Students riding e-bikes to school in Prosper and Celina will need a town-issued permit when classes resume next week, under ordinances both cities passed in the past year to curb safety problems tied to juvenile riders.
Prosper ISD's first day of school is Tuesday, Aug. 11. Celina ISD starts Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Both cities require e-bike registration with their respective police departments. An adult 18 or older must complete each registration in Prosper, where the town's e-bike ordinance took effect Dec. 1, 2025. Celina City Council passed its own permit requirement at a March 10 meeting this year, modeled after Prosper's rules.
The regulations come as neighboring Frisco ISD banned students from riding e-scooters to or from campus entirely. Frisco trustees approved the policy Monday, Aug. 3, aligning with a city ordinance that makes it a Class C misdemeanor, carrying fines up to $500, for anyone under 18 to operate a motor-assisted scooter on public property.
Prosper and Celina took a different approach: permits and speed limits rather than outright bans.
What the rules require
In Prosper, all e-bike riders must follow the same traffic laws as motor vehicles, including stopping at stop signs and riding on the right side of the road. Speeds are capped at 10 mph on approved surfaces in town parks. Headphones and earbuds are prohibited while riding, and unauthorized passengers are not allowed.
E-motorcycles, defined as vehicles with more than 750 watts of power capable of speeds above 28 mph, are classified separately. Those require a Class M driver's license, DMV registration, insurance and a minimum rider age of 16. Helmets are required for riders under 21.
Celina's ordinance mirrors much of Prosper's framework. Riders can apply for an individual permit or a family permit covering immediate family members in the same household, according to Community Impact. The 10 mph park speed limit applies in Celina as well.
Under Texas state law, riders must be at least 15 to operate a Class 3 e-bike (capable of up to 28 mph), and riders under 16 must wear a helmet.
Enforcement history
Before Prosper's ordinance passed, the Prosper Police Department had responded to 27 e-bike and e-motorcycle calls as of Oct. 6, 2025, including 13 in the Windsong neighborhood alone, Local Profile reported. Officers towed three e-motorcycles (two owned by Celina residents), issued three citations and documented seven incidents where riders fled from police.
"20% of the vehicles out there are motorcycles, but they're creating 80% of the problem," then-Police Chief Doug Kowalski said at an Oct. 14, 2025, town council meeting. "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."
Celina Police Chief John Cullison recommended his city adopt similar rules to prevent riders from crossing city lines to avoid Prosper's regulations. At a Jan. 13, 2026, council meeting, Cullison said riders were "coming over to our side" and called the ordinance "a way to be proactive" before someone got hurt.
In April, the Prosper Police Department reminded residents on its official Facebook page that e-bikes operated in town require a permit and urged parents to discuss safe riding with their children.
What parents need to know
Neither department has issued a public statement specifically addressing back-to-school enforcement plans for the week of Aug. 11.
Collin County MUD No. 1, a development district in the Celina area, unanimously approved adopting Celina's e-bike ordinance in May as part of its development agreement.
Residents can contact the Prosper Police Department at 972-569-1000 for information on permits, inspections and regulations. Celina residents should contact the Celina Police Department for registration details.
