An ordinance banning uncertified lithium-ion batteries like those used in electric bikes and scooters moved a step closer to being enacted by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors on Monday. 

The ordinance would amend San Francisco’s fire code to prohibit the sale, offer, or delivery of lithium-ion batteries or replacements that aren’t certified to meet safety requirements. 

On Monday, the Land Use and Transportation Committee approved the ordinance going to the full Board. 

“The issue with these non-certified batteries is that they continue to charge even after the battery is completely full,” said San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen at the committee meeting. “That heats the battery and a phenomenon called thermal runaway occurs where all the cells ignite and cause a significant fire immediately. And an incredible amount of toxic gas is being emitted.” 

The legislation was largely written in response to the Dec. 12, 2025, fire at 50 Golden Gate Ave. in the Tenderloin that displaced over 130 residents, according to Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who sponsored the ordinance.  

FILE: San Francisco firefighters use two ladder trucks to rescue two people from a seven-story high rise building in the Tenderloin District in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 8, 2025. The fire was caused by the lithium-ion battery of an electric scooter on the sixth floor. (San Francisco Fire Department via Bay City News)

The Fire Department has recorded more than 120 fires started by lithium-ion batteries in the last five years, many of which were in low-income neighborhoods. 

“These products are often purchased online, brought into homes and charged in small living spaces where malfunction can have catastrophic consequences,” said Mahmood. 

Mahmood addressed questions about whether the cost of certified batteries and replacements will fall on low-income commuters who rely on electric bikes and scooters to get to work. Mahmood argued that cheaper, uncertified batteries had hidden costs. 

“When an unsafe battery ignites in an SRO or a dense residential building in the Tenderloin, it’s not a wealthy neighborhood that loses housing, it’s working families, seniors, and low-income residents who face displacement, loss of belongings and disruption to their lives,” he said. 

The ordinance will move forward with a minor amendment recommended by the San Francisco Office of Small Business to allow batteries certified as safe by international standards. The Office of Small Business also recommended the city explore programs to assist those who can’t afford more expensive certified batteries. 

The ordinance will be sent to the full Board of Supervisors for a vote.