Orange County School District Bans E-Bikes At Campuses For 2026 School Year

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A big change is coming to Newport-Mesa Unified School District campuses this Fall.

School board officials voted to ban e-bikes at all elementary and middle school campuses starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

The Tuesday decision came after a long debate at the school board meeting, after the board's vote was originally postponed in March.

The ban will impact students at all non-high school campuses, while only certain e-bikes will be allowed for high schoolers, district officials said.

"The issue we’re talking about is not an issue of safety, it’s an issue of accessibility. There are so many parents, including my family, where two people have to work in order to make ends meet [and] biking to school is absolutely necessary," Costa Mesa resident Jesse Inman said during public comments. "In order to do that as a part of a busy schedule… the e-bike makes that truly possible. We have to do everything to make that safer."

RELATED: When E-Bikes Meet the Law: CA’s Fight Over Safety, Speed, And Accountability

Some students also took to the public comments stand during the meeting.

"I ride safely. I follow all traffic laws. I don't wheelie, show off, or ride recklessly in any way," said one student. "Despite this, the proposal tonight will punish people like me, who are just trying to get to school."

High school students who ride e-bikes will be required to have a sticker to park on campus, and will also have to undergo a district-provided safety course.

The recent vote marks NMUSD the first Orange County school district to ban e-bikes, a topic of growing debate across Southern California.

Last week, a 14-year-old boy from Orange County was arrested for hitting an 81-year-old Vietnam War veteran while riding an e-motorcycle and then fleeing the scene in Lake Forest.

In March, an e-bike ran down an elderly woman in Seal Beach as she was crossing the street, leaving her with "major" injuries.

Last November, a 12-year-old boy was hit by a car while riding an e-bike in Anaheim. He suffered a broken leg and bruising.

MORE E-BIKE NEWS IN ORANGE COUNTY:

• E-Bike Runs Down Elderly Woman In Seal Beach
• OC Mom Of Boy, 14, Who Critically Injured Vietnam Vet In E-Moto Hit And Run Charged: DA
• Rising Surf Star And Grandson Of Famed Master Shaper Killed In OC E-Bike Crash
• OC Dad Charged After Son Hurt While Illegally Riding Modified E-Motorcycle, DA Says
• Teens On E-Bikes Tried To Run Down Black UCI Student, Police Say
• Boy, 12, Hit By Car While Riding E-Bike In Orange County: Report
• OC Family Riding E-Bikes Struck, Injured By DUI Driver
• E-Bike Crash Critically Hospitalizes 2 Teens In OC