Florida boy, 11, saved up $900 selling squirrel tables and bought an electric dirt bike — then police fingerprinted him and towed it

His father, Chris Kirchner, told local media outlet News 6 that Cade was only about 300 feet from his house and riding along the shoulder of the road with his fishing pole in tow. Cade had worked throughout the summer, saving approximately $900 to purchase the electric dirt bike himself.

A kid’s e-bike or an unregistered motorcycle?

Chris told local media that the family believed the bike their son purchased for himself was simply an e-bike capped at about 20 mph. But according to the City of Oviedo, the 4,500-watt electric motorcycle without pedals did not legally qualify as an electric bicycle under Florida law.

Under Florida Statute 316.03, qualifying electric bicycles must have fully operable pedals and an electric motor rated below 750 watts. Because Cade’s vehicle did not meet that definition, officials said it was considered a motorcycle and therefore subject to requirements including registration and other motorcycle regulations.

The distinction means that Cade was not legally permitted to operate the vehicle on the roadway. Officers could have issued multiple citations, but ultimately cited him only under Florida Statute 320.02 for operating an unregistered vehicle.

Because, at 11 years old, Cade did not have a driver’s license or other identification, officers also fingerprinted him for the citation. Florida Statute 322.15 allows law enforcement to use fingerprints when a person stopped while operating a motor vehicle cannot provide the required identification. They then towed his hard-earned bike.

Body-camera footage released by police shows an officer explaining to Cade that he will have to appear in court. His hearing is scheduled for September 29, which means that he is also expected to miss a day of school.

An ‘absurd’ situation

Chris acknowledged that there are rules governing electric bikes and motorcycles but said he believes his son was treated like an adult motorcyclist rather than a child riding a recreational vehicle, calling the encounter with police “absurd.”