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Imperial Beach officials may join a growing number of San Diego County cities that have implemented stricter regulations on e-bikes.
The new rules may look similar to what six other cities so far have adopted — with one exception.
Councilmembers have already indicated that they will not prohibit riders under 12 years old from using e-bikes. That’s different from Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Poway, San Marcos and Santee, which have all implemented bans based on age.
This story came in part from notes taken by Brisa Karow, a San Diego Documenter, at an Imperial Beach City Council meeting last month. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings. It’s run by inewsource, a nonpartisan nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigative and accountability journalism. Read more about the program here.
During a City Council meeting last month, councilmembers directed city staff to look into drafting regulations, starting with banning Class 3 e-bikes from all city sidewalks and areas where speed limits are around 40 mph.
Imperial Beach already bans bicycles, including e-bikes, from riding on sidewalks in the business district, the pier, and pedestrian areas in parks and public facilities.
Cities have been using Assembly Bill 2234, a state law passed in January 2025, that permits San Diego cities to implement an e-bike ban against kids 12 and under.
Councilmember Jack Fisher opposed an age limit, taking issue with the law’s requirements that officials who make e-bike-related arrests and traffic stops to document and report the perceived race, gender and age of the child back to the state.
“The state of California requiring us to send to them the age, ethnicity, gender of people who have been pulled over, I think that is absolutely absurd and way too intrusive for the state,” Fisher said. “I would like to find out what in the heck they think they would do with that information.”
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“The state of California requiring us to send to them the age, ethnicity, gender of people who have been pulled over, I think that is absolutely absurd and way too intrusive for the state,” Fisher said. “I would like to find out what in the heck they think they would do with that information.”
City Manager Tyler Foltz told inewsource that no biking coalitions or advocacy groups have contacted the city on the matter of e-bike regulations.
Officials also are expected to update the city’s municipal code, including removing licensing requirements and fees for bikes to bring it in line with state law.
In California, riders are not required to have a driver’s license for bikes with a motor under 750 watts, and they’re exempt from vehicle registration. This includes all three classes of e-bikes and pedal bikes without motors.
An e-bike powered by a motor over 750 watts may be classified as a moped.
Councilmember Mariko Nakawatase said e-bike safety has been a growing issue for a few years now, and called for more public education and outreach.
“I do think that when big things change within a community, there does need to be a heavy and aggressive outreach campaign that comes with that,” she said, citing the possible lack of general knowledge of the different classifications of e-bikes and e-bike modifications.
Fisher suggested partnering with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, which provides law enforcement services for Imperial Beach, about methods of enforcement.
Sheriff Lt. Christopher Galve said during the meeting that the sheriff’s office plans to make an educational campaign similar to other jurisdictions’ e-bike safety toolkits and flyers that should be ready by the summer.
Officials did not say when councilmembers will discuss e-bike rules again.
Oceanside and Encinitas have also chosen against imposing an age limit as they take up additional e-bike regulations this year.
