LOS ANGELES — You've heard of gun buyback programs across the country, but in Orange County, they've taken it one step further to get another item that authorities say can be a deadly weapon off the streets — the e-bike.

In September, the Orange County district attorney's office will host an e-bike buyback program, offering anywhere from $200 to $1,000 for each, no questions asked.

The program, said the office in a statement, is patterned after police departments' gun buyback programs.

"These vehicles are not child's play, and the consequences are incredibly dangerous and increasingly deadly," said Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer in a statement. "We are doing everything we can to protect and save lives."

"Buy back safety," reads a flier for the event.

The efforts speaks to the increasingly stringent — and desperate — measures public agencies and lawmakers in California are attempting in order to stem a troubling rise in e-bike incidents. This summer has been marked by police pursuits, street takeovers and fatal crashes that have claimed the lives of innocent pedestrians and sent scores of riders to the emergency room.

E-bikes have become a California phenomenon for both adults and children. But officials are most concerned about young riders on the electric bicycles and motorcycles outfitted with the most powerful motors that can sometimes outrun police vehicles.

Those powerful bikes have been the focus of the most scrutiny. Earlier this summer, Amazon agreed to halt sales of high-speed e-bikes in California amid criticism from state officials. California law caps pedal-assisted e-bikes at 28 mph and throttle models at 20 mph, but Amazon had continued selling bikes capable of exceeding 40 mph despite the risks.

According to a study by researchers at UC San Diego, crashes and injuries involving e-bikes have increased quickly in California, and many of those being hurt are 14 or younger.

Between 2018 and 2024, according to the study, e-bike riders were involved in at least 4,035 collisions. The study also found that, when compared with injuries from traditional pedal bikes, e-bike riders suffered more serious and severe injuries.

So agencies across the state have started to crack down.

Last week, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District became the first district in the state to ban electric vehicles for some of its students. Elementary and middle school students were banned from using e-bikes, as well as electric scooters and skateboards, on school property. Only high school students may ride e-bikes to campuses, but they are required to complete an online course by the California Highway Patrol.

A district spokesperson said they've had a positive start to the new year, and school officials have put "reminder tags" on e-bikes that have been parked on school property without the permit stickers.

In Los Angeles, the Department of Transportation has been tasked with looking into ways it can regulate e-bikes and has been asked to return to the City Council's Rules Committee in September with recommendations.

And at the state level, Assemblymember Diane Papan, D-San Mateo, in February introduced AB 2595, which would allow San Mateo County to impose age restrictions for e-bike riders under 12 years old in its jurisdiction. A separate bill, AB 2346, introduced by Assemblymembers Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, and Lori D. Wilson, D-Suisun City, would mandate e-bikes be equipped with speedometers and limit riders under 16 years old to going no faster than 15 mph.

After years of educating the public on the dangers of riding e-bikes, it's reassuring to see laws coming onto the books that provide consequences for dangerous behavior, said Irvine police officer Jason Scheafer, a motorcycle officer who is the department's point person for e-bike enforcement.

Most e-bike riders are following the laws and riding safe, Scheafer said, but officers are still seeing serious crashes involving young teen riders.

"You're talking about a group that doesn't have driver's ed training, doesn't know the rules of the road," Scheafer said.

In most cases involving young riders, the department refers offenders to an e-bike safety class instead of issuing a citation, he said. But those with illegal e-bikes or e-motorcycles could have their vehicle impounded.

"We do use discretion when we do it, but we're trying to prevent what happened in Lake Forest and Garden Grove," Scheafer said, referring to two deadly crashes involving e-bikes and e-motorcycles.

In May, Orange County prosecutors announced an e-bike and e-motorcycle prosecution unit, which would review possible criminal charges against minors, adults and parents involving the electric vehicles. The unit was assigned to review the possibility of charges against adults who knowingly allowed their children to ride illegal e-motorcycles.

That same month, the mother of a 14-year-old Orange County boy who allegedly struck and killed an 81-year-old Vietnam War veteran while riding an e-motorcycle was arrested. Spitzer charged the boy's mother with multiple felonies including involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, accessory after the fact to a crime and several misdemeanors tied to providing the bike to her son and lying to police.

For many young riders, Scheafer said, it just takes a brief encounter with police to strap on the missing helmet, or share the path more safely with pedestrians and other bicyclists. Lately, parents do seem to be more aware of not only those rules, but which bicycles are legal for their children to ride.

In California, e-bikes and e-motorcycles are divided into different classifications, which limits who can ride them and how. All riders under 18, for example, are required to use a helmet when riding an e-bike.

All ages are allowed to ride a Class 1 electric bike, which uses pedal assist and has a maximum motor speed of 20 mph. A Class 2 e-bike can also be ridden by all ages, but those bicycles also include a throttle along pedal assist, and max out at a speed of 20 mph.

Class 3 e-bikes can only be ridden by riders who are 16 or older, include pedals and can reach speeds of up to 28 mph.

Electric cycles that don't have pedals, use a throttle or can reach speeds higher than 28 mph could be considered electric motorcycles and require riders to be at least 16 years old and have a motorcycle license.

The California attorney general has also issued a warning to parents, and retailers, that bicycles that are altered to exceed state limitations are no longer considered legal to ride on the streets.

"We're just trying to keep kids from crashing into things and getting hurt," Scheafer said.

Orange County's e-bike buyback will take place Sept. 13 and the first 75 people to turn in cycles will receive two Los Angeles Angels baseball tickets The department will also accept gas pocket bikes or e-scooters. The gift cards, the office said in a statement, are being funded from asset forfeiture funds.

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