California E-Bike Laws: 750 Watts, Class 3 Helmet, Age 16
California Vehicle Code § 312.5 and § 21213, opened 21 October 2026. The motor does not exceed 750 watts. Class 3 needs a helmet at any age. Under 16 may not operate one.
By SickEBike desk
The short answer
California Vehicle Code § 312.5, opened 21 October 2026, is pedals and a motor that does not exceed 750 watts. Class 3 stops at 28 mph and needs a speedometer. Section 21213: under 16 may not operate a class 3, and every class 3 rider and passenger needs a helmet.
California’s definition is Vehicle Code § 312.5, opened 21 October 2026. An electric bicycle has fully operable pedals and an electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts. That wording is “does not exceed,” not the federal “less than.” Class 1 assists only while pedaling, is not capable of exclusively propelling the bicycle except for a walk mode, and ceases at 20 mph. Class 3 ceases at 28 mph and needs a speedometer. A class 1 or class 3 may have a walk mode up to 3.7 mph. Section 21213, opened the same day: a person under 16 shall not operate a class 3, and no person operates a class 3, or rides on one as a passenger, without a helmet meeting ASTM or CPSC. This is not legal advice.
The United States pillar is the federal test. The class chart is the vocabulary. The September map is the older desk note.
The row
California. Redtail Ebikes, 6 October 2026, except where the prose names a statute this desk opened.
| Directory row | |
|---|---|
| Classes | 3 classes |
| License or registration | None on a bike inside the definition |
| Helmet | Class 3: every rider and passenger. Under 18 on any class is the September page, not re-opened today |
| Minimum age | Under 16 may not operate a class 3 |
Local pages: San Diego, Modesto, and SB 1167.
What this desk did not do
The September map prints a helmet for every rider under 18 on any class. This desk did not re-open that section on 21 October. Section 21213 is the class 3 rule, and it is not the under-18 rule. Do not collapse them. A label has been required since 1 January 2017: classification, top assisted speed, and motor wattage, in at least 9-point Arial. SB 1167’s sale date is a different page.
Questions people ask
What is a class 3 e-bike in California?+
Vehicle Code § 312.5: pedal assistance that ceases at 28 mph, not capable of exclusively propelling the bike except a walk mode up to 3.7 mph, and a speedometer.
Do you need a helmet on a class 3 in California?+
Yes. Section 21213 requires a helmet for the operator and for a passenger, including a child seat or a trailer, meeting ASTM or CPSC.
How old do you have to be to ride a class 3 in California?+
Section 21213(a): a person under 16 shall not operate a class 3 electric bicycle.
Does California require a license or registration?+
Not for a bicycle inside § 312.5. The September map on this site says no license and no registration. This page did not re-open a DMV section.
Keep riding
E-Bike Laws in the United States: The Federal Line, Then the State
15 U.S.C. § 2085 wants pedals, a motor of less than 750 watts, and under 20 mph on the motor alone with a 170-pound rider. States then write class, helmet, and age rules. Not legal advice. The September map is still up.
OCT 21, 2026
San Diego: $25, and the Grace Ended October 12
The City of San Diego’s page for ordinance O-2026-142 says it took effect 13 August 2026. Children under 12 may not ride a Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike on bike paths, roadways, trails, parks, or boardwalks. The 60-day grace runs to 12 October. 10News, Dani Miskell, says citations started 13 October at $25, the amount Councilmember Raul Campillo says state law allows. A free course within 120 days can stand in for the fine. Rady’s 1,770 percent figure does not come with a 2022 count. The hospital’s trauma line is a different pair: three in 2021, over 260 this past year. Many of the injured riders in the percent line are 13 and 14, which is not under 12.
OCT 15, 2026
California SB 1167: Over 28 mph Cannot Be Sold as an E-Bike
Newsom signed SB 1167 on 30 September 2026. It takes effect 1 January 2027. The senator’s office says an e-bike is no more than 750 watts, no faster than 20 on a throttle or 28 when pedaling. A faster machine has to be called something else. The Bee’s reading adds a moped under 3 kW and a motor-driven cycle up to 3.75 kW.
OCT 5, 2026