Scroll through any online bike shop and you’ll find “e-bikes” that claim 30 mph and a motor north of 1,000 watts. California just decided those aren’t e-bikes. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 1167 on September 30, 2026, and it takes effect January 1, 2027.
If you ride a stock Class 1, 2 or 3 bike, nothing changes on the road. The 750-watt cap and the three classes are already law. What’s new is the label on the bike and the rules for how sellers advertise. And no, you won’t need a license plate. The two bills that would have put plates on e-bikes died in committee in May.
What SB 1167 does
Sen. Catherine Blakespear of Encinitas wrote it, and it cleared the Assembly 77-0. Bike advocates backed it, because it protects the e-bike category rather than restricting it.
A legal e-bike has a motor of 750 watts or less and fits one of three classes.
| Class | Motor help | Top assisted speed |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Pedal-assist only | 20 mph |
| Class 2 | Throttle plus pedal-assist; throttle stops at 20 mph | 20 mph |
| Class 3 | Pedal-assist only | 28 mph |
Anything that goes past those limits can’t be advertised, labeled or sold as an e-bike. Every e-bike sold in California must show its class and top assisted speed, and the permanent label also lists motor wattage. The chaptered bill text has the full wording.
Reading a listing before you buy
Wattage is the number to check first, because it’s the one listings like to bury. Skip any brand whose page is vague about class and wattage. Our list of e-bike brands to avoid helps you size up an unfamiliar seller.
Parents should be the most skeptical. A listing that says “30+ mph,” “unrestricted mode” or a motor of 1,000 W and up is describing an electric motorcycle with pedals, whatever the photos look like. From January 1, a seller can’t pitch it as an e-bike.
Where e-motos land
Faster machines don’t disappear. They get sorted into the right category. A moped has a motor under 4 horsepower (about 3,000 watts) and tops out at 30 mph. A motor-driven cycle goes up to 3,750 watts. Not sure which side of the line a bike falls on? Here’s how to tell an e-moto from an e-bike.
| Category | Motor | On public roads |
|---|---|---|
| E-bike (Class 1, 2, 3) | 750 W or less | Class and top-speed label |
| Moped | Under 4 hp (about 3,000 W), up to 30 mph | Registration, plate, insurance, M1 or M2 license |
| Motor-driven cycle | Up to 3,750 W | Registration, plate, insurance, M1 or M2 license |
Sellers of these machines must say so in every ad, online ads included. The notice has to name registration, an operator license and insurance for public roads. Calling one an e-bike counts as false advertising, so expect product pages to change fast.
Police reports on e-bike, moped and motor-driven cycle injuries must also record the label details, or note that there wasn’t one. That should give the state cleaner crash data.
If you own or want a fast bike
A 1,000-watt bike is 250 watts over the e-bike cap. A 3,000-watt machine sits in the moped or motor-driven cycle group. Owning either isn’t what the bill targets, since it covers sales, labels and ads. On public roads, though, it’s a moped or motor-driven cycle, and that means registration, a plate, insurance and an M1 or M2 license.
Here’s what I’d do before January 1:
- Find your bike’s rated wattage, class and top assisted speed. If it’s 750 W or less and tops out at 20 or 28 mph, you’re fine.
- If it’s over those numbers, treat it as a moped or motor-driven cycle for any ride on public roads.
- If you’re shopping, ask the seller to put class, wattage and top speed in writing. A fast bike bought in December is the same machine in January.
The summaries of the bill don’t spell out how the label rule treats bikes already in stock or resold used. Ask what’s on the label before you pay.
Sidewalks and speedometers
Newsom signed a second bill the same day, AB 2346, from Assembly members Lori Wilson and Marc Berman. It sets a 10 mph sidewalk limit starting January 1, 2027, and requires speedometers on Class 2 e-bikes sold after January 1, 2029.
Whether you can ride on a given sidewalk at all is still up to your city, so check its municipal code. Where it’s allowed, ease off. And if your bike has a screen, keep an eye on it. Our guide to reading an e-bike display explains the speed readout, which also helps you spot a bike running hotter than its label says.
Kids, teens and helmets
Under Vehicle Code section 21213, nobody under 16 can ride a Class 3 e-bike. A Class 2 tuned past 20 mph is effectively a Class 3, so under-16s can’t ride it either. The rule isn’t new.
Helmets follow a simple split:
- Class 3 riders and passengers wear one at any age.
- Anyone under 18 wears one on any bicycle, e-bike included.
I’d wear one regardless of age, and I’d be firm about it with older riders. One study of e-bike patients found riders 65 and older had the highest hospitalization and head-injury rates. If your lid is worn out, start with our e-bike helmet roundup.
For a younger rider, stay at 20 mph assist or less and leave the motor stock. Tuning it up is what turns a legal bike into a problem. A stock e-bike built for teens is easy to find within that limit.
Parents have exposure too. Prosecutors can use Penal Code 273a, the child endangerment law, when a parent hands a minor an unsuitable e-bike or skips required gear, and a felony conviction carries up to six years in state prison.
Local rules and trails
Cities and counties are writing their own limits. Newsom also signed AB 2595, which lets San Mateo County cities bar children under 12 from Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes in a pilot running 2027 to 2031. Marin County officials reported that riders ages 10 to 15 had e-bike crash rates five times higher than any other group.
Statewide law won’t tell you which class is allowed on a given trail. Check the city, county or park page for your route.
The plate bills that died
Injury numbers drove the push. Rady Children’s Health Orange County found e-bikes were its leading cause of trauma visits by 2025, with cases rising from one in 2021 to 201.
AB 1942 from Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan would have required DMV registration and a plate for Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes, with fines or impound for riders who skipped it. AB 1557 would have required registration for some e-bikes and cut the speed limit on models kids can legally ride. Both were held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14, 2026.
CalBike and Bike East Bay opposed plates. They argued the real problem is illegal e-motos sold as bikes, and SB 1167 goes after that directly. Attorney General Rob Bonta also issued a statewide warning about illegally modified e-bikes being sold and ridden, particularly by minors.
Is a Class 2 e-bike still legal?
Yes. Class 2 is one of the three legal classes, with a throttle and pedal-assist up to 20 mph. Keep the motor at 750 watts or less and the bike unmodified, and nothing about it changes on January 1.
