Ask anyone, e-bikes are everywhere in Santa Barbara. People use them for fun, commuting, and sightseeing.

Dave Robbrechet has been riding his e-bike to and from work for about five years and says, “I get 40 miles round trip on a battery charge, so I’m good.”

The e-bike is his only form of transportation because of the low cost.

“No car insurance, no change your oil, tires, and brakes, baby,” Robbrechet says.

Back in February, the Santa Barbara City Council passed an ordinance aimed at improving e-bike safety citywide, which Robrechet supports.

“Keep them from doing wheelies, I’m for it!” he exclaims.

But is the ordinance making a difference? If you ask resident Kristiana Almedia, not really.

“I’d say it’s probably gone down a little bit, but not to the point where I’m going to not be aware of my surroundings,” Almedia explains.

Enforcement began in March. Santa Barbara Police Commander Chris Payne says 80 citations have been issued since May.

“It has been a mix of both riding safety, in addition to equipment safety like [not wearing] a helmet,” Commander Payne says.

The ordinance prohibits racing, trick riding, and riding on sidewalks for bicycles, e-bikes, and scooters. Fines start at $100 for first-time offenders and can go up to $500 for repeat violations within the same year.

“It’s going to be up to the officer’s discretion. They have the ability to issue citations. [They] are all administrative citations right now, not criminal citations,” Payne says.

Riders under 18 are required to wear helmets and can attend a youth diversion program instead of paying fines for citations.

A full list of ordinance rules can be found at – https://www.bikelegalfirm.com/santa-barbara-bicycle-and-e-bike-laws-2025