🚴 Helmet and safety rules required for all riders
🏙️ E-bikes and scooters banned on downtown sidewalks
💰 Fines up to $500 for repeated violations
CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council on Dec. 8 voted on first reading to advance a new ordinance establishing uniform regulations for electric bicycles, motorized scooters and other micromobility devices, part of a coordinated effort among Okaloosa County municipalities to standardize rules across the region.
City staff said the rise in electric bikes and scooters locally and nationwide prompted the county and its cities to hold two workshops to craft shared operational and parking standards. Ensuring consistency across jurisdictions, from Crestview to communities in south Okaloosa County, was a primary goal to avoid confusion for riders traveling between cities, city staff noted during the meeting.
Under Ordinance 2009, Crestview would create a new article in Chapter 74 of its municipal code outlining definitions, safety rules and where micromobility devices may operate.
Riders would be required to wear helmets, yield to pedestrians, use lights that meet state standards and avoid careless behaviors such as weaving through traffic or using a cellphone while operating a device.
The ordinance also allows micromobility devices on sidewalks, trails and bike lanes when operated at mindful speeds. However, it imposes new restrictions downtown: e-bikes, e-scooters and other motorized devices would be prohibited on sidewalks in the city’s core, expanding an existing ban on skateboards and roller blades.
City staff said the change is intended to protect the newly completed Main Street streetscape and reduce pedestrian safety risks.
Parking rules set minimum clearances, prohibit blocking access ramps or fire hydrants, and require devices to be parked upright using a kickstand.
Abandoned devices left on public property for a week or longer may be removed.
Penalties escalate from a warning on the first offense to fines of up to $500 for repeated violations.
During the meeting, city staff emphasized that police and multiple municipalities collaborated on the regulatory language, and Mayor JB Whitten praised the regional approach, saying “a lot of time and effort went into this” to avoid inconsistent rules between neighboring cities.
The council approved the ordinance 4–0, with one absence, and sent it to a final reading scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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