The Henderson City Council on Tuesday passed a pair of ordinances restricting the way e-motorcycles, e-bicycles, e-scooters and other similar devices can be used in the city.
The ordinances, each passed unanimously, update separate parts of the Henderson Municipal Code related to motor vehicles and traffic, and city parks and recreation facilities. The new rules come as the devices have surged in popularity in recent years, particularly among minors, city officials said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Mayor Michelle Romero said the new rules take effect immediately and expand on an ordinance passed in February 2025 that banned illegal e-motorcycle use on city parks and trails. Overall, she said, the city’s objective is to make the roadway and other public spaces safer for everyone.
“Ultimately, this is about the safety of our kids,” Romero said. “We all have kids, and sometimes they don’t like to listen to their parents. But if they know they’re breaking the law, not just not listening to their parents, it’s a whole different story.”
The ordinances require all bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters to be outfitted with safety equipment like lights, reflectors, bells or horns and hand brakes and prohibits e-motorcycles from operating on any public road, sidewalk, trail or parking lot. The city refers to the entire class of e-devices also as micromobility devices.
Compared to lower-powered e-bikes or e-scooters, the city defines e-motorcycles as devices that have a throttle, no pedals, and can travel at speeds greater than 28 mph.
Tory Jackson, Henderson’s sustainability and climate manager, told councilmembers the new rules mirror similar regulations for micromobility devices in Clark County and the city of Las Vegas. The new ordinances also aligns the definition of micromobility devices across all city departments, Jackson said.
Violations subject to fines
The new ordinances also require anyone under 18 while at a city-maintained park, path or roadway to wear a helmet while operating non-electric bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters and prohibits “reckless behavior,” including stunts, wheelies, riding on handlebars. E-bikes and e-scooters are also prohibited from going faster than 15 mph, unless otherwise posted.
Parents or legal guardians of minor offenders could be liable for paying citations, fines and impound fees. The new regulations also allow the Henderson Police Department to impound e-motorcycles operated illegally, which Sgt. Richard Paul said will hopefully deter offenders from repeating.
“With these adoptions, it’s going to help increase safety for our public roadways,” Paul said.
Citation fines start at $100 but can increase to $500 if it is that offender’s third or greater violation in a 12-month window.
Education campaign coming next
Jackson said the city has been planning education campaigns to alert parents, kids and schools of the new ordinances. In addition to educational pamphlets and social media campaigns, the city is holding educational workshops at schools to educate kids on the difference between legal and illegal devices and safe riding practices.
Paul added police conducted a targeted enforcement of illegal e-motorcycle use in December, which yielded 97 stops, 47 of which ended in citations. Henderson police immediately after that enforcement campaign said officers in 2025 responded to at least 51 crashes involving e-bikes, up from 25 in 2024.
But the enforcement campaign also resulted in 50 warnings, which can also act as an effective deterrent, Paul told councilmembers.
“Why are we warning these people? One of our big components is education,” Paul said. “If somebody is not out ripping and racing and tearing stuff up, but they are in the wrong place, riding the wrong type of bike, we’re still going to contact you and we’re still going to call parents, and you’re going to have your parent load up this bike in the back of the car.
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on X, @Casey_Harrison1.