MERCED POLICE DEPARTMENT • E-BICYCLE & E-SCOOTER SAFETY E-bikes and motorized scooters can be convenient transportation—but speed, traffic conflicts, and unsafe riding can cause serious injuries.
WHAT COUNTS AS AN E-BIKE?
California Vehicle Code §312.5 defines an electric
bicycle as a bicycle with fully operable pedals and
an electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts.
Class 1: Pedal-assist only; motor assistance
stops at 20 mph.
Class 2: Motor may propel without pedaling;
assistance stops at 20 mph.
Class 3: Pedal-assist only; assistance stops at 28
mph. Riders must be at least 16 years old.
Important: A modified device may no longer
qualify as an e-bike and may be subject to
different licensing, registration, equipment, and
roadway rules.
AB 875 / CVC §22651.08
Effective January 1, 2026, state law authorizes
peace officers to remove certain electric vehicles,
including:
• A vehicle with fewer than four wheels that is not
an e-bike, can be propelled exclusively by an
electric motor over 20 mph on a highway, and is
operated by an unlicensed rider.
• A Class 3 e-bike operated by a person under 16.
Release / cost recovery: The statute provides for
a minimum 48-hour hold and allows a local
jurisdiction, after adopting the required public
action, to recover actual administrative, removal,
seizure, and storage costs. A qualifying Class 3
case may also require proof of an approved e-bike
safety course before release.
PARENTS & GUARDIANS: BEFORE THEY RIDE
• Know what your child is riding. Some high-powered devices look like ebikes but do not legally qualify as e-bikes. • Match the rider to the legal class and age requirements. Class 3 e-bike operators must be at least 16.
• Require a properly fitted helmet and model safe riding habits. • Discuss traffic rules, visibility, intersections, pedestrians, passengers, distraction, and the consequences of reckless or dangerous riding. • Use the CHP Electric Bicycle Safety Training as a family education resource.
MERCED POLICE DEPARTMENT • E-BICYCLE & E-SCOOTER SAFETY MERCED MICROMOBILITY SAFETY: EDUCATION + ACCOUNTABILITY Proposed goals for a Merced Municipal Code (MMC) framework A local framework can focus on behavior that creates an articulable public-safety risk while pairing enforcement with education, parental involvement, due process, and consistent cost-recovery procedures.
SAFE BEHAVIOR
Identify prohibited conduct such as
excessive or unsafe speed, failure to
yield, stunt riding, unsafe group riding,
and other operations that endanger
pedestrians, riders, or motorists.
FAIR PROCESS
If local seizure authority is adopted,
provide clear written notice, release
procedures, and a post-impound
administrative hearing process
consistent with applicable law.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Authorize lawful recovery of actual
administrative and storage costs
where permitted, while using
education and corrective action to
reduce repeat violations.
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
• Safety presentations at Merced City Schools
using Traffic Unit personnel and School Resource
Officers (SROs).
• Expand outreach to UC Merced and Merced
College / Merced Community College District.
• Build on Merced City Schools' willingness to
assist with education efforts.
• Offer voluntary micromobility registration days
at schools, colleges, community events, and
other locations.
• Use voluntary registration to support
emergency-contact identification and recovery of
lost or stolen devices.
• Promote completion of CHP e-bike safety
training and locally approved safety education.
ENFORCEMENT & TRACKING
• Enforce applicable California Vehicle Code
provisions based on the actual device
classification and observed conduct.
• Use standardized disposition codes to track
contacts, warnings, citations, seizures/impounds,
collisions, and repeat problem locations.
• Use data to identify education needs, high-risk
locations, repeat behaviors, and enforcement
trends.
• Coordinate procedures for towing/storage,
lithium-ion battery safety, documentation,
release, and any applicable hearing process.
• Maintain a consistent education-first message
while taking enforcement action when behavior or
equipment creates a public-safety risk.
CHP SAFETY TRAINING
The California Highway Patrol provides an online Electric Bicycle Training and Safety course covering riding safety, rules of the road, and e-bike laws. Visit the CHP website and search “E-Bike Safety Training.” Public education handout • Draft for Merced Police Department use This handout is educational and is not legal advice. Proposed MMC provisions should be reviewed by the City Attorney for consistency with state law, due-process requirements, and local authority. State-law references current as of August 2026.