Council adopts e-mobility ordinance with helmet rule for under-18s and sidewalk restrictions

The Fort Walton Beach City Council approved Ordinance 2204 to regulate micromobility devices — including electric scooters and e-bikes — updating definitions, operational rules and parking expectations.

Key provisions approved include:

- Helmet requirement for riders under 18 years old (state law differs for conventional bicycles). - Sidewalk operation rules that prioritize pedestrians: e-mobility devices must yield to pedestrians, provide an audible warning when approaching, and, where sidewalks exist on both sides of a roadway, ride with the flow of traffic; on single-side sidewalks, bidirectional use is permitted. - Nighttime lighting requirements and equipment standards consistent with bicycle rules. - Parking and abandonment rules that require riders to secure devices to appropriate racks; abandoned devices may be treated like abandoned vehicles and removed after 72 hours. - Citation framework: civil infractions under city code with warnings encouraged prior to enforcement unless public safety risk is present.

Chief Beige, who helped draft the ordinance with county partners, said the rules reflect a countywide effort to align regulations and reduce crashes associated with devices travelling against traffic or operating at higher speeds on sidewalks. "A lot of the injuries are more serious on the e-devices because of the speed that they travel," he said.

Council debate focused on the timing of education versus enforcement, whether minors should be required to complete a safety course and how to coordinate messaging across neighboring jurisdictions. Several council members said a 30-day education campaign would normally precede citation writing.

The ordinance passed 5–2. Council instructed staff to coordinate a public information campaign and to work with neighboring municipalities to align enforcement expectations.