Mercer Island Police Department Commander Mike Seifert began his presentation at the Sept. 16 city council meeting by noting that officers have witnessed Island youngsters’ increased usage of electric motorcycles that has resulted in dangerous behavior and resident complaints.

Seifert added that Islanders are “concerned about something happening and hoping that we’ll get ahead of the problem and do something before there’s a major incident that we all wish we could have avoided.” He said they’re seeing 12- to 15-year-olds riding the e-motorcycles around town.

After listening to Seifert’s comments and more elements within the staff presentation, city councilmembers voted unanimously, 7-0, to adopt an ordinance that establishes e-motorcycle regulations. This was the second reading of the ordinance, which underwent an initial reading at council’s Sept. 2 meeting.

City documents note that the ordinance will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and reads, in part, that people must possess a valid driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement to lawfully ride e-motorcycles on public roads; the e-motorcycles must display a valid license plate; and police can issue fines and impound the e-motorcycles if violations occur. E-motorcycles cannot be operated on sidewalks, pedestrian paths and within public parks.

According to the ordinance, an e-motorcycle’s motor has a power output that exceeds 750 watts, or a motor that keeps propelling the cycle when it reaches 28 mph. Design-wise, e-motorcycles have dirt bike-style frames and are not equipped with fully operable pedals to get them rolling.

In the enforcement realm, city documents state that two barriers police face are a gap “between what types of violations the Mercer Island Municipal Court can process and the age of the riders” and inconsistencies in state laws.

Seifert discussed that situation: “The proposed legislation that we’re talking here tonight is to fill that gap and give us at least something we can do to better educate and enforce safety with these e-motorcycles on the Island.”

A first offense will result in a $250 fine, a second offense will cost the rider $500 and third and subsequent offenses will amount to $750 and possible referral for criminal citation for driving without a license.

Mercer Island management analyst Amelia Tjaden teamed up with Seifert on the presentation and delved into enforcement: “Impounding a vehicle and requiring the parent or the owner to retrieve it, plus the penalties for violations, are powerful educational mechanisms alerting the community to the dangers of these vehicles.”

Five community members spoke up about e-bikes and e-motorcycles in the appearances portion of the Sept. 2 council meeting, requesting that the city needs clear and consistent rules, visible signage and enforcement; voicing concerns about dangerous behavior; requesting a shared street designation; and suggesting training the young riders. No residents spoke about the issue at the Sept. 16 meeting.

On the city council front, Deputy Mayor David Rosenbaum shared much of the ordinance information at a recent PTA council meeting and said the members thought establishing the regulations was a good approach by the city.