Henderson police to target illegal electric motorcycle use as Clark County issues PSA

As the Henderson Police Department announced an enforcement campaign against illegal electric motorcycle use this week, Clark County said it was partnering with a local hospital and Las Vegas police to encourage the safe use of e-bikes and e-scooters.

The announcements come amid a growing number of local crashes that have injured or killed e-bikes and e-scooter users, including a 400 percent increase in e-bike and e-scooter injuries reported at the University Medical Center over the last three years.

E-motorcycles can be confused with e-bikes, which have become a popular method of transportation among children and teens, Henderson police said in a news release Wednesday. In 2025, Henderson police said they have responded to more than 40 crashes involving e-bikes, up from 25 for all of 2024, according to the release.

“E-bikes are often looked at as toys, but the reality is, these are a safety risk for both children and the drivers on our roads,” Henderson police said. “It’s critical that parents know what they are buying and how to safely operate it to avoid serious injuries.”

Through Dec. 12, “HPD will be conducting a targeted enforcement of e-bikes and e-motorcycles” throughout the city, police said.

County public service announcement

Clark County said in a separate news release Wednesday that Clark County Television has created a public service announcement with Dr. Seth Ball. Ball, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at UMC Children’s Hospital, has “treated many young patients with traumatic injuries related to riding e-devices,” the county news release said.

“The most important thing I can tell parents is if you are going to let your kids ride an e-bike or e-scooter, make sure they wear a helmet every time, obey posted speed limits and never drive recklessly,” Ball said in a statement.

The public service announcement was posted to the county’s YouTube channel and was shared on social media, the county said, along with road safety flyers in both English and Spanish.

“UMC reports a 400 percent increase in e-bike or e-scooter-related injuries over the last three years,” the county news release said. “To date in 2025, nearly 200 patients were treated at UMC for e-device-related injuries, including 30 children.”

Henderson enforcement

In Henderson, police will cite e-motorcycle operators driving an unregistered or uninsured vehicle or driving without a license. As opposed to lower-powered e-bikes or e-scooters, e-motorcycles have no pedals, a throttle and are capable of traveling over 28 mph.

The speed limit is 15 mph for e-bikes and e-scooters in Henderson city parks and on trails, police said. In addition to bolstered enforcement, police said they would also provide information to educate riders and parents the rules of e-bike use.

“If an e-bike has no pedals and uses a throttle, it is considered an e-motorcycle and is illegal,” police said in the Henderson news release.

“Legal e-bikes have pedal-assist and working pedals and can only drive up to 15mph at City parks and on trails,” the news release added.

Parents who allow their children to ride e-motorcycles illegally could face fines or penalties, according to the release. Riders could also be subject to the following fines, if an officer determines a violation:

—$415 for an unregistered motor vehicle

—$740 for not having proper insurance

—$415 for driving without a valid license

—$195 for riding without proper headgear and protective equipment

The Henderson Police Department urged parents to remind children to follow traffic laws, wear a properly fitted helmet, to stay visible and to choose safe routes. The department was also asking parents to research the kind of e-bike they are purchasing for their child, and to encourage safe riding habits.

As for the county, it said that fines for violating Clark County’s e-bike ordinance start at $150 for a first violation and go up to $600 for repeat violations. Parents and guardians are on the hook for paying fines incurred by minors. For more information on the county’s ordinance, go to http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/ebikesafety.

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.