ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – With school starting in St. Johns County in less than a week, one of the biggest safety concerns this year isn’t inside a classroom — it’s on the roads. E-bikes are everywhere, and a growing number of riders are children.
And many of the bikes children are riding aren’t legally classified as e-bikes at all.
A bike without pedals is treated like a motorcycle under Florida law. That means it must meet vehicle requirements, carry proper registration, have lights and plates — and the rider would need a motorcycle endorsement.
That applies even if a parent purchased the bike for their child.
St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Michael Ettel says he sees young children on e-motos “all the time.”
He’s personally stopped riders as young as 10 years old, including one he said was riding a mini motorcycle going 37-40 mph on State Road 16.
Ettel said he talked to the child’s family.
“I called their parents, had their parents come pick it up, and I dropped them off at the house. Gave them some educational material,” he said, adding that the conversation was a warning.
Sgt. Justin Cash made clear that while criminal charges aren’t the goal, they remain a real possibility.
“The sheriff’s office doesn’t want to put criminal charges on kids who are 10, 11, 12 years old. You know, our main concern is safety across the board. But we also have to reiterate to the parents, to the kids, and everybody that’s out there: if they are illegal, you can receive criminal citations,” Cash said.
Even legal e-bikes come with rules.
Florida classifies e-bikes from Class 1 through Class 3, with Class 3 capable of reaching speeds of 28 mph. Segways and similar devices fall under related classifications.
Across all classes, Florida law requires helmets for riders 16 and under. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office has a pamphlet outlining all e-bike classifications and the safe, legal speeds allowed for each.
The numbers tell a troubling story.
Last year, the Sheriff’s Office ramped up enforcement and recorded 451 encounters — between citations and warnings. This year, that number is already at 355, about halfway through the year.
Calls for service related to e-bikes are also up, with more than 1,900 logged so far this year compared to 2,200 for all of last year.
Hospital data from Wolfson Children’s Hospital is even more alarming. The hospital treated just three e-bike-related injuries in 2022, a number that climbed to 115 in 2025 and has already reached 97 so far this year.
The dangers aren’t theoretical. Already this year, a child died outside Patriot Oaks Academy while riding a dirt bike. Other children have been airlifted following e-bike crashes.
Ettel’s message to parents is simple.
“Our biggest thing is just making sure that you are being safe, you’re wearing a helmet, you’re properly equipped, and you’re following the rules of the road,” Ettel said.
As thousands of students prepare to return to school in less than a week, the Sheriff’s Office is urging families to have that conversation now — before a child gets hurt.