Children Under 12 Would Be Banned
By Esmeralda Perez / CBS8 / February 25, 2026
San Diego may soon implement electric bike regulations, as Councilmember Raul Campillo has proposed an initiative aiming to address growing safety concerns about misuse and excessive speeding on e-bikes throughout the city.
The proposed regulations would ban children under 12 from riding Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. The proposal also restricts passengers to bicycles specifically designed with a permanent second seat.
“We’re seeing a lot of young people show up to ERs, we’re seeing a lot of seniors who are walking down the sidewalk who get hit by irresponsible e-bike riders that are going way too fast and so we’re really just trying to preserve public health, safety that’s really at the heart of what we’re doing,” Campillo, who represents District 7, said.
Campillo shared that state law empowers San Diego to add e-bike regulations to its municipal code.
The proposal incorporates an education program for parents and riders to understand the new regulations. Campillo stressed that enforcement will proceed gradually, beginning with education before penalties take effect.
“We [will] start off with a 30-day education campaign and then a 60-day notification campaign. The state law lists exactly how we’re allowed to do this, we can’t come up with our own ideas, we have to follow state law […] and after that point, then it can start with ticketing and fines,” Campillo said.
Police will receive guidance to enforce dual-rider restrictions.
“We’re going to make sure the police are able to enforce this for dual riders. So if the bike is not designed to have two riders on it, you cannot ride with more than the one rider that is designed for, so we’re going to be very, very contemplative and very, very specific about what we’re regulating,” Campillo said.
Several San Diego County cities have already established e-bike regulations under state law, including Chula Vista and San Marcos.
The proposal advances to the Public Safety Committee. If approved, it will move to the City Council for final consideration.
