Marin County, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: E-Bike Classes (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- Class 2 electric bicycles only
- Minimum age
- 16 to operate a Class 2 e-bike
- Helmet required
- Yes, meeting Vehicle Code § 21213(b)
- First 60 days
- Warning notices only, no fines
- Fine amount
- $25 infraction after the warning period
- Program sunset
- Repealed January 1, 2029
Summary
Marin County Code Chapter 15.58, the Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program, bars anyone under sixteen from operating a Class 2 electric bicycle and requires every Class 2 rider to wear a Vehicle Code-compliant helmet, on all public roadways, multi-use paths, and other areas in unincorporated Marin County and in Marin County Parks. The pilot program runs through January 1, 2029.
The provisions of this chapter are intended to enact the program authorized by Vehicle Code section 21214.5, et seq., in Marin County Parks and in the unincorporated areas of Marin County, on all public roadways, highways, multi-use paths, and other areas where Class 2 electric bicycles are allowed under federal, state, and local law. ... 1.No person under sixteen years of age shall operate a Class 2 electric bicycle.2.No person shall operate a Class 2 electric bicycle without wearing a bicycle helmet that complies with Vehicle Code section 21213(b).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Adopted by Ordinance No. 5(a)(2). 030 sets two rules: no person under sixteen years of age may operate a Class 2 electric bicycle, and no one may operate one without wearing a bicycle helmet that complies with Vehicle Code Section 21213(b). 030(G). Enforcement phases in deliberately: for the first sixty days after the chapter takes effect, any violation draws only a warning notice. 030(2) is likewise a $25 infraction. Both fines are waivable: the county drops the fee if, within 120 days of the citation, the rider (or the parent or guardian of a minor) delivers proof of completing a Streets and Highways Code Section 894 electric bicycle safety course, and for a helmet citation also shows proof of a Section 21212(a)-compliant helmet.
No record of a violation under this chapter is ever transmitted to Superior Court, and a parent or legal guardian is jointly and severally liable for any fine imposed on an unemancipated minor. 050 makes the whole program, including its age and helmet prohibitions, inoperative and repealed as of January 1, 2029.
Violations & Fines
A first sixty-day window after the chapter's effective date carries warning notices only. From day sixty-one on, both the under-sixteen ban and the no-helmet rule under Sections 15.58.030(1)-(2) are $25 infractions. Either fine is waived if the rider, or a parent or guardian for a minor, produces within 120 days proof of a Streets and Highways Code Section 894 safety course (plus a Section 21212(a)-compliant helmet for the helmet citation). No violation is transmitted to Superior Court, and parents are jointly and severally liable for a minor's fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old do you have to be to ride a Class 2 e-bike in Marin County?
Do I need a helmet to ride a Class 2 e-bike in unincorporated Marin?
What happens if I get cited under the e-bike pilot program?
Does this e-bike law cover Class 1 and Class 3 e-bikes too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
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