoundment. Device-neutral — defines "shared micro-mobility device" broadly and never names electric bicycles. The city's traffic title defines "bicycle" as propelled exclusively by human power and never uses the phrase "electric bicycle" at all; its park rules are the ones that reach an e-bike. Full San Jose breakdown. | Ch. 11.92 · § 11.04.021 | — |
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Infrastructure standard only, no riding rule: new residential projects must provide e-bike-charging outlets at long-term bicycle parking. | § 17.69.040(C) | Ord. 1703, 2021 |
| San Mateo | San Mateo | Shared-fleet regime enacted expressly to regulate "pedal and electric bicycle share and electric scooter share services"; unlawful to operate a shared mobility service without a shared mobility permit issued under Council-adopted regulations. | Shared mobility permit ordinance | — |
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Bans unsafe operation of bicycles/"e-conveyances" on any public street, right-of-way or public place; bans riding a bicycle or electric bicycle on any sidewalk except a designated driveway or a Council-designated bikeway; §10.52.040 imposes a helmet requirement (exact scope not confirmed at the source). | §§10.52.020–.040 | — |
| Santa Clara | Santa Clara | Shared-fleet permit regime not binding private riders: "shared mobility device" expressly includes CVC 312.5 electric bicycles; citywide 3,000-device cap (raisable for stadium events); parked devices may never obstruct sidewalks, pedestrian paths or ADA features; escalating $100/$200/$500 citations. | Shared mobility device permit chapter | — |
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Bans riding a bicycle or electric bicycle on sidewalks fronting and adjacent to commercial establishments, with yielding to pedestrians where sidewalk riding is permitted; §10.68.200 permits e-bikes on any municipal bicycle path, trail or bikeway unless prohibited by resolution. | Ch. 10.68 (§§10.68.015, .030, .200) | — |
| South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado | "Shared bicycles and shared e-bicycles are prohibited"; the permit scheme (fees, insurance, device caps, geofencing) governs other shared devices because the "shared mobility device" definition carves out bicycles and e-bicycles. | §4.185.030 | — |
| Tracy | San Joaquin | Shared/rental fleets only, modelled on Fresno's: "shared mobility device" expressly includes CVC 312.5 electric bicycles made available for shared use for compensation via a digital platform; excludes DMV-registered automobiles and disability assistive mobility devices. | Ch. 6.26 (§6.26.210) | — |
| Turlock | Stanislaus | No e-bike-specific language: skatepark and BMX/bike-park sections prohibit "any motorized device whether electric or gas powered," which on its face reaches electric bicycles; skateparks permit only skateboards, skates and non-motorized scooters, with bicycles expressly prohibited there. | §§10-1-02(a), 10-1-20 | — |
| Ukiah | Mendocino | Motor vehicles barred from all city parks/recreation areas; a Great Redwood Trail carve-out permits "small electric transport devices" including bicycles at no more than 10 mph — a cap reaching e-bikes on the rail-trail inside city limits. | §§1969, 1970(F), 2000.4(A) | — |
| Upland | San Bernardino | Consolidated park chapter sweeps electric bicycles into the parks "Vehicle" definition; §12.36.050(b) bars operating a vehicle in a park upon surfaces other than those maintained and open for that use. | §§12.36.020, 12.36.050(b) | Adopted May 13, 2024 |
| West Sacramento | Yolo | Full shared-fleet operator regime: permit required to operate a shared fleet, with fees, fleet expansion, device standards, operator-provided parking, retrieval, impoundment, customer-use rules, and suspension/revocation with appeal; Ch. 10.34 carries the permit and parking rules into the traffic code. | Ch. 5.30 (§5.30.100); Ch. 10.34 | — |
| Woodland | Yolo | Lithium-battery fire-safety rule aimed at e-bikes/e-scooters: in multi-unit residential buildings, shared garage/storage charging areas must post specified charging-area signage and keep at least one 10 lb ABC fire extinguisher within 50 feet of the charging location. | Micromobility battery-charging rule | — |
| Yucaipa | San Bernardino | Per the city's own e-bikes page: no riding e-bikes/scooters on sidewalks (street or bike lane required); in city parks, approved paths only — no grass, sports fields or dirt; pedal-less electric motorcycles barred from streets, sidewalks and parks; helmet under 18 and for Class 3 riders. | "Bicycles and E-Conveyances" chapter | — |
| Yucca Valley | San Bernardino | Not e-bike-specific and pre-dates e-bikes (never says "electric bicycle"): the "coasting devices" definition — any wheeled device propelled by human, motor or wind power — facially reaches e-bikes; source cautions against presenting this as an e-bike ordinance. | §11.50.020 | — |
Riding in a pilot city with a child? The San Diego and Marin County rules put the age floor on the rider, never the passenger, and § 21204 asks only for a proper retaining seat. Cargo e-bikes with a rated child seat ship free to California with US support, and our electric bikes for kids and teens guide works through the pilot-city age floors and the Class 3 line at 16 for the day the rider is old enough.
Shop cargo and family e-bikesSix ordinances that show where California is heading
A few of these deserve more than a table row.
San Diego wrote the newest rule in force in this guide. SDMC § 84.19 bans riders under 12 from Class 1 and 2 e-bikes on every public right-of-way, park, path, and trail in the city — effective August 13, 2026, the day before this page was verified. Warnings first, through the pilot statute's 60-day grace window; then $25 citations, waived if a parent proves the child completed a safety course within 120 days.
Claremont shows how surgical a city can get. § 11.10.080 doesn't touch streets at all. It bans one thing: Class 3 e-bikes inside the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park, while Class 1 and 2 stay welcome on designated trails. The local layer working as § 21207.5(b) intends.
San Marino wrote a whole micromobility code in January. Ordinance O-26-1424 (adopted January 30, 2026) defines every device class by its correct CVC section, bans sidewalk riding in business districts, requires dismounting in crosswalks, and restricts posted commercial-zone streets. Expect this template to spread.
Beaumont has the strictest helmet rule we found anywhere. § 10.35.030: helmet required to ride anything wheeled (including every e-bike class) in any public area, at any age. State law requires helmets under 18; Beaumont requires them at 48.
San Francisco regulates the battery rather than the bike. Fire Code § 326.2 (effective July 27, 2026) bans selling or even delivering an e-bike or replacement battery into the city without certified lithium-ion testing: a city-level echo of SB 1271, with its own E-Bike Incentive Fund written into the Administrative Code.
Marin County's cities moved as a bloc. Eleven carry a verified youth or helmet rule under the § 21214.5 pilot, Fairfax and Tiburon among them since 2025 and 2024, the densest cluster of local e-bike law in the state. If you ride in Marin, assume your city has a rule until its code proves otherwise.
The 9 cities we could not verify
Unresolved means what it says: the code could not be read on any route we tried, so the city's status is unknown in both directions. If you ride in one of these, check the current municipal code directly.
- Largest, worth a direct check first (populations: Census SUB-EST2025): La Mirada (47,998), Imperial (22,984), El Segundo (16,950). Each has a code host that no automated reader could reach, and a city website or agenda portal is not a valid basis for saying a rule does not exist.
- Small far-north and Imperial Valley cities whose codes could not be reached: Calipatria, Gridley, Placerville, Red Bluff, Tulelake, Westmorland.
One California city in three writes its own e-bike rule. If your city is not in these tables and not in this list of 9, its code was read and carried no e-bike rule on the date it was read. If it is in this last list, it is genuinely unknown, which is not the same thing.
California e-bike rebates, vouchers, and incentives: every program with status
Class 3: the road class, 28 mph, helmet at every age, rider 16 or older. A Class 2 like this one tops out at 20 mph and is the class local pilots restrict least.
There is no statewide California e-bike voucher today: the CARB project that gave out 2,246 of them concluded in December 2025. What remains is 25 programs at air-district, utility, county and city level, 10 of them open outright on September 8, 2026, and the table below carries each one's status, amount and page.
We track 25 California e-bike incentive programs at state, air-district, utility, county and city level, each re-read at its own page on September 8, 2026, and LADWP's own electric-vehicle incentives page, read the same day, carries no e-bike rebate. Most of what a search for the voucher surfaces is that closed program.
The score on September 8, 2026: 10 open, 2 open to a restricted group, 1 listed with an amount not re-verified, 1 paused, 1 suspended, 1 waitlisted, 7 closed or no longer listed, 1 never established, and 1 whose district site could not be reached.
A closed program listed as open is the same class of error as a wrong helmet law, so every row carries its status, and the words behind it are in the dataset that ships with this page. Check the status line before you count on a rebate.
State and air-district programs
| Program | Administrator | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| California E-Bike Incentive Project | CARB (Pedal Ahead) | Up to $2,000 voucher | Closed |
| Clean Cars 4 All | CARB + 5 air districts | E-bike/transit option, varies by district | Open |
| Driving Clean Assistance Program | CARB / Beneficial State Foundation | Vehicle grant; e-bike option not stated | Open |
| Clean Cars for All / Replace Your Ride | Bay Area AQMD | Mobility Option $7,500 | Open |
| Replace Your Ride | South Coast AQMD | Up to $12,000; e-bike option, amount unpublished | Suspended (no new applications) |
| Pedal Forward | Yolo-Solano AQMD | $750 / $1,500 income-qualified | Closed |
| AB617 community e-bike program | San Joaquin Valley APCD | Up to $7,500 (carried forward, unreconfirmed) | Open in AB 617 communities only |
| Clean Cars 4 All (Sacramento) | Sacramento Metro AQMD | Up to $7,500 reported — unverified | Could not verify (district site unreachable Sept 8) |
| E-Bike Incentive Program (e-BIP) | Monterey Bay Air Resources District | $1,000 low-income | No longer listed |
Utility, county, and city programs
| Program | Administrator | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bike Electric | Ava Community Energy | $400–$1,500 by tier | Open |
| E-Bike Rebate | WestLight Energy (San Mateo Co.) | Up to $1,000 | Paused |
| Electrify My Ride | CleanPowerSF / SFPUC | $1,000 coupon | Closed |
| E-Bike Rebate | Alameda Municipal Power | $100–$300 | Open |
| Residential E-Bike Rebate | Pasadena Water and Power | $500–$1,000 | Open to income-qualified customers only |
| Electric Bike Rebate | Healdsburg Electric | $300–$1,000 | Open |
| Electric Bicycle Rebate | Silicon Valley Power (Santa Clara) | Up to $300 + $200 | Open |
| Electric Bicycle Rebate | Glendale Water and Power | $300–$400 | Listed (amount not re-verified) |
| E-Bike Voucher Program | Redwood Coast Energy Authority | $400–$1,000 | Open |
| Bike Electric | Sonoma Clean Power | $1,000 income-qualified | No longer listed |
| Electric Bicycle Rebate | 511 Contra Costa | $150–$300 | Open |
| GO BIKE! Bicycle Incentive | Ecology Action / Santa Cruz County | $300–$1,200 | Closed |
| GO BIKE! Downtown E-Bike Rebate | City of Santa Cruz | $500–$1,000 | Waitlisted |
| E-Bike Incentive Program | City of La Mesa | $800–$1,200 | Closed |
| E-Bike Safety Training & Rebate | City of Vista | Up to $450 | Open |
| E-Bike Rebate (planned) | City of San Diego | Not established | Not established |
Five statuses moved in the 25 days before this re-read. Santa Cruz County's GO BIKE! closed when its funds were allocated, Pasadena closed general applications on September 1 and kept only its income-qualified tier, and South Coast AQMD suspended Replace Your Ride under application volume.
Redwood Coast's vouchers came back, and WestLight is still paused past the August relaunch its own page promised. That is how fast this table rots. Click through to the program's own page before you count on a cent of it.
What invalidates your legal status
Everything in this guide protects you only while the bike stays inside its definition, and the definition is four facts about the machine and none about the rider. Three modifications end that protection (CVC § 312.5):
- A motor above 750 watts.
- Any change that lets it exceed 20 mph on motor power alone.
- Removing the pedals.
Do any of them and you're riding a moped or motor-driven cycle (CVC § 406) — license, registration, and insurance required, and the no-paperwork life is over.
California also polices the modification trade itself. Tampering with speed capability requires relabeling to the correct class, and since January 2026 selling speed-hack devices or software is illegal outright (CVC § 24016).
A newer category closes the last loophole. As of January 1, 2026, a two-wheeler with a manufacturer straddle seat and no manufacturer pedals is an off-highway "electric motorcycle" under new CVC § 436.1.
Under SB 586 it is a motor vehicle, never an e-bike, whatever the listing calls it (confirmed in the CHP's 2026 summary). If the Governor signs SB 1167, from January 1, 2027 the statute's own not-an-e-bike list also names any vehicle its maker intends to be modifiable past the limits and any vehicle "without operable pedals", in those words.
City codes hide a subtler trap. Many municipal "motorized bicycle" chapters regulate CVC § 406 mopeds: a category that predates the 2015 class system, and say nothing about your Class 2.
Folsom, Calimesa and Industry each carry a "motorized bicycle" chapter that reaches § 406 mopeds rather than e-bikes, and Oroville's is a 1954 bicycle chapter with no motorized language at all, so none of the four counts as an e-bike ordinance on this page. A few rows that do count (Rohnert Park, Placentia, Yucca Valley) carry legacy provisions that reach e-bikes only by broad wording, and their rows say so.
Bottom line 750 watts and factory pedals are the whole game. Cross either line — or buy a straddle-seat "bike" with no pedals — and you own a motor vehicle, with the license, registration, and insurance that follow.
What each rule costs, and what to do if you are stopped
An e-bike stop in California turns on four things an officer can check without paperwork: the class label, the rider's age on a Class 3, the helmet, and the rear reflector or light. There is no license or registration to produce, because a legal e-bike has neither (§ 24016). The penalties are small and specific, and most of the local ones are built to be waived by a safety course.
| The rule you broke | Where it lives | What it carries |
|---|---|---|
| No helmet on a rider or passenger under 18, any class | § 21212 | An infraction of not more than $25 (§ 21212(e)); in 2026 no record goes to court and no fee is imposed if a helmet and a completed e-bike safety course are shown within 120 days (§ 21212(f)) |
| No helmet on a Class 3, any age | § 21213(b) | An infraction under the Vehicle Code |
| A rider under 16 on a Class 3 | § 21213(a) and § 22651.08 | An infraction, and since January 1, 2026 the bike can be removed and held for at least 48 hours, released on payment of the removal and storage charges the city posts; an agency may require proof of a safety course before release |
| Riding under the influence | § 21200.5 | A fine of up to $250 |
| An unlicensed rider on a machine that exceeds 20 mph on motor power and is not an e-bike | § 22651.08(a)(1) | Removal and a hold of at least 48 hours, with the same release conditions |
| A child under 12 on a Class 1 or 2 in a San Diego County pilot city | § 21214.7 and the city's row above | A warning notice for the first 60 days, then a $25 infraction waived if a parent shows a completed safety course within 120 days; the parent is jointly liable |
| Under 16 on a Class 2, or no Class 2 helmet, in a Marin County pilot city | § 21214.5 and the city's row above | The same warning window, $25 infraction and 120-day course waiver |
| A city sidewalk, park or trail rule | your city's row above | Set by the city: $25 in the pilot cities, $50, $100 and $200 in Dixon, $100 and $200 in Fullerton, $100, $200 and $500 in Santa Clara, escalating administrative citations in Agoura Hills |
If an officer stops you. Have the maker's label ready to point at; it must state the class, the top assisted speed and the wattage (§ 24016). On a bike bought new in 2026, the certification mark on the battery or the bike shows it was lawful to sell (HSC § 26302).
Everyone under 18, and everyone aboard a Class 3, wears a helmet. Your rear reflector or light has to work in daylight, and a red rear light that meets § 21201 is in our accessories if yours does not.
You carry no driver's license, no registration, no plate and no insurance, because § 24016(b) exempts an electric bicycle from all four. There is nothing of that kind to produce. If your machine has no pedals or a rating above 750 watts, none of this protects you, because the officer is looking at a motor vehicle.
Bottom line California's e-bike penalties are a $25 helmet ticket that a safety course erases, a 48-hour impound for a child on a Class 3, and whatever your city sets for its own sidewalk and park rules. The expensive outcome is riding a machine that was never an e-bike.
What is next: the bills, the cities and the dates
A public road on the California coast: every class may use it, and no helmet is required of a rider over 18 on a Class 1. The rules change at 16, on a Class 3, and wherever the land manager sets its own.
Nothing below is law today, and every line carries the date on which it changes or resolves, so you can tell a rule that is coming from a rule that is already here.
- September 30, 2026. The Governor's last day to act on SB 1167, AB 2346 and AB 2595 (art. IV, § 10(b)(2)). A bill not returned by then becomes a statute.
- October 2026. Encinitas' council asked for options on an under-12 rule, park and sidewalk limits and a curfew for riders under 16 to come back in October, as reported by the North Coast Current; the council record was not retrieved.
- The next Escondido regular meeting. Ordinance 2026-07 passed first reading on August 26, 2026; it takes effect 60 days after a second-reading adoption that had not happened by September 8.
- Los Angeles, within 90 days of August 25, 2026. City departments were ordered to report on regulating e-bikes, e-mopeds and e-motos; the Council File 26-0338 trail motion still awaits a drafted ordinance.
- January 1, 2027. The effective date for any of the three enrolled bills the Governor signs, and the date after which a city's path speed limit needs AB 2346's signage to be new.
- January 1, 2029. The San Diego and Marin County pilots (§ 21214.7, § 21214.5) sunset unless extended; the year AB 2346's Class 2 speedometer and lamp rules would apply to new bikes; the year SB 1271's rental-fleet battery rule reaches rental fleets.
Bottom line Nothing on this list changes how you ride today. September 30 decides three bills, January 1, 2027 is the earliest any of them binds, and Escondido's second reading is the one local date worth checking before you ride there.
All bill statuses were read at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov on September 8, 2026. If any of these move, the rules above change, which is why every volatile claim on this page carries its date.
Where riders get caught out
Six mistakes account for most California e-bike tickets and most bad purchases: treating the state rules as the whole rulebook, reading a peak wattage as a rating, treating a 28 mph limiter as a free pass, believing a headline about a ban, riding a pedal-less machine as a Class 2, and counting on a rebate that has closed. Each is named below with the rule that catches it.
Assuming the state rules are the whole rulebook. They're the floor. One in three California cities builds on top of it, and the strictest rules in this guide (wilderness-park bans, under-12 rules, all-ages helmet mandates) are all local.
Buying a "750W" bike and assuming the sticker settles it. The statute caps power at 750 watts, and listings love peak numbers. Read your own listing for the nominal figure before you read the headline. A bike marketed on a bigger peak figure invites the scrutiny the class label exists to prevent, so check the rated number before you buy.
Treating a 28 mph limiter as a free pass. A Class 3 is pedal-assist only, 16-and-older, helmet at every age, speedometer required. A throttle that works past 20 mph fits no class at all.
Trusting a headline about a ban. "LA banned e-bikes on trails" describes a council motion rather than an ordinance. The reverse mistake is worse: assuming a city has no rules because the state is permissive. Go by the city table rather than the news cycle.
Riding a moped-style bike like it's a Class 2. Straddle seat, no pedals from the factory — that's a § 436.1 electric motorcycle, an off-highway motor vehicle. This includes bikes sold right alongside e-bikes, sometimes by us; the shelf screen names how many, and the electric dirt bike guide covers where they belong.
Counting on a rebate you found in a search result. 12 of the 25 California e-bike incentive programs we track are not taking new applications as of September 8, 2026. Status and dates for every one are in the rebates section.
The honest ledger
California is generous to the e-bike owner and unforgiving to the e-bike rider who assumes the state rulebook is the only one. Both columns below are true at once, and the second is the reason the city tables on this page exist.
Green flags — where California treats riders well
- No license, registration, plates, or insurance for any legal class.
- All three classes on bike paths by state default since 2023.
- The 2026 battery-certification law binds sellers, and it's genuine fire-safety protection on every new bike sold.
- A minor's helmet ticket is designed to be dismissed through a safety course.
- 10 rebate programs open outright across air-district, utility, county and city level, and two more open to restricted groups.
Red flags: where the rules bite
- 158 cities carry their own rules, and they are nothing alike: an all-ages helmet mandate in Beaumont, a Class 3 wilderness ban in Claremont, an under-12 ban across much of San Diego County.
- 9 cities' ordinance status could not be verified; riding there means checking the city code yourself.
- State Parks default to closed for e-bikes off-road, and the exceptions live in per-park Superintendent's Orders.
- Statewide rules for kids on Class 1 and 2 don't exist, which is why county pilots and city councils keep writing their own. The patchwork keeps growing.
- Enforcement has teeth in 2026: impound authority for underage Class 3 riding is on the books, and cities like Fullerton and Dixon wrote their own fine schedules.
The 6-point California compliance checklist
A river path at golden hour, open to every class by state default since 2023 and closed wherever the manager says so.
Run this before you ride somewhere new: sixty seconds, six checks, each tied to the section that would otherwise write the ticket, and the last one to the city table that decides most of them.
- Class label on your frame — Class 1, 2, or 3, top speed, wattage. No label on your bike, no benefit of the doubt (CVC § 24016).
- 750 watts or less, pedals attached: the two facts that make it an e-bike at all (CVC § 312.5).
- Your rear light or reflector working — required at all hours since January 2026 (CVC § 21201).
- Right rider, right helmet — 16+ for Class 3; helmet under 18 on anything, at every age on a Class 3 (CVC §§ 21212, 21213).
- Battery certification mark if you are buying new — UL 2849 or EN 15194 on your bike or its battery; it is a condition of sale in 2026 (HSC § 26302).
- Your city's row in the city tables: the step most likely to save you a ticket.
Bottom line The state rules travel with you; the local ones change at every city limit. Six checks before you ride somewhere new is what keeps the whole guide working in your favor.
Which bikes on our shelf are California legal
Every active listing on our store went through all four limbs of CVC § 312.5: pedals, nominal motor rating, top assisted speed and, where the listing publishes one, the class. 193 bikes screened on September 8, 2026, on the figures our own listings publish. The motor figure is the nominal rating a listing states, never the peak number printed beside it, because the statute's 750 watts is a rating.
| Verdict | Bikes | What it means in California |
|---|---|---|
| Clears every limb | 60 | An electric bicycle under § 312.5(a). No license, registration, plate or insurance (§ 24016); roads, bike lanes and, by state default, bike paths |
| Outside on at least one limb | 92 | Not an electric bicycle. A moped, motor-driven cycle or off-highway electric motorcycle under § 406, § 405 and § 436.1: a motor vehicle, with the license, registration and equipment those sections require, and off-highway only for a straddle-seat machine without pedals. That is the regime our electric dirt bike guide and electric moped guide are written for |
| Not determinable from our listing | 41 | Our listing does not yet publish a figure a limb needs: a top assisted speed on 36 of them, whether the machine has pedals on 20, a motor rating on 10. Send us the model name and we will read the maker's own specification back to you, in writing, before you order |
Sixty of 193. The 41 in the last bar are a gap in our own listings, not a verdict on the bikes, and each is named in the dataset.
67 of the 193 carry a published rating of exactly 750 watts, and in California every one of them clears the motor limb, because § 312.5(a) says "does not exceed 750 watts". Our Alabama and Kansas guides screen the same catalog against a "less than 750 watts" line, where those 67 bikes land on the other side. Same shelf, same day, opposite answer, and the difference is one word in each statute.
The 60 that clear come from six makers (Addmotor 27, Eunorau 15, Velotric 11, Hitway 3, Eahora 2, Qiolor 2), and 52 of them were in stock on September 6, 2026.
What to buy for California. A bike with pedals, a nominal rating of 750 watts or less, and a published top assisted speed of 20 mph (Class 1 or 2) or 28 mph (Class 3).
Choose Class 1 or 2 if your riding takes in a San Diego or Marin County pilot city with a child aboard, a State Park, or a city that closes its trails to Class 3. Treat Class 3 as the road-and-bike-lane machine it is, and ride it at 16 or older in a helmet.
The class you want for California streets is on the label, and the label is on the listing. Commuter and city e-bikes for Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento bike lanes, folding e-bikes for an apartment or a train, cargo builds for the school run under the § 21204 child-seat rule, fat tire e-bikes for the coast and fire roads where the land manager allows them, and electric trikes for three-wheel stability.
Free shipping to every California address, a US warranty and a US support desk on every order.
Shop commuter and city e-bikesWhich e-bike for which California ride
California's five rules decide the class before any spec sheet does, so the picks below start from where and how you ride. The rows below pick a class for the ride you actually do, because in California the class is what § 312.5, the pilot cities and the land managers all screen on.
A model is only ever an instance of a class, so every collection linked below shows you each bike's nominal rating and top assisted speed on its listing.
| Your situation | The class California law points to | Why | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily commute on bike lanes and a Class I bikeway | Class 1 or Class 2 | Every class may use bike paths by state default since 2023 (CVC § 21207.5), and Class 1 and 2 are the classes local pilots restrict least; no helmet over 18 | Commuter & city |
| Long road commute, 20 mph feels slow | Class 3 | Legal on roads, bike lanes and, by state default, bike paths; helmet at every age and rider 16+ (§ 21213); under-16 riders risk a 48-hour impound (§ 22651.08) | Commuter & city |
| Apartment, stairs, car trunk | Folding Class 2 | The storage problem is yours; the law is the same | Folding |
| School runs and groceries | Class 1 or 2 cargo | Kids ride only in a proper retaining seat (section 4); cargo keeps bikeway access | Cargo |
| Coast, sand, fire roads | Class 2 fat-tire | Where you can take it is decided by the land manager, see the trail atlas | Fat-tire |
| Mountain trails | Class 1 | State Parks and most land managers open single-track to Class 1 first, if at all | Mountain |
| Retiree, three wheels | Class 1 or 2 trike | § 231 defines a bicycle as "having one or more wheels" and says "an electric bicycle is a bicycle", so a trike inside § 312.5's limbs is an e-bike here, unlike Alabama or Montana | Trikes |
| Comfort and a throttle for a bad knee | Class 2 cruiser | Throttle to 20 mph is fully legal; same bikeway rights as Class 1 | Cruiser & comfort |
| Budget first | Class 1 or 2 | Cheapest legal path in; the sale shelf mixes classes and off-road machines, so the nominal rating and top assisted speed on the listing decide, and the 2026 battery-certification mark should be on a new bike | On sale · All e-bikes |
Now the caveat, because our own catalog proves the point this guide keeps making. Several models we sell carry names like "Motorbike," "Moped-Style," and "Electric Dirt Bike." Names like those describe a category, and the spec sheet read against CVC § 312.5 and § 436.1 tells you which regime the machine rides under.
A straddle seat with no factory pedals is an off-highway motor vehicle in California, no matter how bike-shaped it looks. A listing that leads with a peak figure hundreds of watts above the rating is the ambiguity a class label exists to remove; until the listing states the rating, treat it as unresolved.
If the off-road machine is what you want, start from the electric dirt bike guide or the electric moped guide, which begin from the regime those machines ride under.
Every collection above mixes classes, so the nominal rating and the top assisted speed on the listing decide, whatever the shelf is called.
If you are still narrowing down, the buying guide covers motors, batteries and fit, best e-bikes for Los Angeles sorts all 114 city neighborhoods by measured grade and matches each to a machine that clears § 312.5, the 750-watt guide explains why the number California includes is the number the industry builds to, and where to buy an e-bike covers warranty and returns.
For the rows above: best folding e-bikes for the apartment and the train, electric trikes and electric bikes for seniors for stability, best electric mountain bikes for the Class 1 single-track question, step-through e-bikes for a low standover, best electric bikes for school for the run under the pilot-city age floors, and electric bikes for kids and teens for the Class 3 line at 16.
The Velotric, Himiway, Lectric, Aventon, Super73 and Ridstar brand profiles (and the best e-bike brands ranking) cover warranty and recall history the same way this page covers law: every claim dated and linked to its source.
Cargo, folding, trike, cruiser: the class is the law's question; the frame is yours.
Why buy a California-legal e-bike from us
The numbers that decide the class are published, and the gaps are named. California's class label must state the class, the top assisted speed and the motor wattage (§ 24016). Our listings publish the nominal rating and the top assisted speed, which is how 193 of them could be screened against § 312.5 for this page, and the 41 our listings cannot yet settle are named above instead of sold as settled.
Free shipping to any California address, and the help stays in the country. No freight line at checkout, a warranty administered in the US, and a support desk answered from the US, which matters in a state where the rule can change at the next city limit and a question about a city row deserves an answer from someone who has read the row.
The right California bike is rarely the biggest one. The machine that rides a San Diego County bikeway with a twelve-year-old, a Marin multi-use path and a State Park road is a Class 1 or 2 rated at 750 watts or less, and it is the bike we would put you on in Sacramento, Fresno or Long Beach without a second look at the city table.
If what you want is the off-road machine, the electric dirt bike guide and the electric moped guide start from the regime you will actually ride under.
Write to mehran@redtailebikes.com before you order if a city row or a listing figure leaves a question, and we will confirm it against the source and answer in writing, including when the honest answer is a different bike or none of ours.
Source register
This page rests on 285 distinct cited locations across 63 publishers, and the full machine-readable ledger ships with the article as citations.csv, every row carrying the date it was last read at its publisher. The most-cited are listed here; a T1 row is a legislature, agency or city publishing its own text, a T2 row is a code publisher or meeting host carrying a city's record.
| Source | Tier | What it supports | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| ecode360.com | T1 | 65 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| library.municode.com | T1 | 49 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | T1 | 34 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| codelibrary.amlegal.com | T2 | 11 cited provisions | 2026-08-14 |
| www.codepublishing.com | T2 | 9 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| gosantacruzcounty.org | T2 | 3 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| ww2.arb.ca.gov | T1 | 3 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| 511.ccta.ca.gov | T1 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| avaenergy.org | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| bakersfield.municipal.codes | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| belvedere.municipal.codes | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-08-14 |
| chulavista.municipal.codes | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-08-14 |
| cityclerk.lacity.org | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| cleanpowersf.org | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| coronado.municipal.codes | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-08-14 |
| docs.sandiego.gov | T1 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-08-14 |
| drivingcleanca.org | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-09-08 |
| ecms.newportbeachca.gov | T1 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-08-14 |
| fullerton.legistar1.com | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-08-14 |
| lagunabeachcity.granicus.com | T2 | 2 cited provisions | 2026-08-14 |
No tier-five source is cited anywhere on this page.
Limitations
Twelve things about this page are narrower than they may read, and each is named here so you can weigh it yourself.
They are: when the statutes were read, three bills that are not yet law, what "none found" means for a city, the nine cities nobody could read, how the ordinance rows were verified, the rebate rows that could not be re-read, the shelf screen's gaps, two pending items that rest on news reports, and one ordinance whose adopted text is not published anywhere we could reach.
- This page states California law as read at leginfo on September 8, 2026. A statute amended after that date is not reflected until the page is re-verified.
- SB 1167, AB 2346 and AB 2595 are enrolled, not law. If signed by September 30, 2026 they change §§ 312.5(d), 405, 406, 21214.8, 22352.1 and 28170 from January 1, 2027, and this page is re-verified on the Governor's action.
- "None found" is a statement about a code on a date. The 316 cities with no ordinance were read at their codes between August 13 and August 19, 2026, most by a full-code term search with a control term; an ordinance adopted after a city's last published supplement does not appear in its code, which is Escondido's position today.
- Nine cities could not be read on any route tried and are named in the unresolved list. Their status is unknown in both directions.
- Of the 158 ordinance rows, sixteen were re-read at their publishers on September 8, 2026; the rest carry the date of their last read, August 14 or August 19, 2026, in the dataset that ships with this page.
- Bakersfield's Kern River Trail definition was read through a rendered copy of the city's code page on September 8, 2026, because the host refuses direct readers; the wording is quoted from that render.
- Four rebate pages were read through Google's rendering service (Silicon Valley Power, Glendale, Vista, Monterey Bay), Glendale's amount sits inside a collapsed panel the render did not open, and the Sacramento Metro AQMD site was unreachable on every route, so its row says so. SCE, SDG&E and PG&E pages were not read for this table, and this page makes no claim about them.
- The shelf screen reads our own listings, pulled September 6, 2026; 41 bikes are undetermined because a listing does not publish a needed figure, and the pedal limb comes from the listing text except two Eunorau models whose maker pages record no pedals.
- The rule-type counts are term counts over our summaries of the 158 ordinances rather than a legal reading of each; a sidewalk rule counted here may be a shared-fleet parking rule.
- Two pending items rest on news reports: Los Angeles' August 25 report motion and Encinitas' October return. Neither council record was retrieved, and neither binds a rider.
-
Corroboration is mostly
SOLE-PUBLISHER. For the words of a statute the legislature is the only publisher, so most ledger rows carry that value rather than a second link. - Brea's ordinance text is not published online. The city states that its e-bike ordinance took effect on January 2, 2025 and describes what it targets, but not its sections. The code is absent from Municode, Code Publishing and qcode; eCode360 refuses both a script and a browser; the city's own search returns the same page for every query; and the county's compilation predates the ordinance and cites Brea's 2007 bicycle section instead. Brea's row keeps the rules as reported and quotes no section, and this page makes no claim to have read the adopted text.
This page expires on the Governor's action by September 30, 2026; Escondido's second reading; January 1, 2027; each city's next code supplement; the sunset of the county pilots on January 1, 2029; and any reopening of a state or district incentive.
Frequently asked questions
Are electric bikes legal in California?
Yes. A bicycle with fully operable pedals and a motor that does not exceed 750 watts is an electric bicycle under CVC § 312.5, ridden with the rights and duties of a bicycle on every road and, by state default, every bike path. No license, registration or insurance applies (§ 24016). A machine above 750 watts or without pedals is a motor vehicle instead.
Do you need a license to ride an e-bike in California?
No. CVC § 24016 exempts a Class 1, 2 or 3 electric bicycle from a driver's license, registration, a license plate and insurance. The exemption lasts only while the bike stays inside its class: over 750 watts, past 20 mph on motor power, or with the pedals removed, it becomes a moped or motor-driven cycle and those requirements return.
Do you need to register an e-bike or insure it in California?
No, for a legal electric bicycle. § 24016 exempts every class from registration, plates and insurance, and no 2026 bill that would have required registration became law: AB 1942, which proposed registration and plates, was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14, 2026 and did not advance.
What are the new California e-bike laws for 2026?
Four took effect January 1, 2026: batteries must be certified to be sold (HSC § 26302), every e-bike needs a rear reflector or light at all hours (§ 21201), a Class 3 under a rider younger than 16 can be impounded for 48 hours (§ 22651.08), and selling speed-hack apps is banned (§ 24016).
Three more bills, SB 1167, AB 2346 and AB 2595, sit on the Governor's desk with a September 30, 2026 deadline.
Is SB 1167 law yet?
Not as of September 8, 2026. SB 1167 passed the Legislature on August 28 and was presented to the Governor on September 4; he has until September 30, 2026 to sign or return it. If signed it takes effect January 1, 2027, widening the not-an-e-bike list at § 312.5(d) to cover machines modifiable past 28 mph on assist and anything sold without operable pedals, and adding the brand and maker to the class label.
What happened to AB 1942, the e-bike registration and license plate bill?
It did not advance. AB 1942 was held under submission on the Assembly Appropriations Committee's suspense file on May 14, 2026, and the Legislature's deadlines have since passed. California e-bikes need no registration or plate (§ 24016).
Does my city have its own e-bike law?
One in three does. We checked all 483 incorporated California cities at their own codes: 158 have their own e-bike ordinance, 316 have none we could locate, and 9 could not be verified, each named on this page. Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento, Long Beach and Fresno all carry a rule of some kind, and the tables above give the section for each.
Are Class 3 electric bikes legal in California?
Yes, statewide. A Class 3 assists to 28 mph, must carry a speedometer, may be ridden only by someone 16 or older, and every rider and passenger wears a helmet (CVC §§ 312.5, 21213). Cities can restrict where: Claremont bars Class 3 from its wilderness park, Temecula from sidewalks and trails, and Santa Monica from its beach bike path.
Can you ride a Class 3 e-bike on a California bike path?
By state default, yes. Since January 1, 2023 the path ban in CVC § 21207.5(a) reaches mopeds rather than e-bikes, so all three classes may use bike paths unless the authority that manages the path closes it under § 21207.5(b). Santa Monica, for one, bars Class 3 from its Beach Bike-Path while allowing Class 1 and 2, and California State Parks opens only the trails a Superintendent's Order names.
Are Class 2 electric bikes legal in California?
Yes, statewide, at any age, with a helmet under 18 (CVC § 21212). A Class 2 may move under throttle alone up to 20 mph (§ 312.5). The exceptions are local.
The eleven Marin County pilot cities bar riders under 16 from a Class 2 and require a helmet on one at any age (§ 21214.5), and eight San Diego County cities bar riders under 12 from Class 1 and 2 (§ 21214.7).
Can you ride an electric bike on the sidewalk in California?
Only where your city allows it. There is no statewide sidewalk rule (CVC § 21206), and a sidewalk rule is the commonest local e-bike rule in the state: 85 of the 158 city ordinances on this page carry one. Chino Hills bans every class from every sidewalk; Bishop allows Class 1 and 2 at walking pace; Mountain View allows sidewalk riding with a duty to yield. Read your city's row before you ride one.
Bottom line Every answer above turns on the same four facts: pedals, a rating that does not exceed 750 watts, an assisted speed inside the class, and your city's row. The ten answers below are about what happens when one of those four is missing.
Are 1000W e-bikes legal in California?
Not as e-bikes. CVC § 312.5 caps an electric bicycle at 750 watts, so a 1,000-watt machine is a moped or motor-driven cycle under § 406 or § 405, with the license, registration and equipment those sections require, and it may be removed and held for 48 hours if it exceeds 20 mph on motor power and its rider holds no license for it (§ 22651.08).
Are 750W e-bikes legal in California?
Yes. The statute reads "does not exceed 750 watts" (§ 312.5(a)), so a bike rated at 750 watts on the nose is inside the definition. 67 of the 193 e-bikes on our shelf carry that rating and every one clears California's motor limb, where the same bikes fall outside Alabama's and Kansas' "less than 750 watts" line. The figure that counts is the nominal rating on the label, never a peak figure.
Is there a California e-bike voucher in 2026?
Not a statewide one. The CARB California E-Bike Incentive Project concluded in December 2025 after 2,246 vouchers, per CARB's own page. Of the 25 programs we track at air-district, utility, county and city level, 10 were open on September 8, 2026 and two more were open to restricted groups. Every program's status, amount and page are in this guide's rebates section, with the dates of the ones that closed this year.
Do you need a helmet to ride an e-bike in California?
Under 18, yes, on any class (CVC § 21212); on a Class 3, everyone, rider and passenger, at any age (§ 21213(b)). A minor's helmet ticket is an infraction of up to $25 (§ 21212(e)), dismissed since 2026 if a helmet and a completed safety course are shown within 120 days (§ 21212(f)). Marin County pilot cities add an all-ages helmet rule on a Class 2, and Beaumont requires one on anything wheeled at any age.
Are throttle e-bikes legal in California?
Yes. Your Class 2 may be propelled by its motor alone up to 20 mph (CVC § 312.5(a)(2)). A Class 1 or 3 may carry only a walk-assist to 3.7 mph, and a throttle that pushes any bike past 20 mph on motor power alone takes it out of the e-bike definition entirely (§ 312.5(a)(2)).
Can police impound a high-powered electric bike in California?
Yes, since January 1, 2026. CVC § 22651.08 lets a peace officer remove a machine with fewer than four wheels that is not an electric bicycle, can exceed 20 mph on motor power alone, and is ridden by someone without a license for it, and a Class 3 ridden by anyone under 16. The bike is held for at least 48 hours and released on payment of the posted removal and storage charges.
Are Sur-Ron-style electric dirt bikes legal e-bikes in California?
No. A machine without operable pedals is outside CVC § 312.5 on its first clause, and since January 1, 2026 a straddle-seat two-wheeler with no manufacturer pedals is an off-highway electric motorcycle under § 436.1: a motor vehicle for private land and OHV areas, never a bike lane. That holds for every brand, including the pedal-less machines we sell for private land, covered by the electric dirt bike guide.
The wattage questions, answered once A rating of 750 watts or less keeps you inside the definition, and 750 exactly is inside it. Above that, or with no pedals, your machine is a moped, a motor-driven cycle or an off-highway electric motorcycle, and since January 2026 an officer can impound it. The number that decides this is the nominal rating on your label, never a peak figure in a listing headline.
How old do you have to be to ride a Class 3 e-bike in California?
Sixteen. CVC § 21213(a) bars anyone under 16 from operating a Class 3, and a Class 3 ridden by someone younger can be impounded for 48 hours (§ 22651.08). The state sets no minimum age for Class 1 or 2; the under-12 and under-16 floors you may have heard of are city ordinances under the San Diego and Marin County pilots.
Does a Class 2 e-bike need a class sticker in California?
Yes. Every e-bike sold in California carries a label with its class number, top assisted speed and motor wattage, and if you modify your bike's speed it has to be relabelled to match (CVC § 24016). If the Governor signs SB 1167, the label also carries the brand and the maker from January 1, 2027, and AB 2346 would set it in Arial 9-point type.
The bottom line
California is one of the easiest states in the country to own an e-bike and one of the hardest to generalize about riding one. No paperwork, roads and bike paths open by default, real rebate money still on the table in 10 programs, and 158 cities, each with its own idea about sidewalks, trails, ages and helmets, stacked on top.
So the honest advice compresses to three moves. Buy a bike that is unambiguously inside its class: labelled, certified battery, 750 watts or less, pedals attached. Keep it inside its class. And before you ride anywhere new, spend thirty seconds on your city's row in the tables above, because that is where the tickets actually come from.
If you are choosing the bike first, 60 of the 193 e-bikes we sell clear California's definition on the figures our listings publish. Start with commuter and city e-bikes, folding e-bikes, cargo e-bikes or the full range; every order ships free to a California address with a US warranty and US support, and the electric bike buying guide will keep you inside the lines this page drew.
You do not have to decide today. How buying works sets out the order, delivery and support path in plain words, the refund policy is the return window in writing, and Shop Pay instalments are at checkout. Read your city's row first; the bike will still be here.
Sixty of the 193 bikes on our shelf clear California's definition on the numbers their listings publish, and each of those listings shows the nominal rating and the top assisted speed the state's own label must carry. Free shipping to any California address, a US warranty, US support, and the return window in the refund policy above.
Browse every e-bike we sellCrossing state lines? The same three-class model runs differently in Texas, Arizona, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Colorado and Minnesota, and the 50-state table covers the rest.
For dealers who sell under these rules every day, see the Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Clarita, Fremont, Modesto, San Bernardino, Fontana, Moreno Valley, Oxnard and Huntington Beach shop directories, the national e-bike stores near me guide, and, if you travel, Portland, Denver and New York City.
The guide to finding e-bike trails near you and the Texas trail atlas pair with the California trail atlas above.
Written by Milad Ghobadibeygvand, BScN (Western University, 2014), Redtail eBikes. Verified September 8, 2026.
Primary sources
Numbered bibliography
Full records for all 285 cited locations ship with this article in citations.csv. Every publisher is listed here, each pointing at a provision on that host rather than a bare root.
- 511.ccta.ca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://511.ccta.ca.gov/biking/electric-bicycle-rebate/
- avaenergy.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://avaenergy.org/go-electric/e-bikes/bike-electric/
- bakersfield.municipal.codes — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://bakersfield.municipal.codes/Code/10.80
- belvedere.municipal.codes — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://belvedere.municipal.codes/Code/10.66
- chulavista.municipal.codes — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://chulavista.municipal.codes/CVMC/10.73
- cityclerk.lacity.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=26-0338
- cleanpowersf.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://cleanpowersf.org/electrifymyride
- codelibrary.amlegal.com — 11 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/baldwinpark/latest/baldwinpark_ca/0-0-0-21057
- coronado.municipal.codes — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://coronado.municipal.codes/CMC/56.18.060
- docs.sandiego.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter08/Ch08Art04Division00.pdf
- drivingcleanca.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://drivingcleanca.org/
- ecms.newportbeachca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://ecms.newportbeachca.gov/WEB/DocView.aspx?id=3200843&dbid=0&repo=CNB
- ecode360.com — 65 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://ecode360.com/OA4108/laws/LF2726506.pdf
- fullerton.legistar1.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://fullerton.legistar1.com/fullerton/attachments/9d160727-dbfc-4bc1-9309-253c8303a2a9.docx
- gosantacruzcounty.org — 3 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://gosantacruzcounty.org/downtown-ebike-rebate/
- lagunabeachcity.granicus.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://lagunabeachcity.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=3&event_id=3103&meta_id=219364
- larkspur.municipal.codes — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://larkspur.municipal.codes/Code/10.78
- law.cityofsanmateo.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://law.cityofsanmateo.org/us/ca/cities/san-mateo/ordinances/2019/5
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov — 34 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1557
- library.municode.com — 49 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://library.municode.com/ca/agoura_hills/codes/code_of_ordinances
- local.anaheim.net — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://local.anaheim.net/docs_agend/questys_pub/44401/44431/44432/44538/44580/1.%20Ordinance44580.pdf
- mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net — 1 cited provision. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/escondidca-pubu/MEET-Minutes-f0154327b7de4702a3b8d909740176ef.pdf
- menifeepolice.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://menifeepolice.org/electricbikes/
- monterey.municipal.codes — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://monterey.municipal.codes/Code/38-15
- online.encodeplus.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/hermosabeach-ca/doclibrary.aspx?id=4976f567-b00a-4ab8-a2b7-3f77065cea7d
- portal.laserfiche.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=1044603&repo=r-3f0b2553
- pub-corona.escribemeetings.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://pub-corona.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=31467
- pub-lamesa.escribemeetings.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://pub-lamesa.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=04c0f6a1-bb0f-4bfd-8893-d1be3d90d3dd&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English
- pub-upland.escribemeetings.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://pub-upland.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=2062
- public.destinyhosted.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-09. https://public.destinyhosted.com/canyodocs/2026/CC/20260805_212/122_122_Ordinance_281_E-bikes.pdf
- pwp.cityofpasadena.net — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://pwp.cityofpasadena.net/ebike-rebate-program/
- recreation.parks.lacity.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://recreation.parks.lacity.gov/venice/pdf/lamc63.pdf
- redwoodenergy.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://redwoodenergy.org/programs-rebates/residential/e-bike-voucher/
- s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com/agendalink-pdf/redlandsca/pdfs/imported/69b37e654134a4d12dc80cbd/69b37ef54134a4d12dc80cff/Ordinance%20No.%203000.pdf
- sanbuenaventura.municipal.codes — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://sanbuenaventura.municipal.codes/SBMC/16.350
- sanluisobispo.municipal.codes — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://sanluisobispo.municipal.codes/Code/17.69.040
- sonomacleanpower.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://sonomacleanpower.org/offers-and-rebates
- townoffairfaxca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://townoffairfaxca.gov/meetings/town-council-june-4-2025/
- valleycan.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://valleycan.org/vehicle-replacement/
- ww2.arb.ca.gov — 3 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/california-e-bike-incentive-project
- www.alamedamp.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.alamedamp.com/407/Rebates-and-Incentives
- www.baaqmd.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.baaqmd.gov/funding-and-incentives/residents/clean-cars-for-all
- www.census.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest.html
- www.chp.ca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.chp.ca.gov/news-alerts/news-list/new-year-new-laws--chp-highlights-public-safety-laws-taking-effect-in-2026/
- www.cityofbrea.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.cityofbrea.gov/1811/E-Bike-Ordinance
- www.cityofhealdsburg.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.cityofhealdsburg.org/1000/Electric-Vehicles-E-Bikes
- www.cityoflamesa.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.cityoflamesa.gov/1864/E-Bike-Incentive-Program
- www.cityofripon.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.cityofripon.org/DocumentCenter/View/243/923-General-Rules-for-City-Parks-PDF
- www.codepublishing.com — 9 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.codepublishing.com/CA/AlisoViejo/html/AlisoViejo10/AlisoViejo1006.html
- www.glendaleca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/glendale-water-and-power/electric-vehicles
- www.huntingtonbeachca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/departments/police/about_us/pd_division/alternative_vehicle_safety.php
- www.lakeforestca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.lakeforestca.gov/departments/public_safety/electric_bicycles.php
- www.mbard.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.mbard.org/grants-incentives
- www.murrietaca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.murrietaca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12988/E-Conveyances-Ordinance-605-24
- www.parks.ca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30521
- www.sandiego.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/e-bike-rebate-2.pdf
- www.siliconvalleypower.com — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/rebates
- www.townofrossca.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.townofrossca.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/administration/page/240/10.60_electric_bike_safety.pdf
- www.vista.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.vista.gov/residents/e-bike-safety-training-rebate-program
- www.westlightenergy.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.westlightenergy.org/residential/rebates-offers/e-bikes/
- www.ysaqmd.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://www.ysaqmd.org/incentives/ebike/
- www.yucaipa.org — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-08-14. https://www.yucaipa.org/e-bikes
- xappprod.aqmd.gov — 2 cited provisions. Accessed 2026-09-08. https://xappprod.aqmd.gov/RYR/
First-party datasets (ours; not external sources, disclosed here under rules/18):
- The 483-city coverage dataset:
research/state-laws/california/ca-cities-coverage-FINAL_20260908.csv— every incorporated city, its status (ORDINANCE, NONE FOUND or UNRESOLVED), the record read, and the date; 158 / 316 / 9 on September 8, 2026. - The shelf screen:
research/state-laws/california/ca-legal-product-screen_20260908.csv— 193 active listings screened against CVC § 312.5 on the figures our own listings publish (pull of September 6, 2026); 60 within, 92 outside, 41 undetermined. - The incentive dataset:
research/state-laws/california/ca-incentives_20260908.csv— 25 programs, each with its status on August 14 and September 8, 2026 and the program's own words behind it. - The legislative sweep:
research/state-laws/california/ca-legislative-sweep_20260908.csv— nine 2025-2026 session bills, each status read at leginfo on September 8, 2026. - The demand harvest:
keywords/harvest/california-ebike-laws_20260908.csv— 432 observed search phrasings from four sources, with the AI-search panel atresearch/state-laws/california/ai-panel_20260908.md.
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