Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 1167, a law that for the first time draws a clear legal distinction between electric bicycles and the more powerful electric motorcycles, or e-motos, that are often sold alongside them. Starting January 1, 2027, sellers must state in all advertising that e-motos are motor vehicles requiring registration, an M1 or M2 motorcycle license, and insurance, according to Streetsblog California and Bicycle Retailer. E-bikes remain capped at 750 watts.
The law arrives as motorcycle crashes remain a serious concern in East County. In 2023, El Cajon recorded 34 motorcyclists killed or injured, ranking ninth worst among 62 similarly sized California cities, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Many e-moto owners believe they bought a bicycle and never obtain the license, registration, or insurance the law already requires. That gap can complicate an injury claim in several ways. When an uninsured e-moto rider causes a crash, the injured person may turn to their own uninsured motorist coverage, which applies when the at-fault motor vehicle carries no liability insurance. When the e-moto rider is the one injured, many auto policies exclude uninsured motorist coverage for injuries on a vehicle the policyholder owns but did not insure, which can leave riders without a backup source of recovery. When fault is disputed, riding without a motorcycle license does not by itself make a rider responsible for a crash, but insurers often raise it to argue the rider shares the blame.
"Most families who buy these machines have no idea they've bought a motorcycle," said Barry P. Goldberg, founder of Barry P. Goldberg, A Professional Law Corporation. "The new disclosures should help. Until they take effect, anyone who rides one or shares the road with one should confirm their auto policy carries uninsured motorist coverage, because that's often what pays after an e-moto crash."
The practical effect of SB 1167 extends beyond labeling. By forcing sellers to disclose that e-motos are motor vehicles, the law aims to prevent buyers from unknowingly operating unregistered, uninsured vehicles. For crash victims, that distinction matters because insurance coverage often determines whether an injured person can recover damages. An uninsured or underinsured e-moto rider may leave a injured party relying on their own policy, while an injured rider may find their own policy excludes coverage. The new disclosures, set to take effect in 2027, are intended to close that information gap before more riders take to the streets.
Barry P. Goldberg, A Professional Law Corporation, founded in 2005, serves injured Californians from offices in El Cajon, Woodland Hills, Valencia, and Simi Valley. Barry P. Goldberg has focused on personal injury litigation since 1984 and is a recognized authority on uninsured and underinsured motorist law in California. The firm represents riders, drivers, and families of those killed in collisions, and its motorcycle accident lawyer in El Cajon, CA handles cases involving uninsured and underinsured motorists.
