High-powered electric vehicles sold as e-bikes would need registration and a license under a bill by Encinitas' state senator now on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

State Sen. Catherine Blakespear's SB 1167 passed the California Assembly 77-0 and was sent to the governor on Friday, Aug. 28, according to a press release from Blakespear's office. The bill would bar manufacturers and sellers from labeling electric motor vehicles as e-bikes if they exceed California's legal limits: 750 watts of power and a top speed of 20 mph on throttle or 28 mph with pedal assist.

Sellers of vehicles that exceed those thresholds would have to tell buyers the product does not qualify as an e-bike and requires vehicle registration and an operator's license. Every e-bike sold in the state would also need a frame-mounted label, facing upward, showing its class and maximum speed. Law enforcement would be required to note that label information in incident reports.

"It's really clear that it's the Wild West out there with these vehicles," Blakespear told CBS 8. "They're not e-bikes, they're being ridden recklessly and we need to get a handle on this."

More than 100 organizations support the bill, including CalBike, PeopleForBikes, Streets For All, and Streets Are For Everyone.

Encinitas council targets park e-bike conflicts

The state legislation arrives as Encinitas grapples with its own e-bike conflicts. At a Wednesday, Aug. 19 meeting, the City Council directed staff to explore changes to the municipal code aimed at reducing collisions between e-bike riders and pedestrians at parks and trails, according to the council agenda.

Mayor Bruce Ehlers said the loudest complaints were coming from the 44-acre Encinitas Community Park and Olivenhain's Sun Vista Park, where crowds of Diegueno Middle School students speed along a concrete pathway near the dog-play zone after school, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Sheriff's Capt. Shane Watts told the council that 14 e-bike collisions had occurred in Encinitas so far in 2026. Only half involved youth riders. Two involved riders older than 70 who fell off their bikes.

In the broader Encinitas region, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office counted 59 e-bike collisions between 2022 and 2024 and 30 in 2025. A University of California San Diego study cited in a city staff report found e-bike injuries among people younger than 18 rose 300% between 2019 and 2023 in San Diego County.

The city began amending its municipal codes on bike use in June 2023 as e-bike ridership soared. Under current rules, the Sheriff's Office can temporarily seize e-bikes for reckless riding or repeated offenses.

Encinitas' fiscal year 2026–27 work plan calls for targeted e-bike safety outreach to youth and parents through schools and community centers, plus an e-bike and bike safety rally with the Sheriff's Department. No date has been set for the council to review proposed code changes.