Miami Proposes New Rules for E-Bikes and Motorized Scooters

The City of Miami is weighing an ordinance that would ban riding e-bikes and motorized scooters on sidewalks, cap them at 20 mph and keep riders under 16 off city streets. Commissioner Rolando Escalona's proposal was scheduled for first reading on September 24, 2026, and it would need a second vote before it becomes city code. As of October 13, 2026, we found no published report of the vote's outcome, so treat everything below as proposed, not adopted.

What the ordinance would change

According to Miami Today and Brickell Downtown Living, the draft would:

• Keep riders off sidewalks. No riding on public sidewalks or pedestrian walkways. Walking a device or parking it is still allowed.
• Route them to bike lanes. Use a bike lane where one exists, otherwise streets posted at 30 mph or less, at no more than 20 mph.
• Set an age floor. No one under 16 on city streets or rights of way, and riders must carry a government photo ID.
• Control parking. Sidewalk parking only in designated spots, never blocking an entrance, with at least three feet left clear for pedestrians.
• Fine violations up to $100.

The rules cover e-bikes, scooters and similar devices that cannot exceed 20 mph on level ground. An e-bike is defined by a motor under 750 watts, the same line Florida law draws in section 316.003. The ordinance does not pick a scooter company or create a rental fleet.

Where it would apply

This is a City of Miami law. Among the neighborhoods we cover, it reaches Brickell, Downtown, Edgewater, Midtown and Coconut Grove. Together those five areas hold 233 of the condo buildings we track, with 2,924 units listed for sale and 2,013 sales in the past 12 months. Brickell alone had 1,133 active listings.

It would not apply in Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach or Coral Gables, which set their own rules. Sunny Isles Beach adopted a sidewalk ban and an age minimum of 16 in July 2026, and Coral Gables commissioners voted in February on a sidewalk ban for e-bikes.

Why it matters to condo owners and buyers

Street level is part of the building. In Brickell and Downtown, the sidewalk outside the lobby is shared by residents, delivery riders and valet traffic. A sidewalk ban changes who uses that space, and a parking rule with a three-foot clearance affects where riders can leave devices outside an entrance.

Your association has its own rules. A city ordinance governs streets and sidewalks, not the building. Storage of e-bikes and scooters in units, garages and bike rooms is set by each association's declaration and rules, so ask for them before you buy if you ride.

Watch the second reading. Details such as fines and the age floor can change between readings. The City Commission agenda will show the final version.