Hillsborough commissioners approve speed limits and safety rules for e-bikes and scooters
The ordinance sets 10 mph on sidewalks and 15 mph on shared paths and trails unless posted otherwise. The Sheriff's Office says education will come first.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY - Hillsborough County commissioners voted 7-0 on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to adopt new rules for e-bikes, motorized scooters, bicycles and other micromobility devices, according to the official video of the meeting. In a second 7-0 vote, the board adopted a resolution adding violations of the new ordinance to the county's civil citation system.
Presenting the ordinance for the Sheriff's Office, Col. David Arthur told the board it sets maximum speeds of 10 mph on sidewalks and 15 mph on shared paths and trails unless otherwise posted. It bans towing, dangerous stunts and street takeovers, and requires riders to stay out of restricted areas and yield to pedestrians, he said. It also folds in existing requirements such as helmets for riders under 16 and required lighting.
Arthur said e-bike and scooter crashes in the county, including those with injuries, had already doubled last year's total with two months left in 2026. He said the Sheriff's Office would run a safety education campaign with schools and retailers and that education would be the centerpiece once the rules take effect. A Sheriff's Office representative answering Cohen's questions said there would be a pause before the rules take effect. No start date was given.
Seven people signed up to speak at the public hearing, and six spoke. A Tampa General Hospital trauma injury prevention nurse spoke in support. Walk Bike Tampa and the safe-routes-to-school group Sidewalk Stompers asked for changes, saying many bicycles have no speedometer, speed limits should be posted, and riders shouldn't be ticketed for parking where there are no bike racks. A Lutz cyclist asked the board to drop traditional bicycles from the speed limits.
Commissioner Harry Cohen, who brought the proposal, said he would move it forward and bring back a report in about six months on whether changes are needed. Cohen said the ordinance applies in unincorporated Hillsborough and that the Tampa City Council would take up the issue. A Tampa Police deputy chief told the board the city fully supports the ordinance as written and that the department believes it will apply in the city once the county adopts it.
Source: Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners regular meeting, Nov. 10, 2026, official video with captions (opened Nov. 11); Hillsborough County meeting video archive; Hillsborough County business impact estimates.