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Bonney Lake staff working on ordinance to impound illegal e‑dirt bikes and potentially hold parents accountable
Summary
Police told the committee they are drafting an ordinance modeled on neighboring cities to allow impoundment of illegal electric dirt bikes and consider penalties for parents of minors who operate them; staff also plan a social-media and school outreach campaign to clarify which bike classes are legal.
Committee members raised growing complaints about reckless driving and illegal electric dirt bikes. Assistant Harvard said the department was launching education and enforcement measures and was drafting an ordinance to give the city impound authority and options to hold parents accountable when minors operate illegal bikes.
"We are working on putting an ordinance together," Harvard said, describing coordination with nearby cities that have pursued similar rules. Committee members discussed impoundment as a deterrent and suggested pairing ordinances with school-based outreach through SROs and a social-media information campaign to tell parents which bikes are illegal.
Police explained the technical distinction between class 1–3 e‑bikes and electric dirt bikes that currently are "completely illegal" for road use unless modified and licensed. The committee emphasized education and enforcement together: impoundment increases leverage over parents, while a clear public information push targets behavior change.
No ordinance text was presented or adopted; staff said they will return to the committee with proposed language.
