Santa Barbara County, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- County Code Sec. 9-6 and Sec. 9-1(i)
- Permit required
- Encroachment permit under Chapter 28
- Operating without permit
- Misdemeanor
- Abandoned-device notice period
- 48 hours before impoundment
- Appeal path
- Post-storage hearing before sheriff-appointed officer
Summary
Any shared mobility business, including electric or motorized scooter rental services, must hold a county encroachment permit before operating in the unincorporated area. Scooters without a valid permit can be impounded and the operator charged with a misdemeanor.
A shared mobility business shall obtained an encroachment permit as prescribed in chapter 28 of this Code before the commencement of business or, if the business is in operation and an encroachment permit possessed, prior to the expiration of such permit. It is unlawful for any person to conduct, engage in, or operate a shared mobility business within the unincorporated area of the county, unless the county has issued such person or business an encroachment permit under this Code and the encroachment permit is in effect.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
County Code Sec. 9-6 requires a shared mobility business to obtain an encroachment permit under Chapter 28 before commencing business, or before an existing permit expires if the business is already operating. It is unlawful to conduct, engage in or operate a shared mobility business in the unincorporated area of the county without a county-issued encroachment permit in effect. "Shared mobility device" is defined broadly in Sec. 9-1(i) to include e-bikes, electric scooters, motorized scooters, and similar self-propelled or motor-assisted devices, excluding wheelchairs and motorized tricycles or quadricycles used by people unable to walk.
Sec. 9-5(c) gives law enforcement authority to remove and impound SMDs owned or operated by a shared mobility business that lacks an encroachment permit, following the notice procedures of Streets and Highways Code Sections 1460 through 1496. 5 and 22852, adapted for bicycles and SMDs, with a minimum 48-hour warning notice placed on an apparently abandoned device before removal, and a post-storage hearing available before a sheriff-appointed hearing officer.
Violations & Fines
Operating a shared mobility business without an encroachment permit is a misdemeanor under Sec. 9-7(e), and the operator is liable to the county for all expenses and damages caused, per Streets and Highways Code § 1460. Individual scooters found without a permit or parked in violation of posted restrictions may be impounded, and the department may charge a reasonable recovery fee to cover impoundment, storage and recordkeeping costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a scooter-share company operate in unincorporated Santa Barbara County without a permit?
Can the county impound shared scooters?
What counts as a shared mobility device under county code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Barbara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Barbara County to another location·View the California mobility & curb rules overview
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