Students at Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar High returned to campus Monday, Aug. 17, under a new Newport-Mesa Unified policy that prohibits TK–8 students from possessing or operating e-bikes on or near school campuses and requires high school riders to obtain a permit.
The same day, an Orange County startup called RidePermit announced it is seeking a partnership with Newport-Mesa Unified School District to layer a free digital compliance system on top of the district's rules, Voice of OC reported.
Under Board Policy BP 5142.04, all TK-8 students, including those at Ensign Intermediate, are now prohibited from possessing or operating e-bikes on or near campus. High school students may keep e-bikes on campus only after completing the California Highway Patrol's online Electric Bicycle Safety and Training Course, passing a quiz through their NMUSD Google account and picking up a permit sticker at registration.
E-motos are banned for every grade level. Helmets are mandatory, bikes must be walked on campus and charging from school outlets is not allowed.
NMUSD is the first California school district to ban e-bikes across all K-8 campuses, according to CBS Los Angeles. District spokesperson Annette Franco told CBS on Aug. 11 that the district was trying to be proactive, noting NMUSD also adopted a cell phone policy before the state required one.
Board president Leah Ersoylu said she and fellow board members received weekly, and sometimes daily, reports of student e-bike injuries before the board approved the policy.
The urgency is backed by data. A study published Feb. 6 by Rady Children's Health Orange County (formerly CHOC) found e-bike crashes became the No. 1 cause of emergency trauma visits at the hospital in 2025, surpassing falls and car collisions. The facility treated 201 e-bike trauma patients that year, up from one in 2021.
A tech pitch lands on day one
RidePermit, founded by Coto de Caza resident Anthony Bright, launched its pilot July 31 and is pitching school districts and police departments statewide. The free platform requires students and parents to complete safety training, pass a quiz and register their e-bike. Each rider then receives a digital ID tied to their age, school and parent contact information, plus the bike's model and class.
Parents can buy an optional $25 sticker decal. Bright is also developing a larger decal that functions like a license plate, letting officers identify a rider from a distance without a pursuit.
"Through the RidePermit system, guess what? They got the parents' telephone number and address and email to get in touch with them," Bright told Voice of OC.
School administrators could log rule violations through the dashboard, automatically notifying parents and tracking repeat offenders. Whether NMUSD or principals at Newport Harbor and CdM have responded to the pitch is not yet public.
Legislation and enforcement
AB 1569, co-authored by Assemblymember Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel), passed the state Senate 39-0 during the week of Aug. 11. The bill would direct the Department of Education and CHP to create a standardized e-bike safety program for grades 7 through 12 statewide. It awaits the governor's signature.
Meanwhile, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer's e-bike unit, announced in May, is investigating 26 parents for potential criminal charges related to children riding illegal e-motorcycles. One Aliso Viejo mother faces felony child endangerment and involuntary manslaughter charges after her 14-year-old son allegedly struck and killed an 81-year-old veteran while operating an illegal e-motorcycle.
As we reported Aug. 4, the DA investigations coincide with NMUSD's push to formalize its own enforcement.
Families with questions about the district's bike safety policy can contact the Student Services Department at 714-424-5016. The district's flyer is available in English, Spanish and Russian.
