IN BRIEF
Florida governor Ron DeSantis vetoed bill SB 382 on 25 June 2026. The text, passed unanimously by both chambers of the state legislature, imposed a 10 mph limit (around 16 km/h) for electric bikes travelling within 15 metres of a pedestrian on a shared path. DeSantis justified his refusal by pointing to the risk of increased surveillance of citizens by local authorities. Every municipality in Florida will now have to handle the question on its own.
Since June 2026, Florida had a bipartisan piece of legislation on electric bikes. It will not be enforced. Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed bill SB 382 on 25 June, putting an end to a text passed unanimously by both chambers of the Florida legislature — a rare signal of consensus for this kind of subject.
What SB 382 provided for
Bill SB 382 imposed a speed limit of 10 miles per hour (around 16 km/h) for any electric bike travelling within 50 feet (around 15 metres) of a pedestrian on a shared path. Exceeding that limit would have amounted to a non-traffic infraction — carrying fines of more than $100.
The text also provided for the creation of a working group dedicated to micromobility devices (the Micromobility Device Safety Task Force), tasked with studying existing regulations in other states and drawing up recommendations for Florida. A classic mechanism for preparing a broader reform.
Passed unanimously, blocked by the governor
Both chambers of the Florida legislature had passed SB 382 unanimously — a rarity in the current American political landscape, especially on a subject touching on mobility and the everyday lives of citizens. On 25 June, DeSantis vetoed it, citing two main arguments.
First, a practical point: the 10 mph limit would be “difficult to measure for a cyclist riding normally”. Then an ideological argument: enforcing that limit would “inevitably involve the use of speed detection and surveillance devices”, which could lead to “increased surveillance of citizens by local authorities”.
Crash figures, the starting argument
The call for a statewide regulatory framework came in part from municipalities worried about how e-bikes and pedestrians share multi-use paths. The city of Coral Springs had recorded 81 crashes involving micromobility devices since the previous September, according to data cited during the legislative debates.
The electric bike is a fast-growing market in the United States, Florida included. Multi-use paths concentrate a good share of the conflicts between users: faster cyclists, pedestrians, scooters, sometimes young children on bikes. With no common rule, speeds are not regulated.
Regulation handed back to the cities
The DeSantis veto sends the question back to the municipal level. Cities that want to regulate e-bike speeds on their shared paths will have to legislate individually, with no unified framework for the state as a whole. That situation could produce a patchwork of rules differing from one municipality to the next — exactly the opposite of what SB 382 was trying to avoid.
For electric bike riders, the message is simple: in Florida, the rules for sharing paths vary depending on where you pedal. And for now, they will carry on doing so.
