Sheriff's deputies in Temecula are citing e-motorcycle riders and towing illegal vehicles in an ongoing enforcement campaign. The city described the effort as "focusing on safety, education and illegal riding."
A Sept. 18 operation by the Southwest Station's Metro and Community Outreach and Engagement team produced 13 citations and multiple electric motorcycles, known as e-motos, and pocket bikes towed, Patch reported on Sept. 25. Deputies have also been stopping minors to explain the law and formally warning their parents about the risks.
The enforcement hinges on a legal distinction many riders may not realize. Under California law, a bike without pedals that runs on a motor exceeding 750 watts is classified as an e-moto, not an e-bike. Riding one on a public road without a valid driver's license is illegal, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
Some of these vehicles are manufactured strictly for off-road use and lack required road safety equipment such as mirrors, turn signals and lights.
Parents face consequences too
Parents are being held accountable. In June, Deputy Alvarez cited a parent under California Vehicle Code section 14607 for allowing an unlicensed minor to operate a motor vehicle, according to a Southwest Station Instagram post on June 20. The station said the parent was educated on California licensing requirements for e-motos.
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office has warned that parental liability can go further. Under California Penal Code section 273a(a), a parent who provides a minor with an inappropriate e-bike, fails to educate them on safe operation and does not ensure they use required safety equipment can face felony child-endangerment charges. A conviction carries up to six years in state prison, the Uken Report reported.
"Our office's greatest concern is that a child could cause serious injury, or even death, to themselves or others due to reckless e-bike use," Assistant District Attorney Mike Cabral said in a Dec. 2, 2025, public safety advisory from the DA's office.
A countywide pattern
The Temecula crackdown is part of a broader sheriff's office push. On Aug. 25, deputies from the Jurupa Valley Station conducted a separate e-moto operation in Eastvale that resulted in 11 e-motos or scooters towed, 11 citations for driving without a license, three citations for tampering with an electric bicycle and one citation for knowingly permitting an unlicensed minor to drive on a highway.
In 2025, at least 36 juvenile-related e-bike incidents occurred in Riverside County involving 45 juveniles, according to sheriff's records cited by the DA's office.
The Southwest Station described its enforcement as ongoing. Residents who see illegal e-moto or e-bike activity in Temecula can call the Southwest Station at 951-696-3000 or dispatch at 951-776-1099.
