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Council hears first reading of electric-motorcycle ordinance after committee approval
Summary
The city read Ordinance No. 2839, a first reading to create a municipal code chapter for electric motorcycles to clarify definitions, restrict sidewalk/trail operation and require licensing, lighting and safety equipment; staff recommended adoption at a future reading to align local rules with state developments.
The Enumclaw City Council heard the first reading of Ordinance No. 2839 on June 22, which would add a new municipal code chapter to define and regulate electric motorcycles.
City Clerk Jessica read the ordinance title by council direction. Police leadership presented the staff report, saying high-powered electric motorcycles (including dirt-bike–style vehicles) have appeared on streets, sidewalks and multiuse trails and that current municipal code does not clearly distinguish these vehicles from e-bikes and mopeds.
The police chief told council the proposed ordinance would clarify definitions based on power output and design, prohibit operation on sidewalks, parks and multiuse trails unless expressly authorized, require compliance with roadway vehicle laws for any street use, mandate helmets and lighting consistent with state requirements, set minimum safety-equipment standards, and impose graduated enforcement from warnings to citations and vehicle impoundment for repeat or egregious violations. The chief said the measure complements state-level work; the speaker referenced recent state legislation and an ongoing Department of Licensing work group with an October 2027 due date for state guidance.
Why it matters: staff framed the ordinance as filling a local regulatory gap to improve public safety and give clearer enforcement tools for vehicles that are frequently used off-road but increasingly operated on public streets and sidewalks.
Council next steps: this was the ordinance’s first reading; council may amend language at second reading. Staff recommended adoption at a future date after committee approval and legal review.
Representative quote: “Without clear municipal regulations, enforcement is inconsistent and public-safety risks increase,” the police chief said during the staff report.
The meeting record does not show a council vote on the ordinance that night; the item will return for further consideration.
