Katy Authorities Talk Motorized Vehicle Concerns Ahead of School Year
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KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
July 22, 2026
By Natalie Cook Clark
School starts next month and local law enforcement officials are asking Katy ISD to ban this popular “toy” before more students get hurt.
This year the popular “toy” craze has been electric bikes, scooters, and motorcycles. Children and teens use these to get to school and around town, but they continue to result in accidents and complaints. Local authorities are now asking Katy ISD to issue a ban on these bikes in an effort to prevent accidents.
Both Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Terry Allbritton and Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable Chad Norvell have requested that Katy ISD “ban unregistered electric motorcycles including electric mini-bikes, pocket bikes, and similar high-powered devices from all district property.”
“Our goal is to be proactive and prevent a tragedy before it happens,” says Constable Allbritton. “Children without proper driver training or experience are riding high-powered electric motorcycles on public roads, and we want to reduce that risk before a child is seriously injured or killed.”
In a joint statement to Katy ISD, both Constables site that these vehicles are increasingly being ridden to school by students who are unlicensed and this creates a significant safety hazard.
They warn that students who ride such vehicles often do so without helmets, training, or legal requirements for motor-vehicle operation.
Katy families and teens need to also be aware that citations involving these bikes can impact a student’s ability to get their driver’s license at sixteen.
It is also important to understand laws and practices when it comes these vehicles. It is important to understand the difference of the various vehicles to know what is allowed and what isn’t.
All bicycles with pedals are allowed, as are scooters, whether they are electric or not. It’s important to note that while electric scooters and bikes are allowed that riders must still adhere to safe practices and law enforcement will enforce.
It is important to understand the difference and the popularity of e-bikes is drawing a lot of comparisons to motorcycles, especially smaller ones.
E-bikes have pedals and electric motors not to exceed 750 watts. They’re viewed as “bicycles” under Texas law. (TTC 664.001)
Electric motorcycles have a larger motor and will exceed 28 MPH. These are not legal on trails or sidewalks. They are only legal on the roadway if they’re registered, have insurance and the operator has a Class M driver’s license. They may also be ridden on your private property such as a deer lease, just as any other off-road vehicle may be.
Accidents involving these various vehicles have become common this summer in both Harris County and Fort Bend County. Constable Allbritton and Constable Norvell pointed out the well-documented dangers in their request to the District.
Unlicensed operation dramatically increases crash risk.
High-speed capability combined with congested school traffic zones creates conditions where a single mistake can lead to severe injury or death.
Lack of registration makes it impossible to ensure minimum safety standards or accountability.
“This is about preventing the accident before it happens,” says Constable Allbritton. “When an untrained, unlicensed child is riding a high-powered electric motorcycle in traffic, the consequences of one mistake can be devastating.”
Katy ISD Does NOT Allow These Vehicles on Campus Property
According to a statement from the Katy ISD Police Department, the District does not permit high-speed unregistered electric motorcycles and similar high-powered devices to be ridden on school campuses when school is in session.
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