La Mesa, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: E-Bike Classes (2026)

Adopted by Ordinance 2026-2928 on May 12, 2026 under Vehicle Code §§ 21214.7, 312.5 and 22651.08, Chapter 12.38 defines a class 1 electric bicycle as motor-assisted only while pedaling and capped at 20 mph; a class 2 as throttle-assisted and also capped at 20 mph; and a class 3 as pedal-assisted up to 28 mph and equipped with a speedometer, per § 12.38.020. Section 12.38.030 then makes it unlawful for any person under twelve years of age to operate a class 1 or class 2 electric bicycle within the city's boundaries; class 3 machines are not covered by the under-12 ban itself, though § 12.38.050 lets a peace officer seize a class 3 e-bike operated in violation of Vehicle Code § 21213(a) or seize any sub-four-wheel vehicle exceeding 20 mph that does not meet the § 312.5 e-bike definition and is ridden by an unlicensed operator.

Enforcement under § 12.38.040 starts with a warning-only grace period for the first sixty days after the effective date; after that, a violation of § 12.38.030 is an infraction carrying a twenty-five dollar fine. No court record or fee attaches if the parent or guardian submits proof within one hundred twenty days that the minor completed a city-approved Electric Bicycle Safety and Training Program, and an unemancipated minor's parent or guardian is jointly and severally liable for the fine. Seized vehicles are released after a minimum forty-eight hours once storage costs are paid, per § 12.38.050(C).

The program sunsets automatically on January 1, 2029 unless extended by state law, per § 12.38.080, and the city must run a public information campaign for at least thirty days before enactment and report enforcement data, including stop demographics, under §§ 12.38.060 and 12.38.070.