The Santee Sheriff's Station ran a targeted enforcement operation on Thursday, March 26, cracking down on electric bikes and electric motorcycles operating illegally on city streets.

Deputies made between 80 and 100 public contacts during the sweep, focusing on identifying riders who were operating e-motorcycles without proper registration, licensing, or insurance. By the end of the operation, 12 citations had been issued and 10 electric motorcycles had been impounded. Fines associated with the violations can reach up to $1,400.

The enforcement comes directly on the heels of a March 24 hit-and-run collision on Mission Gorge Road in which a juvenile riding an electric motorcycle was struck by a passing motorist. Witnesses told deputies that a group of kids on e-motorcycles had been riding in traffic lanes and blocking vehicles when the collision occurred. The motorist fled before deputies arrived; the injured rider was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office used Thursday's operation to reinforce a key distinction many riders and parents may not know: e-bikes and electric motorcycles are legally different vehicles. Properly classified e-bikes may be ridden on public roads under California law. Electric motorcycles, however, must meet the same full requirements as traditional street-legal motorcycles — including vehicle registration, a valid motorcycle license, and liability insurance — before they can be ridden on public streets.

The Santee City Council approved an updated e-bike safety ordinance in December 2025. Enforcement began in March 2026. The ordinance bans children under 12 from riding Class 1 or Class 2 e-bikes, requires helmets for all riders under 18, and prohibits riding on sidewalks where posted signs are in place. Media contact: Sgt. Lorenzo Ortiz, Santee Sheriff's Station, (619) 956-4000.