High-powered electric vehicles can no longer be sold as e-bikes in California starting Jan. 1, 2027. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the new law Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Senate Bill 1167, authored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear of Encinitas, who represents Senate District 38 including Solana Beach, passed the Legislature without opposition. The Assembly approved it 77-0 before the Senate gave final approval in August.

The law addresses a gap that bicycle safety advocates say has put riders at risk on streets and paths across the state.

California defines a legal e-bike as having no more than 750 watts of power and a top speed of 20 mph on throttle or 28 mph with pedal assist. Devices that exceed those limits, including mopeds, motor-driven cycles and off-highway vehicles, can no longer be sold under the e-bike label once the law takes effect, the Sacramento Bee reported.

"There are so many examples of essentially motorcycles being driven by kids that are underage and parents buying things that they don't even know what it is," Blakespear told the Sacramento Bee.

Under SB 1167, every e-bike sold in California must carry a visible label listing its class, top assisted speed, motor wattage, brand name and manufacturer. Sellers of vehicles that exceed e-bike limits must tell buyers the device requires registration and a license to operate. Law enforcement must also include e-bike label information on incident reports.

A December 2025 study by the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), commissioned by the Legislature, found that nearly 90% of electric two-wheelers parked at a dozen Northern California middle and high schools may not meet legal e-bike standards. Some had up to eight times the legal power limit, according to the MTI report.

Closer to home, Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego treated 446 e-bike patients in 2025. Those cases made up 40% of the hospital's trauma activations, according to the American College of Surgeons.

The bill was co-sponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition, PeopleForBikes, Streets For All and Streets Are For Everyone. More than 100 organizations supported it, according to Blakespear's Senate office.

SB 1167 is the second e-bike-related law California enacted this session. The first, AB 1569, requires the state Department of Education and the California Highway Patrol to develop an e-bike safety program for students in grades 7 through 12.

Manufacturers and sellers should begin preparing for compliance before the Jan. 1, 2027, effective date, Blakespear told the Bee.