Electric Scooter Laws: Comprehensive Guide

November 2, 2022

“Are electric scooters legal?”

Well..it depends. This question is asked time again and with the electric scooter industry on the rise, regulation is hard to keep up with…until now.

Unagi, best known for the Model One with its beautiful finish, tactile refinement, and ultra-stylish command center, has released a new electric scooter laws guide that breaks down everything you need to know.

To make it easy for you, we’ve compiled a definitive list of the key takeaways, categorized into 3 groups:

Where and how you can ride – sidewalks, streets, and maximum speeds
Rider regulations – (registrations, licenses, minimum ages, and helmet requirements)
Laws by U.S. state – (in alphabetical order)

Where and How You Can Ride

Streets

Street riding is banned in 2 states (including Pennsylvania and Delaware)
In almost all cases, scooters are not allowed on streets that have a speed limit above 35 mph

Sidewalks

Sidewalk riding is banned in 10 states (including Connecticut, Wisconsin, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington)

Speed Limits

Florida and Missouri requires electric scooters have a speed limit of 30 mph
Michigan and Oregon require electric scooters have a speed limit of 25 mph
The most common speed limit is 20 mph (includes 19 states – Arkansas, California, Minnesota, Utah, Washington, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Tennesse, Virginia, and Wisconsin)
New Jersey requires electric scooters have a speed limit of 19 mph
DC requires electric scooters have a speed limit of 10 mph

Rider Regulations

Licenses and Registration

DMV registration is only required in North Carolina
9 states require driver’s licenses to ride an electric scooter (including, Alabama, Alaska, California, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, and North Carolina)

Minimum Age

The most common minimum age for riding electric scooters is 16+
5 states require you to be 16+ to ride (including, Arkansas, DC, Florida, Nevada, and Ohio)
Utah requires you to be 15+ to ride
Virginia requires you to be 14+ to ride
Michigan and Minnesota require you to be 12+ to ride

Helmet Requirement

Michigan requires riders below the age of 19 to wear a helmet
Helmets are commonly required for those below the age of 18
6 states require riders below the age of 18 to wear helmets (including, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota)
Louisiana requires riders below the age of 17 to wear a helmet
Connecticut and Delaware require riders below the age of 16 to wear helmets

Electric Scooter Laws by U.S. State

Alabama

Alabama legalized electric scooters at the state-level in July 2019
In Birmingham, electric scooters are classified as motor vehicles and require registration tags and a motorcycle license
In Auburn and Tuscaloosa, scooters aren't street legal

Alaska

No regulation directly addresses electric scooters
Electric scooters are classified as “motor-driven cycles”
As “motor-driven cycles”, their power must not exceed 750W
Riders aged between 14 and 15 need an M2 permit
Riders aged 16+ need either an M1 or M3 permit
M1 and M3 permits need to have been held for 6 months

Arizona

In April 2019, electric scooters were legalized (Bill No. SB 1398)
Electric scooters need to weigh less than 75 lbs
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph
They do not require registration or insurance
They can be ridden on sidewalks

Arkansas

In July 2019, Arkansas passed the Electric Motorized Scooter Act which legalized and regulated electric scooters
They need to weigh less than 100 lbs
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph
Despite the classification of a 20 mph top speed, they must not be ridden faster than 15 mph
All riders need to be 16+ years old

California

In January 2019, California legalized and regulated electric scooters
All riders need a driver's license
Electric scooters do not need to be registered
Maximum speed must not exceed 15 mph
They can only be ridden on slow public roads (less than 25 mph speed limits)
All riders under 18 need to wear a helmet

Colorado

Electric scooters can be ridden on streets with speed limits of 30 mph or less
Can be ridden on sidewalks up to 6 mph

Connecticut

In 2019, Connecticut legalized electric scooters (Bill No. 7141)
All riders under 16 need to wear a helmet
Scooters are not allowed on sidewalks
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph

Delaware

Electric scooters are regulated the same as motorized skateboards
They are not allowed on public roads, streets, or sidewalks
All riders under 16 need to wear a helmet

District of Columbia / Washington D.C.

In October 2020, electric scooter legislation was passed (Bill No. 50–2201.02)
Electric scooters are classified as a “personal mobility device” and must weigh less than 60 lbs
Electric scooters are not classified as motor vehicles (Bill No. 50–2201.04a)
Riders do not need a license, registration, or insurance
Riders need to be 16+ years old
Helmets are not required
Riders cannot wear headphones
Scooters cannot be ridden on sidewalks in the central business district.
Maximum speed must not exceed 10 mph

Florida

Electric scooters were legalized statewide in 2019 (Source)
Riders must be 16+ years old
Riders don’t need a driver's license
Scooters are permitted to operate in bike lanes
Maximum speed must not exceed 30 mph

Georgia

You can ride electric scooters on bike paths and lanes
You can ride electric scooters on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less
They must weigh less than 100 lbs
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph

Hawaii

There’s no regulation for electric scooters

Idaho

The state of Idaho doesn’t have legislation specifically addressing the use of electric scooters
Boise and the state of Idaho doesn't require helmets for electric scooters
In Boise, they are allowed on streets, sidewalks, and the Greenbelt

Illinois

In 2019, electric scooters were classified in their own vehicle category (Bill No. HB1590)
Electric scooters have the same rules as bicycles
All riders under 17 need to have a driver's license
Scooters need to have front and rear lights to ride at night

Indiana

In July 2019, Indiana enacted new legislation where scooters must weigh less than 100 lbs and have a maximum speed of 20 mph
They can be ridden in the street and on bike paths
A license and insurance is not required

Iowa

The Iowa state senate introduced a bill in 2019. It has not yet been acted upon
The bill proposes that: electric scooters need to weigh less than 100 lbs, have 2 or 3 wheels, handlebars, a deck, and a maximum speed of 20 mph. They will be treated the same as bicycles, meaning you can ride on roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes

Kansas

Electric scooters are legalized at the state-level (Source)
They can’t be ridden on sidewalks or highways
Helmets are not required
A driver’s license is required

Kentucky

In March 2019, electric scooters were legalized (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 189.289)
Riders need to be 16+
Electric scooters can be operated on highways, bicycle lanes, and bicycle paths
Registration isn’t required

Louisiana

In 2019, electric scooters were legalized at the state-level (LA Rev Stat § 32:300.1)
Electric scooters can be ridden on sidewalks, bicycle paths, and streets with a speed limit of less than 25 mph
Only one person must ride a scooter at a time
All riders under 17 need to wear a helmet

Maine

Electric scooters are legal at the state-level
Old laws used for mopeds were re-applied to electric scooters
Must not go faster than 20 mph and have a motor smaller than 750W
Must have a front white light, a red or amber rear light, and reflectors to ride at night
Tires need to be smaller than 10 inches
A driver’s license is required

Maryland

In 2019, stand-up electric scooters were classified as their own vehicle type (Bill No. SB770)
Electric scooters are classed as bicycles
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph

Massachusetts

Electric scooters are legal at the state-level
They are classified in the same category as mopeds (Source)
Riders need to wear a helmet
A driver's license is required
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph

Michigan

Electric scooters are legal (Bill No. HB5643)
They are classified in the same category as electric skateboards
Motor size must not exceed 2,500W
Maximum speed must not exceed 25 mph
They can only be ridden by one person at a time
They can only be ridden on streets with a speed limit of less than 25 mph
Scooters cannot overtake traffic
A white front light visible from 500 feet away and a rear reflector visible from 600 feet away is required to ride at night

Minnesota

Electric scooters are legal (Source)
They are classified as vehicles that riders can stand or sit on, have handlebars, and are powered by an electric motor or internal combustion engine
The tires must be smaller than 12 inches
Maximum speed must not exceed 15 mph
Riders must be 12+ years old
Riders under 18 are required to wear a helmet

Mississippi

There are no state-level laws
Jurisdiction is determined by individual cities and local municipalities

Missouri

Electric scooters are legal
They are regulated as “motorized bicycles”
They can be ridden in the street and on bike lanes
A driver's license is required
If a scooter goes faster than 30 mph, it will be regulated as a motorcycle

Montana

Electric scooters are legal (Source)
They are regulated as “motorized bicycles”
Adult riders cannot ride on the sidewalk
Riders are required to obey traffic controls

Nebraska

There are no state-level laws
Scooters do not need to be registered
Riders are required to obey traffic controls
Riding on the sidewalk is banned

Nevada

Electric scooters are legal (AB485)
They must not exceed 100 lbs
They must go slower than 20 mph
Riders need to be 16+

New Hampshire

There are no state-level laws
Jurisdiction is determined by individual cities and local municipalities

New Jersey

In May 2019, New Jersey legalized electric scooters (N.J. Stat. § 39:4-14.16)
Maximum speed must not exceed 19 mph
Riders are required to obey the same rules as bicycles
Scooters can only be ridden on sidewalks if stated by the city or municipality
A driver’s license is not required
Insurance and registration is not required

New Mexico

There are no state-level laws
Jurisdiction is determined by individual cities and local municipalities

New York

In August 2020, electric scooters were legalized (Source)
Riders need to be 16+
Riders under 18 are required to wear helmets
They can not be ridden on sidewalks
They can be ridden on streets that have a speed limit of less than 30 mph
Jurisdiction by individual cities and local municipalities and overwrite the state-level laws

North Carolina

Electric scooters are classified as vehicles
They must be registered with the DMV
A valid driver’s license is required
They can be ridden on streets that have a speed limit of less than 25 mph

North Dakota

There are no laws specifically regulating electric scooters
They are classified as mopeds
They must not be ridden on sidewalks
They must not be ridden on bike paths
Electric scooters are required to have brakes, a headlight, and a taillight
Riders under 18 must wear a motorcycle helmet

Ohio

In January 2021, electric scooters were legalized (Bill No. H.B. 295)
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph
They need to be lighter than 100 lbs
A drivers license is not required
Registration is not required
They can be ridden on public roads
They need to have front and rear lights for riding at night
Riders need to be 16+

Oklahoma

There are no state-level laws
Jurisdiction is determined by individual cities and local municipalities

Oregon

There are no specific electric scooter laws
Electric scooters are regulated as mopeds (Or. Rev. Stat. § 801.348)
In Portland, they cannot be ridden sidewalks, riders need to be 16+, and the maximum speed must not exceed 15 mph

Pennsylvania

Electric scooters are prohibited on public roads
In 2019, electric scooter usage guidelines were introduced but have not yet been acted upon (Bill No. 631)

Rhode Island

There are no state-level laws
Jurisdiction is determined by individual cities and local municipalities
Providence requires a valid driver's license or municipal ID
Scooters can be ridden on sidewalks and streets
Riders are required to obey traffic controls

South Carolina

There are no state-level laws
Jurisdiction is determined by individual cities and local municipalities
In 2018 and 2019, Charleston and Columbia banned electric scooters

South Dakota

There are no state-level laws specifically regulating electric scooters
Electric scooters are classified as mopeds – they are required to have mirrors, lights, and brakes, while riders need a license, insurance, and DMV registration
Riders are required to wear eye protection
Riders under 18 need to wear a helmet

Tennessee

In July 2019, Tennessee legalized electric scooters (Tenn. Code § 55-8- 302)
They are classified in the same group as e-bikes
They must weigh less than 100 lbs
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph
Scooters are required to have brakes, as well as front and rear lights or reflectors
They are prohibited from sidewalks

Texas

There are no state-level laws specifically regulating electric scooters
Electric scooters are regulated as mopeds (Texas Transp. Code § 551.351)
They must not be ridden on roads with a speed limit greater than 35 mph
The motor/s must not exceed 750W
A driver’s license is not required
Registration is not required

Utah

In May 2019, electric scooters were legalized
Electric scooters are regulated in the same way as bicycles
A driver’s license is not required
Registration is not required
Scooters can be ridden on roads that have a speed limit of less than 25 mph
Maximum speed must not exceed 15 mph
Riders under 15 years of age need to be supervised by a parent or guardian

Vermont

There are no state-level laws
On the city level, they can be ridden on roads but not sidewalks

Virginia

In July 2020, electric scooters were legalized (§ 46.2-908)
They must weigh less than 100 lbs
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph
Riders must be 14+
They cannot be ridden on highways

Washington

In May 2019, electric scooters were legalized (Washington Rev. Code § 46.20.500)
Maximum speed must not exceed 15 mph
Reflectors are required while riding at night
Riders under 16 years of age cannot ride unless local jurisdiction allows it

West Virginia

West Virginia does not have any laws regarding electric scooters

Wisconsin

In July 2019, electric scooters were legalized (Act 11)
Maximum speed must not exceed 20 mph
They need to be lighter than 100 lbs
Scooters are prohibited from sidewalks
Riders need to obey the same rules as bicycles

Wyoming

There are no state-level laws specifically regulating electric scooters