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Posted on 09/24/2026 8:53:22 AM PDT by DFG
OVIEDO, Fla. - An 11-year-old boy in Oviedo will likely have to miss school to attend a mandatory court date after he was arrested, cited, and released to his parents for riding an electric dirt bike on the street without a driver's license.
It comes as state and local governments, cities and law enforcement, continue to discuss how to safely regulate the rising use of electric bikes and scooters, micromobility devices, and standard motorcycles or vehicles.
Florida 11-year-old arrested, cited for riding e-bike
Chris Kirchner, the boy's father, said the sixth grader was riding his bike on the shoulder of the road, roughly 300 feet from their home on Labor Day, Sept. 7, when an Oviedo police officer stopped him.
The boy, with his fishing pole in hand, was on his way to fish at a nearby pond, his dad said, adding that the electric dirt bike is capped at 20 miles per hour.
"Do you consider a child’s dirt bike a motorcycle? I don't. But by the law – by technical standards, it is," Kirchner said.
"The officer treated him as if he was an adult on a motorcycle and asked him for his license, registration, proof of insurance—which obviously he doesn't have that, he's a child."
The other side: A spokesperson for the City of Oviedo confirmed the boy was stopped, arrested, and cited for riding a dirt bike in the road, but clarified that the boy's bike was classified as a motorcycle under Florida law.
"The vehicle the 11-year-old was driving was a 4500-watt motorcycle without any pedals. In order for it to be legally allowed on the roadway, it would need to be registered and meet the D.O.T. requirements for motorcycles. The driver/rider would be required to have a driver’s license w/ motorcycle endorsement. There were multiple violations where citations could have been issued, but the officer only issued one.
The officer issued one citation under Fla. Stat. 320.02 for an unregistered vehicle. The statute requires a mandatory court appearance. Fla Statute 322.15 requires drivers’ identification when they are stopped. If they do not have proper identification. The rider did not have a driver’s license, so a fingerprint was placed on the citation to comply with statute. The electric motorcycle was towed since it is not legally allowed on the roadway.
Our officers work diligently to educate parents and kids on what an e-bike is and what is not considered an e-bike, as well as how to be safe when riding. We have completed community outreach, social media and have information on our website. The goal of the police department is to keep the pedestrians, bicyclists and the motoring public safe."
Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek called Cade a "good kid," but explained that law enforcement officers are required to strictly follow state definitions regarding motorized vehicles – their hands were tied, she said.
"The State of Florida regulates motorcycle use, and the definition of what counts as a motorcycle and what counts as an e-bike," Mayor Sladek said. "Even if it has two wheels, if it doesn't have pedals, the State of Florida will classify that as a motorcycle and not as an e-bike."
Bodycam video Local perspective: Body camera footage recorded the moment Cade was cited and instructed on his court obligations, with an officer issuing him a warning: "You've got to show up or they'll put out a warrant."
Cade's dad asked if he could put the bike in his truck and bring it back home, but the officer refused. Instead, it was seized and towed.
Difference in definitions: Electric bicycle, micromobility device, motorcycle
Dig deeper: Here is a look at some of the definitions under Florida Statute:
Electric bicycle: A bicycle or tricycle equipped with fully operable pedals, a seat or saddle for the use of the rider, and an electric motor of less than 750 watts which meets the requirements of one of the following three classifications:
(a) "Class 1 electric bicycle" means an electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. (b) "Class 2 electric bicycle" means an electric bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the electric bicycle and that ceases to provide assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.
(c) "Class 3 electric bicycle" means an electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour. Micromobility Device: A motorized transportation device designed for individual use which is typically 20 to 36 inches in width and 50 pounds or less in weight and which operates at a speed of typically less than 15 miles per hour but no more than 28 miles per hour. This term includes both a human-powered and a nonhuman-powered device such as a bicycle, electric bicycle, motorized scooter, or any other device that is owned by an individual or part of a shared fleet.
Motorcycle: Any motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground. The term includes an autocycle, but does not include a tractor, a moped, an electric bicycle, or any vehicle in which the operator is enclosed by a cabin unless it meets the requirements set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a motorcycle.
What's next: Cade and his dad will attend the boy's court hearing next week. He hopes that prosecutors will decide to dismiss the charges given his son's age and circumstances.
The City of Oviedo is actively working to establish clearer local guidelines. City leaders are scheduled to hold a work session on a proposed micro-mobility ordinance ahead of a formal vote on Oct. 5.
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I’ve actually seen complaints about this town and the twisted interpretation of the laws. I hope someone has provided legal services for this family. No matter the charge you are unlikely to be able to win without one.
I’ve actually seen complaints about this town and the twisted interpretation of the laws. I hope someone has provided legal services for this family. No matter the charge you are unlikely to be able to win without one.
V_TWIN sounds like a Karen.
Driving an unregistered bicycle that may be a moped, sounds like the cop was confused since the boys house was 300 feet away the prudent thing would be a citation and a call to city attorney for clarification of Florida law in low power electric bicycles. If it has pedals and less than a HP it is a power assisted bicycle in my book, over a HP a moped. Over 5 a motorcycle...really simple. 50 years ago the cop would have been named and shamed locally, like a health inspector shutting down a little girls lemonade stand.
We’ve had problems with young people showing off on dirt bikes and ATVs in the D.C. area. A few months ago a kid was seriously injured by a dirt bike rider.
The number of close calls I have had on public side walks is at least once a week.
My City Commissioners are Greeen-Green-Green.
They drive every where, so they could care less about side walk safety for the oldsters and the commuter working class.
Some of the big electric bikes go faster than 40 mph.
I have been reading the front page of the Seattle Times every day for the last 20 years.
Not one story about close calls or injuries or deaths to completely innocent pedestrians!
Me and my kids were riding on the streets since they were 8 and 9 years old... side by side... they’re on the curbside, im on the outside. cops pulled us over all the time but never arrested us. Here is a pic of a daughter at 8 years old...
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10225317607785015&set=pb.1167533952.-2207520000&type=3
And here were a little rides!! 60CC choppers with Fatittude rears!!
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10225317609505058&set=pb.1167533952.-2207520000
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10225317612785140&set=pb.1167533952.-2207520000
When she graduated elementary school, I had the wife come pick me up after dropping one off, to go get the other and had them backed into a parking spot right next to the front door of the school. When the last day got out, all the kids were all gathered around checking them out and my daughter walks up, “All That” and puts her helmet on and mounts up, starts up, and all the kids were like “Whoa!! LMAO... we then pull away side by side... at times, that little girl rode better than some of my boys I ride Harleys with!
Even at 10, I knew better than to ride our Honda 70 on the street. My dad made sure I understood the law. These little electric mini-bikes are very similar to that Honda, and even more like the cheaper lawnmower engine powered mini-bikes.
These things are everywhere in my suburban neighborhood, and the kids have no idea how to ride safe.
All 3 of my kids rode dirt bikes before they could ride a pedal bike... Daughter Sydney at 6 years old on a Yamaha PW50...
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10225317593104648&set=pb.1167533952.-2207520000
“4500-watt motorcycle without any pedals.”
4500 watts is huge, most states appear to limit it to 750 watts to be classified as an e-bike. Plus there were no pedals which is usually another requirement. So no surprise this kid’s bike was considered an electric motorcycle.
I hike the Erie canal trail a lot and I see these e-bikes zipping past me all the time, sometimes too close for comfort and no warning. Some woman was killed on the trail some time ago when one of these e-bikes ran into her at high speed.
We have the little minions all over here driving 4-wheelers, side by sides, electric bikes, and even golf carts on the road. No adult in sight. It gets tiresome dodging them.
O pedals and an electric motor. Sounds like a Barbie car.
The Virginia Beach oceanfront has a concrete boardwalk.
Bikes however are regulated to the asphalt “bike path” which is smaller , and not nearly as smooth as the concrete boardwalk. On this path you will the pedal powered bikes with bench seats that families pile into . Those things plod along.
The e-bikes come screaming down the path , the riders don’t give a flip , as long as they can zip along, every needs to look out for them as they do not look out for anyone else.
The e-scooters have been banned from the ocean front . Too many injuries, kids hauling azz on this things with no idea of traffic laws or physics, as they can’t stop in time for a red light and blow though the intersection
E-bikes are something else. Poor people don’t own e-bikes , hence scooters, e-bike owners are in a higher income bracket . Expect screams if E-bikes were to be banned.
I got spotted and chased by a cop for riding my 3hp minibike in the street. Lost him after going off road and deep in the woods. I ran because I knew I’d be a deep doo doo if he caught me. Those were the days. Consequences for actions. What a concept.
The Erie canal trail is paved too and there’s suppose to be restrictions of certain motorized vehicles but they apparently allow these e-bikes. The problem is that they operate so quietly that you don’t hear them coming up behind you and very few of them will give you any kind of warning like I’m coming up on your left or whatever. To be honest though I’m tempted to buy one myself as I’ve seen a cheap one on Temu for only $300 that had good ratings.
Good on the coppers. If your bike/whatever is motorized in any way you should have a license.
This was the law. The parents should go to jail for letting their little spawn defy the law.
Claiming he is otherwise a “good boy” is the same as illegals demanding to stay in the US just because they have a job (which they stole from a US citizen). That is bullshitte.
“When I was a kid lots of my friends had dirt bikes, although this e-bike does not really sound like one. One family in the neighborhood used to compete in the “scrambles” circuit in New England (that’s what they called it before it became “Motocross”) all summer. Everyone knew you could be ticketed for driving them on public roads. Not likely to happen in our semi-rural suburb, but a risk you faced.”
I grew up in New England as well I actually raced motorcycles myself. The state of Massachusetts actually has a department of registry, much like police officers but all they do is sit on the side of the road and look at people’s tags and vehicle inspection stickers. I literally was pulled over while walking a motorcycle down the street on a sidewalk because my motorcycle was not registered. I was 13 years old…
This is a major problem of under age, non licensed, non insured operators of such equipment. There have been cases where insured, licensed automobile operators have hit and killed the youngsters at night who operate these non lighted vehicles on major roadways.
These ebikes are becoming a problem. The riders are obstructing traffic, flying out from nowhere in front of and behind drivers. It is getting pretty scary. They convince themselves that they are more like a vehicle in traffic than a bicycle.
A few little kids come up to the local grocery store on their bikes. We let them park them inside. I like our small lil community half way between two major cities.
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