Ordinance amends regulations for operating mobility devices in Carlsbad.

Summary of Ordinance No. CS-509 per Government Code §36933(c) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING TITLE 10, CHAPTER 10.56 OF THE CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL CODE – OPERATION OF REGULATED MOBILITY DEVICES The proposed ordinance amends Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapter 10.56, Operation of Regulated Mobility Devices, to improve regulatory clarity, strengthen enforceability, enhance public safety outcomes and maintain consistency with applicable state law. The following is a summary of the substantive amendments to Chapter 10.56. Sections 10.56.010 and 10.56.015: Updates and expands the definitions applicable to regulated mobility devices, including definitions of bicycle facilities, pedestrian facilities, and Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 electric bicycles. These revisions improve internal consistency, align terminology with the California Vehicle Code and Civil Code and ensure the chapter captures evolving device types and operating environments. The amendment also adds a provision clarifying that all referenced statutes, regulations and standards automatically incorporate future amendments and subsequent provisions unless expressly stated otherwise, reducing the risk of statutory misalignment over time. Section 10.56.020: Expands and clarifies operational requirements governing the use of regulated mobility devices and establishes administrative authority to designate additional prohibited locations where warranted. Key elements include: Authorization for the City Manager to further designate public locations where regulated mobility devices are prohibited. Explicit enumeration of unsafe riding behaviors: Excessive speed for conditions, Performing stunts, Racing, Failing to yield, Failing to obey traffic controls, Unsafe passing, Improper passenger transport, Reduced visibility or control, Helmet compliance, Riding against traffic flow. The specifics of these provisions improve clarity for riders and families, promote voluntary compliance and support consistent field-level enforcement by specifying objective standards of conduct. Section 10.56.030: Adopts the age restriction provisions authorized under AB 2234, which amended California Vehicle Code Section 21214.7 and established the San Diego Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program through Jan. 1, 2029. Under this pilot program, local jurisdictions in San Diego County may prohibit individuals under 12 years of age from operating or riding Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. Consistent with AB 2234, the ordinance: Prohibits persons under 12 years of age from operating or riding Class 1 or Class 2 e-bikes within the city. Establishes enforcement as an infraction with a $25 fine. Allows the fine to be waived upon proof of completion of an approved e-bike safety and training program within 120 days. Provides for joint and several liability for parents for violations committed by unemancipated minors. These provisions allow the city to participate in the countywide pilot program while maintaining consistency with state-mandated procedural safeguards and diversion pathways. Section 10.56.040: Establishes a narrowly tailored, education-based seizure authority for e-bikes operated by minors under 18 when their specific, high-risk conduct creates an immediate or substantial threat to public safety. This authority is distinct from, and complementary to, the vehicle impound provisions authorized under the California Vehicle Code and is designed to address juvenile riding behavior that poses acute safety risks but may not warrant traditional citation or towing remedies.Under the proposed framework, peace officers may temporarily seize an e-bike operated by a minor only when the officer has probable cause to believe the minor engaged in objectively unsafe conduct, such as reckless riding, exhibition of speed, willful disregard for traffic control devices in active traffic, unsafe group riding that obstructs traffic or operation in posted high-pedestrian areas where e-bikes are prohibited. The ordinance expressly excludes seizure for minor technical violations or merely being present in a group of riders but not engaging in unsafe conduct, ensuring proportionality and preventing over-application. The seizure authority is paired with defined procedural safeguards, including written notice to the minor and parent or legal guardian, documentation of probable cause, and inventory and storage consistent with departmental property procedures. A seized electric bicycle will be released only after the rider completes a department-approved bicycle safety course in person and with a parent present. No monetary penalty may substitute for completing these requirements, reinforcing the ordinance’s education-first intent. The ordinance does not authorize forfeiture of electric bicycles and provides for administrative review of seizures, as well as cost-recovery limits and hardship waiver policies for any storage fees assessed. Collectively, these provisions provide a targeted intervention tool focused on behavior correction, parental engagement and immediate risk mitigation, while maintaining due process protections and alignment with state law. Section 10.56.045: Establishes local authority to charge fees to recover actual administrative costs for removing, seizing, and storing a regulated mobility device, as allowed under California law. These charges can cover tasks like towing coordination, documentation, processing, and recordkeeping. Section 10.56.055: Codifies parental responsibility provisions prohibiting parents or guardians from knowingly permitting minors to violate any of the provisions in Chapter 10.56. This action reinforces education-based compliance while maintaining accountability mechanisms when necessary. A certified copy of the full text of the proposed ordinances is posted in the Office of the City Clerk, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, on the 24th day of February , 2026, by the following vote, to wit:AYES:Blackburn, Bhat-Patel, Acosta, Burkholder, Shin.NOES:None.ABSTAIN:None.ABSENT:None.
PUBLISH DATE: March 5, 2026CITY OF CARLSBAD | CITY COUNCILSan Diego Union-TribunePublished: 3/5/26