Pembroke Pines to vote on e-bike rules: ID, age 11 minimum

Anyone riding an electric bike or scooter in Pembroke Pines would have to carry a government-issued photo ID under a new city ordinance. Children under 11 could not ride one at all on city streets, sidewalks or paths.

The Pembroke Pines City Commission takes up Proposed Ordinance 2026-14 on first reading at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the Commission Chambers at the Charles F. Dodge City Center, 601 City Center Way. It would create a new section of the city’s traffic code, Section 71.07, titled “Micromobility.” The final vote is scheduled for Nov. 18, according to the meeting agenda. The rules would take effect as soon as they are adopted.

What the ordinance would require

The rules cover what the ordinance calls micromobility devices: anything that cannot go faster than 28 mph on level ground. That includes ordinary bicycles, e-bikes, motorized scooters and self-balancing devices. Mobility devices used by people with disabilities are exempt.

Riders would have to:

• carry a government-issued photo ID and show it when a police officer lawfully asks
• be at least 11 years old to ride on any street, sidewalk, bike lane, path or other city property
• ride in the same direction as traffic
• yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing one
• obey traffic signs and signals and yield at driveways and cross streets
• keep to a speed that avoids hitting anyone or anything
• use a white front light visible from 500 feet and a red rear light and reflector visible from 600 feet between sunset and sunrise

The ordinance counts a driver’s license, passport, military ID or school ID as photo ID. A child younger than 11 could still ride as a passenger on an e-bike built for one.

Parents and guardians could not allow or knowingly let a child break the rules.

Where you could ride, and where you could not

E-bikes and scooters would be allowed on streets, in bike lanes and shared lanes, on shared-use paths the city designates and on sidewalks.

They would be banned from:

• athletic fields, playing surfaces and courts
• playgrounds
• landscaped areas, natural areas and all grass or turf on city property or the public right of way
• any area where the city posts a sign prohibiting them

The city manager could also restrict riding on a street, sidewalk or path with heavy traffic.

Penalties

Pembroke Pines police officers who see a violation would cite the rider under Section 70.99 of the city code, the traffic code’s penalty section. The ordinance does not set a separate fine.

Why the city says it needs the rules

Florida law already gives e-bike and scooter riders the same rights and duties as bicycle riders. Two state laws, Section 316.20655 and Section 316.2128, let cities set their own rules, including a minimum age and a photo ID requirement.

The ordinance says e-bikes and scooters have become “an important and increasingly relied-upon form of transportation” for residents. It says the commission wants rules that protect pedestrians and cyclists and stop the devices “becoming a nuisance within the City.”

The item is listed on the agenda under the City Commission as sponsor.

What it means for you

• If you or your children ride an e-bike or scooter, Wednesday’s vote is the first of two. Nothing changes until the commission adopts the ordinance on second reading, scheduled for Nov. 18.
• If it passes as written, a child under 11 could no longer ride an e-bike or scooter on city sidewalks, streets or paths, including a park path.
• Teenagers who ride would need to carry a school ID or other photo ID.
• Riding on park grass, ball fields or playgrounds would bring a citation.
• You can speak on any agenda item at the meeting. To ask about accommodations, call City Clerk Gabriel Fernandez at 954-450-1050 at least 48 hours ahead. The meeting streams on the city’s live stream page and airs on Comcast channel 78 and AT&T U-verse channel 99.

Also on the agenda Wednesday

• The future of the Diversity and Heritage Advisory Board under the state law that bans city spending on diversity, equity and inclusion from Jan. 1. Read our story on the board.
• A police grant application to the federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program for the Police Department’s traffic unit. The attachments list traffic radars.
• $239,400 in fire rescue medical supplies bought from the Broward Sheriff’s Office for fiscal year 2026-27.
• A request to advertise for disaster debris management services, the contractors who clear storm debris.
• Final votes on three land-use changes, including the city’s 10-year water supply plan and the permitted uses on agricultural land.

Where to ride now: our guides to walking and biking trails, parks and trails and getting around Pembroke Pines.