New E-Bike Regulations Are Coming To Orange County. Here's What To Know

Orange County's seen a rise in e-bike accidents over the last several years, which has led the county Board of Supervisors to institute new rules on their use.

The new regulations, which were passed unanimously on Tuesday, will apply to unincorporated Orange County as well as bike paths and roadways managed by the county — though many cities and jurisdictions have already passed their own directives on e-bike use.

What are the new rules?

The new rules set definitions for different classes of e-bikes based on their maximum speeds and motors.

The most regulated class are class 3 e-bikes, which assist the rider with pedaling at speeds of up to 28 mph. All people 16 and over riding a class 3 e-bike will be required to wear a helmet on roads, bikeways and trails. Their use is banned for anyone under 16.

Those under 16 can still ride class 1 e-bikes, which provide pedal assist up to 20 mph, and class 2 e-bikes, which are self-propelling bikes that can reach up to 20 mph without pedaling.

In addition, all people under 18 will be required to wear helmets on county bike paths, roads and trails, and all e-bike riders will need to yield to pedestrians and equestrians on sidewalks.

The rules apply to e-bikes and not mopeds, which can reach speeds of up 30 mph and require licenses to operate under the California vehicle code.

The rules also set speed limits for e-bikes operating on county highways — the maximum speed allowed is 28 mph, unless the speed limit on the road is lower. Bikers also cannot ride more than two abreast on roads, bike lanes and sidewalks.

Finally, the new rules also ban multiple people from riding on the same bike, except in the case of tandem bicycles or small children with their own seat.

Why now?

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who spearheaded the new regulations, said that while she's happy to see the rise in e-bike use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase mobility, they can pose a real danger to public safety.

"We're seeing such an increase in injuries, especially as it relates to child riders," Foley said. "So we just needed to try to strike that balance and set up an ordinance and modernize our ordinances so that we have the tools for enforcement when necessary."

Foley said these measures aren't just for bikers' safety, but also for the safety of others.

"We also have had complaints about are 10 or 12 deep groups of kids riding their e-bikes down through the park over the grass and off the trails and running into people's dogs or almost running into senior citizens and knocking them over — these are actually real complaints I've received," Foley said. "This new ordinance will allow our park rangers to have a tool to be able to use enforcement to prevent that kind of activity."

Where do the rules apply?

The rules apply to unincorporated Orange County, which includes areas like Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo, as well as bike paths and roads managed by OC Parks or another county agency.

Many cities in Orange County already have their own ordinances regulating e-bike use. For a partial list of local ordinances, see here.

For a map of Orange County bikeways, see here.