Clovis police cite two teens in e-motorcycle crackdown

Clovis police cited two 15-year-olds and impounded their e-motorcycles after a traffic stop just after 4 p.m. Wednesday on DeWolf Avenue near Barstow Avenue, putting a busy east Clovis corridor at the center of a growing crackdown on youth riders.

Officers said both teens were driving without a license. The department also warned their parents could face criminal charges if the conduct is repeated, a warning that turned the stop into more than a routine citation and made parental responsibility part of the enforcement message.

The case has become a practical local test of what is street-legal and what is not. California DMV rules require a permit before a rider can operate or be issued a Class M1 or M2 license for a two-wheel motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, motorized bicycle, moped, or bicycle with an attached motor. California Highway Patrol guidance also requires riders of motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, and motorized bicycles or mopeds to wear a DOT-compliant helmet.

Clovis police said they will keep enforcing traffic laws as electric modes of transportation become more popular, signaling that Wednesday’s stop was part of a broader push rather than an isolated action. For Fresno County families, the message is direct: an e-motorcycle is not treated as a toy or a loophole just because it is electric.

The location sharpened the concern. DeWolf and Barstow is a well-traveled stretch where drivers, cyclists and teens on electric rides can all end up sharing the same roadway. When unlicensed minors are out there on motorized two-wheelers, the risk falls not only on the riders, but also on motorists forced to react to sudden movement, speed differences and vehicles that may not belong on the road in the first place.

The stop also fits a pattern Clovis police have seen before. About ten months earlier, officers dealt with another teen e-motorcycle case involving wheelies and a pursuit, underscoring that the department is treating this as an ongoing traffic and safety issue. In that context, Wednesday’s citations and impounds look less like a one-off and more like the start of a steadier summer enforcement effort.