At a meeting June 11, the Wasatch County Council discussed what to include in a new set of rules governing e-bike use on paved and backcountry trails around the community.
It’s part of a larger regional effort to regulate e-bikes: Midway created its rules in November 2024, and Heber followed suit in April 2025.
Planning director Doug Smith said he met with the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office and other county officials to discuss a potential speed limit.
He said one county attorney leaned in favor of a formal speed limit, rather than enforcement based on a police officer’s best judgment.
“If he's prosecuting someone for violating a speed limit, it's much better for him to have something that says you can only go 20 miles an hour on a backcountry trail than a policeman having to determine whether they were driving recklessly,” he said.
The county’s draft ordinance suggests a 20 mph speed limit for paved trails and 15 mph for soft-surface trails and sidewalks.
Neither Heber nor Midway has a fixed speed limit, instead asking police to monitor for “reckless or hazardous” riding.
County councilmembers asked where information about the rules will be posted. Councilmember Colleen Bonner suggested putting QR codes at trailheads with a link to the guidelines.
The sheriff’s office recommended that any violation of the new rules would be an infraction.
Sheriff Jared Rigby said that’s on par with how drivers are treated for speeding.
“A lot of speed, just in regular vehicles on the regular roads, are infractions,” he said. “And so for us, it didn’t make a lot of sense to have e-bike and other things be higher in severity.”
Infractions are punishable by up to $750 in fines.
Rigby recommended an education campaign once the rules are adopted.
Midway will also issue infractions for violations of its e-bike ordinance. In Heber, a violation is a class B misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.
Wasatch County’s draft ordinance restricts backcountry trails to class one e-bikes, the least powerful category. E-bikes with throttles would be allowed on paved trails.
E-motorcycles are not allowed on any sidewalks or trails in Wasatch County.
The council didn’t vote on the ordinance. It will be back on the agenda June 18 for a first reading.
In neighboring Summit County, all jurisdictions share a 15 mph limit for e-bikes, and only riders over 65 and people with mobility disabilities can take e-bikes on backcountry trails.
