E-Bike Laws in El Segundo, California
El Segundo's ordinance took effect January 2, 2026. E-bikes, motorized scooters, off- highway motorcycles and similar electric conveyances are banned from sidewalks in city business districts and from public parks and recreation areas, with Smoky Hollow, the Rosecrans Corridor and Main Street downtown named specifically. Fines run $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each additional one. Electric and motorized wheelchairs and four-wheel mobility scooters are exempt.
The ordinance was approved by the City Council in late 2025 and took effect January 2, 2026. The ordinance number and ESMC section numbers could not be found — both city news pages returned errors and the originating newspaper report is behind a retrieval block. No section numbers have been guessed at.
The rules, line by line
| Subject | Rule | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Business-district sidewalks | E-bikes, motorized scooters, off-highway motorcycles and similar electric conveyances banned. Smoky Hollow, the Rosecrans Corridor and Main Street downtown named specifically. | no citation locatedCitation unconfirmed |
| Parks and recreation areas | Banned from public parks and recreation areas. | no citation locatedCitation unconfirmed |
| Unsafe riding | Unsafe riding and operating under the influence prohibited. | no citation locatedCitation unconfirmed |
| Passengers | Passengers require a separate seat. | no citation locatedCitation unconfirmed |
| Exemptions | Electric and motorized wheelchairs and four-wheel mobility scooters exempt. | no citation locatedCitation unconfirmed |
| Penalties | 1st $100; 2nd within one year $200; additional within one year $500 each. | no citation locatedCitation unconfirmed |
The expansion that matters
This ordinance amended prior El Segundo rules that reached only non-motorized bicycles. That is the substantive change, and it is the same fix Los Angeles and Long Beach are still working on.
A pre-class-system bicycle ordinance often does not reach an e-bike on its face. El Segundo closed
that gap; Los Angeles's LAMC § 56.15 and Long Beach's LBMC § 10.48.010 remain open.
Naming specific corridors
El Segundo's approach of naming Smoky Hollow, the Rosecrans Corridor and Main Street is notable because it is honest about what the ordinance is for. These are the places with pedestrian density and conflict. A citywide ban would be broader and less defensible; a named-corridor ban is narrower and easier to sign.
The comparable models elsewhere: Dana Point's DPMC Ch. 4.02 works purely by Council designation and
signage — the prohibition attaches only where designated and posted, with minimum 17-by-21-inch signs
carrying one-inch lettering. Newport Beach runs the inverse, a Sidewalk Cycling Allowed Map where
riding is banned except on mapped corridors.
The wheelchair exemption
Explicitly exempting electric and motorized wheelchairs and four-wheel mobility scooters is good
drafting and not universal. Ordinances that sweep in "electric conveyances" without an exemption
create an obvious ADA problem. Carlsbad (CMC § 10.56.060), Santa Monica (SMMC § 3.12.600(h)–(i)),
Coronado and Laguna Beach all include comparable carve-outs; Midpeninsula Regional Open Space goes
further and permits e-bikes as an "other power-driven mobility device" for visitors with a mobility
disability even where they are otherwise banned.
Common questions
When did El Segundo's e-bike ordinance take effect?
January 2, 2026, having been approved by the City Council in late 2025. It replaced earlier rules that reached only non-motorized bicycles — the expansion to cover electric conveyances is the substantive change.
Where can't you ride an e-bike in El Segundo?
Sidewalks in city business districts — with Smoky Hollow, the Rosecrans Corridor and Main Street downtown named specifically — and public parks and recreation areas. Electric and motorized wheelchairs and four-wheel mobility scooters are exempt from these restrictions.
What is the fine for riding an e-bike on a sidewalk in El Segundo?
$100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within one year, and $500 for each additional violation within one year. That places El Segundo in the middle of the California range — above Coronado's $25 and below Manhattan Beach's $500 first offense.