NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office is warning parents and teenagers about the consequences of riding e-bikes recklessly following a sharp increase in juvenile arrests.
Sheriff Bill Leeper reported that seven teenagers have been arrested so far in 2026, compared to two in 2025.
Deputies warned that teenagers facing e-bike-related charges could be sent to juvenile detention depending on their prior records.
The warning follows repeated observations of young riders operating e-bikes dangerously on public roads and highways across Nassau County.
Leeper described the reckless behaviors deputies frequently observe on local roadways.
“We see him driving down the middle of the road doing wheelies, and you know, running in and out of traffic and coming off sidewalks without stopping or right in front of the vehicles,” said Leeper. “It’s very dangerous.”
Video footage shared by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office showed three teenagers in Callahan riding past a deputy with no lights on while driving recklessly off U.S. 1 and State Road 200.
Another video captured a few days later showed a teenager riding an e-bike into oncoming traffic in Yulee.
Leeper said young riders often fail to realize the hazards involved in late-night riding.
“When you’re young like that, you think you’re invincible. You think nothing’s going to happen to you and you’re out just having fun,” Leeper said. “There are some consequences to your behavior.”
Leeper also questioned late hours, asking, “Why are they out after midnight? They should be at home.”
Teenagers arrested while riding e-bikes now face felony charges, including reckless driving. Whether a juvenile is placed in detention is determined by a point-based evaluation system called a Detention Risk Assessment Instrument.
Once a juvenile’s score reaches approximately 13 points, they could find themselves behind bars, especially if it is not their first offense.
State law requires all e-bike riders under age 16 to wear a helmet and riders must follow all standard traffic regulations even though they are not driving a car.
Leeper stressed that parents must intervene to ensure their children understand traffic safety rules.
“You can talk to them today about it, or one day you may talk in a funeral home,” Leeper said. “We don’t want to go to a crash involving one of these e-bikes and a child or God forbid have one of them get killed.”
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