Palm Beach County commissioners unanimously advanced a new micromobility device ordinance Tuesday that would establish speed limits, age restrictions and enforcement rules for e-bikes, electric scooters and similar devices, citing hundreds of injuries and concerns about rider and pedestrian safety.
The proposal comes as local governments across Palm Beach County continue grappling with the growing popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters, particularly among younger riders.
County staff told commissioners that since January 2023, the Healthcare District of Palm Beach County has documented 613 micromobility-related injuries, with 59% involving children ages 12 to 15. Officials also reported eight micromobility-related deaths across January 2025 and September 2026.
The proposed ordinance would require riders to be at least 14 years old, carry a government-issued photo ID, obey a 15 mph speed limit on bicycle paths and shared-use areas, and slow to 10 mph when within 50 feet of pedestrians. The rules would also prohibit dangerous stunts and other unsafe riding behaviors.
For many residents, the idea of more regulation is welcome.
"They should have some regulations at least, there should be more at least to restrict kids under 18 or people with no license," said Ryan Kuhnau of Palm Beach Gardens. "They've definitely popped up out of nowhere, they're pretty common to see in every side walk and every neighborhood."
Others pointed to the growing number of riders in busy areas.
"More regulations for sure," said former teacher Pia Kresse.
College student Melanie Zayas, who said e-scooters are popular on the Florida Atlantic University campus, said some limits make sense.
"For people getting around town that's good, but they can get a little crazy, especially when they're there's a lot of pedestrians out on the road," Zayas said.
The proposal would require riders to slow down around pedestrians, something Zayas said she has experienced firsthand.
"So you've come close to getting hit by an e-scooter?" asked WPTV's Joel Lopez.
"Yes, I have and... it's not fun. It's, like, coming straight at me and I'm like 'hi, watch where you're going please,'" Zayas said.
Kresse said the age and identification requirements could help improve accountability.
"As an ex-teacher I saw too many injuries. This is a big risk for a lot of kids and I want to see it get better before it gets worse," Kresse said. "I'm excited to see the ordinances actually take place."
During the commission discussion, officials emphasized that the ordinance is largely driven by injury trends among young riders.
Criminal Justice Commission Executive Director staff told commissioners that approximately 60% of the documented injuries involved children between ages 12 and 15, while 39% of injured adults were between 46 and 65 years old.
Commissioners also debated how enforcement would work and whether younger riders could face disproportionate scrutiny.
"Is there concern youth will be over-policed, disproportionately stopped because they are young?" asked Bobby Powell.
County staff and law enforcement officials repeatedly stressed that the focus will be education first.
"The intent is education and awareness," staff told commissioners. "They are not going to start writing and ticketing these kids as soon as they see it."
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said initial enforcement efforts would focus on outreach, safety campaigns and distributing helmets, particularly at schools where e-bike use is common.
Officials said they secured grant funding to provide helmets and plan to launch a countywide awareness campaign directed at both children and parents.
"A lot of the parents don't understand that these items can be jailbroken and they can go from 20 miles an hour to 40 miles an hour," said County Commissioner Joel Flores.
Flores said he routinely sees young riders weaving through traffic and riding at unsafe speeds.
"In my opinion this is not to jam them up. It's a way to protect them," said Flores.
Some commissioners argued that e-bikes should be treated more like motorized vehicles than traditional bicycles.
"These are not bicycles. They're motor vehicles and they need to be treated like motor vehicles," said Gregg Weiss.
Weiss also called for statewide action, saying better crash reporting and more consistent regulations are needed because current data collection remains limited.
The ordinance could have impacts beyond unincorporated Palm Beach County.
County staff told commissioners that many municipalities have expressed interest in adopting similar regulations and were waiting for the county to take the lead. Officials said both Wellington and the Town of Palm Beach already have ordinances on the books, with Palm Beach's rules being stricter than the county proposal.
"A majority are interested. They were waiting for Palm Beach County to adopt this," staff told commissioners.
Flores added that while the discussion was taking place, he received messages from officials in multiple cities interested in seeing the ordinance move forward.
The ordinance was approved on first reading by a 7-0 vote and will return for additional consideration before becoming final.
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