🚴♂️ Destin is revising its e-bike rules to set lower speed limits and better align with Florida’s classification system for electric bicycles.
👮 Enforcement remains a challenge, as deputies can’t reliably use radar or laser to track e-bike speeds on sidewalks.
🌐 The city aims for consistent regulations across the county and is working with OCHIP to promote safety and standardization.
DESTIN — The Destin City Council voted unanimously July 21 to direct city staff to draft an updated ordinance regulating electric bicycles, citing increasing safety concerns, unclear enforcement capabilities, and a growing presence of high-speed e-bikes on local sidewalks and roadways.
Councilman Jim Bagby‘s motion, which passed 6-0, directs staff to revise the city’s 2018 ordinance to reflect the state definition of e-bikes better, set a maximum speed limit — possibly 10 to 15 mph — and consider broader regulations surrounding micro-mobility devices, such as motorized skateboards and one-wheel vehicles.
The draft is scheduled to be presented to the Public Works and Public Safety Board in September and will return to the council later that month for further consideration.
“We need to hit it hard the first time,” said Councilman Rodney Braden, who voiced strong support for a 10 mph speed limit. “Not just kind of dabble into it and then try to strengthen it later.”
Jim Wood, chairman of the Public Works and Public Safety Board, presented the proposal and described the problem in stark terms.
“We’re seeing bikes for sale in the area with 5,000-watt motors that can go 40 to 46 miles an hour,” Wood said. “That’s not an e-bike. That’s a motorcycle with pedals.”
Wood said the updated ordinance will incorporate the state’s three-tier classification for e-bikes, add a posted or stenciled speed limit, and noted that education efforts are already underway in both English and Spanish. The city is also considering expanding outreach into Portuguese.
However, officials acknowledged limitations in enforcement. Captain Jason Fulghum of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said that while deputies can write citations based on visual observations, speed enforcement on sidewalks is essentially “unenforceable.”
“There’s no reliable method to capture the speed of an e-bike with radar or laser,” Fulghum said. “We tried with a laser, and only one out of four bikes registered — and only at 20 feet away on a flat reflective surface.”
Councilman Dewey Destin raised concerns about legality and enforcement.
“Is it legal to be on the sidewalk on an e-bike right now?” he asked. Fulghum confirmed it is — wherever bicycles are permitted, e-bikes are also allowed.
“It’s not commonsensical, but it’s legal,” Wood added.
Councilwoman Sandy Trammell asked if other motorized devices, such as skateboards and one-wheeled vehicles, could be included. Wood noted the current ordinance defines “micro-mobility devices” broadly but said staff could look into more specific language.
Councilmember Torey Geile pushed for better clarity in crash data reporting. He said that accidents involving e-bikes on sidewalks and at crosswalks are often lumped together, making it difficult to assess the risk.
“Sidewalk is a pretty big issue, in my opinion,” Geile said, “but if you look at it from 30,000 feet, they’re the same number.”
Fulghum responded that the data breakdown was done at the request of the Okaloosa County Health Improvement Partnership (OCHIP) to identify whether accidents occurred more frequently at driveways or crosswalks.
“Three-quarters of sidewalk accidents are due to exactly what Councilman Geile described — cars turning right and not seeing fast-approaching e-bikes on sidewalks,” Fulghum said.
Mayor Bobby Wagner emphasized that this proposal is just the beginning of a longer legislative process.
“We’re going to continue to monitor e-bikes. They’re not going away,” Wagner said. “The end goal is zero serious injuries or deaths.”
City Attorney Kimberly Kopp clarified that Destin cannot require license plates or driver’s licenses for e-bikes under state law. However, devices exceeding 28 mph are no longer legally considered e-bikes and are subject to registration requirements.
The city is also coordinating with OCHIP, which plans to hold a countywide discussion on e-bike regulation on Oct. 1.
“We want a consistent sight picture across the county,” Wood said. “You don’t want to drive from one city to another and find different rules everywhere you go. That would be bad for drivers.”
Councilmembers agreed that additional safety rules — such as mandatory helmets for riders under 16, bans on earbuds while riding, and prominently displayed class stickers — should be part of the conversation.
The updated ordinance is expected to return to the council for a vote in late September.
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