Electric Scooter Laws - Ultimate 2023 Guide (U.S.) 

Keep in mind these laws are not always strictly enforced. As an AZ native and e-scooter enthusiast I can tell you that most cities (at least Phoenix and surrounding cities) won’t hassle you unless you’re mowing down old ladies on the sidewalk at 45mph. People in the area own and ride all sorts of scooters that violate the “official” rules without issue. I bet many other places around the country are similar. Don’t act a fool and draw attention to yourself (which is actually good advice for life in general 😄). 👍

Not having to register at the dmv or get insurance is a HUGE underrated selling point for these scooters. DEFUND THE DMV!

The government: Go GrEeN!11 Also the government: Take 4 hours to ride 8 miles.

I ride my scooter most day to get to work in California. I’ve been playing hot potato with theses rain storms and I ride on the sidewalks if there is no bike lane, if there is a bike lane I ride in it. I’ve been past by two police cars, once on the sidewalk, once in the bike lane. Haven’t been stopped yet. Another thing going 15 mph on main streets is a horrible combination.

NYC’s 15 mph speed limit is really dumb because cyclists can easily go above 15 so makes no sense why scooters can’t. A 25mph speed limit makes perfect sense since that’s the overall limit for cars. However, absolutely no one follows the 15 mph rule and I’ve never seen the NYPD enforce this rule.

I live in Tempe, Arizona, Electric Scooter and other personal electric vehicles are pretty common here, you see them mainly on sidewalks

Florida here, I regularly hit 40 to 50 mph on my scooters all the time. Cops don't mess with me. So if you own a beast scooter. FL is the place to me. City streets I keep it around 20 to 30. Kid and all. In case anyone wonders.

Is your state scooter friendly? How would you regulate electric scooters? Let us know in the comments below! 🚨SEE FULL SCOOTER LAWS GUIDE HERE ⬇ unagiscooters.com/scooter-articles/the-comprehensive-guide-to-electric-scooter-laws-2022/ electric-scooter.guide/safety/2022-guide-to-electric-scooter-laws/

Thank you for posting these!!

Nice resource, thanks!

I'm glad Florida isn't super restrictive for now. (Guess it depends on the area) If I was limited to 25 or 35mph roads then an E scooter would be useless here. And glad we can legally use the sidewalks. Just don't be a jerk on a sidewalk and go fast on them. Especially around people.

Nice, that is one helpful post!! Thanks guys!

Thank you, needed to know this 😅

Guy on the magic carpet at 3:25, that was dope, lol.

I'm in Philadelphia where we ride dirt bikes in center city in frontnof cops. Plus. Imo, if your scooter does over 30mph you have no business stopping for the police anyway lol

Well done, Paul! 👍

I cannot wait for UK government to legalise e scooters and find out what the legislation conditions are of course safety is paramount but its unfair to brand everyone with the same brush because a select few individuals are driving their scooters recklessly

What timing, as I just got pulled over by Greensburg,PA city police 2 days ago! He was going to cut me off at a green light as if I had no business being on the road, he was going to turn left right in front of me so I braked, I was going approx 8 mph, then he stopped real hard and I kept going, next thing I know he comes flying right up on me with his lights on as if I was in a car. He came walking real fast up to me demanding my driver's license and I said" for real and I chuckled" and he's like "yes for real" and told me I'm not allowed on the road🙄...I told him he would have hit me and then he said he'll be sending me citations in the mail and I said if you do I'll be fighting it and he's like you'll lose. Seemed he was upset he had to yield to me. Great video, especially though for those who wish to travel somewhere to ride!

I live in Nevada and work in the convention industry . I bought a scooter due to having a bad knee and the distance that I have to walk to the LVCC when parking. We work long hours and are on our feet the whole time so the scooter made sence . Now the LVCC is telling everyone that they cannot even bring the scooters on the property! Most of us do not ride inside the facility so now those who do have, ruined it for the biggest percentage of us that walk the scooters inside. I am definitely not the only person who has some kine of physical limitation that is upset over this decision. Since I have purchased my scooter my life has been so much better, now they just want the majority to pay for the few ! I could keep going, but it is already way too long of a rant lol . Thank you for the information we appreciate it .

amazing video wish there wasnt as many specific laws so all states could be individually talked about. Getting My first electric scooter tommorow to get back and forth from work in michigan still a little iffy on the laws but im not comfortable taking it on any main streets anyways so ill stick to the side roads. Thank you for the great video.

Thank you so much for this video... 👍

Us in the UK are STILL waiting for legislation on scooters and it looks like it will be on the stricter side compared to the US. Going by the rental scooter legislation we might see 15.5mph (25kph) speed limit, 500 watt limit, helmets and license required, rules on specification like wheel size, breaks, lighting. Germany has 12.5mph and is even stricter on spec so hoping it’s not going to be that bad! I agree with all the debates about e-bikes vs scooters, yes the e-bike cuts out at 15.5mph but it has pedal power so it’s easy to accelerate quickly and go around at 20mph so I think that should be the allowed speed at least for escooters but perhaps high powered ones should be allowed and treated like vehicles and need a reg plate and only be allowed on roads. That way almost all scooters can have a place! 😊

as a potential future e scooter rider in nyc, this is very informative! now which e scooter to buy is the question..

NYC has strict rules but we all just ignore it, they can't ticket all of us!

Hey thanks for this video am a truck driver trying to get a scooter and I travel 48 states so this helps a lot

I live in Michigan my current scooter can go 60+mph I've been riding for 3 years and I've never been bothered once riding on sidewalks paved trails or streets.. I very rarely see escooters where I live so Most ppl probably just don't care

Thanks!

Scooters need to maintain a small wheel on the drive, for torque, but increase one wheel for stability- and should come with a helmet by law. Great vid. A driver's license is obvious money grubbing but passing a rules of the road test would cut down on accidents (public health care cost burden) for sure

GOOD INFO !!!!!!!

Your sound design for this video was all over the place, but great info! Regarding NYC, I have not seen rules being enforced in areas where they are supposed to. Dispite saying bike paths are legal, there are some bike paths where it is not for e-bikes/scooters, such as the Hudson River Greenway, yet no one is ever sanctioned. It is true that it is best to use sound judgement and be careful so that we can all keep riding freely and safely.

Germany is a total joke. 12.5mph limit+ licence plate+ insurance + only scooters the government certified.

Great video! Please make one for Europe also :)

As a new rider in nyc this was very informative. I'll only ride the sidewalk if there's no other choice and so far have had no issues. I'll take scootering rather than the dreadful subway any day.

Up in Canada, Watts can be a maximum of 1000, but some areas may post a limit of 300, for the safety of kids and seniors in their area. Much like Reduced Speed Limits for Motorized Vehicles in School Zones.

Here in the netherlands, the law considers you a moped, so to be legal, you would need an insurance plate, blinkers and a seat... They're planning on introducing new laws 'soon', but the limits will likely be 250watt and 25km/h (15mph). Sigh. I think us and Malta are the only ones left in the EU where scooters are banned.

The video I was looking for , I buy my electric moped with pedals in California to go to the store and can't find information about how to get a registration

I feel like living in a state with no electric scooter regulation a good thing. More freedom is a good thing to me

No point in buying one if you live in Michigan. Every police department has no knowledge of what the laws are for electric scooters, and every law firm say different regulations.

I live in NYC and while you say there may be a speed limit on the books, technically with the NYPD there is no speed limit with scooters or ebikes as long as they’re operating below 40mph. The main targets for NYPD are illegal mopeds, not scooters and ebikes because Mopeds are supposed to be registered and only used by drivers with valid drivers licenses, so they are regulated and enforced, no other pev is.

Awesome. I have a Ti-30, and it does attract a lot of attention. I've never been pulled over though yet around the city and then also driving out of the city to go to work. I try to maintain 25 30 mph in areas where I know it's not a big deal if I'm driving that fast but I'm big roads that are traffic heavy with cars I try to just act kind of like a bicycle. The only thing I don't like is that because I'm trying to be stealth about it if I wear a full helmet then I feel like I'm more likely get it pulled over.

I know this is an old video, but I hope you'll still respond. WEPED has monster electric scooters that have more than a 100 mile range if one stays below 40 mph or so and I was hoping to get one. With that kind of range one could drive from Los Angeles to Irvine and back, so it could pretty much replace a car, but I'm terrified of it getting impounded for driving on the roads. I watched a guy's video who has one in the Los Angeles area who said that the cops would be more than happy to impound a scooter for driving on roads that don't have a bike lane, in your experience does this seem to be the case? Have you ever been pulled over before when doing a range test or anything like that? Can you please tell me how the police act towards scooters in your experience? Thanks Paul, I'm a frequent viewer and love your work!

In Greece no one seriously deals with e-scooters legislation, till now. Its an enough new habit. You see many "dead" e-scooters of 500 watts max, very few serious e-scooters are on running. And when it happens anyone asks you, ooohh what is this? 😂 So, as an owner of GSXR1000k6, DL650k5, kaabo wolf king gt and dualtron storm limited(the new one), i feel king of the road👑😂 And for sure, my big experience with motorcycles, helps me toooo much to easily drive fast e-scooters😉 For me driving GSXR 1000 is much more easier than driving kaabo or dualtron😆😆 Greetings from Athens-Greece. Happy the new year, peace✌️✌️

In California, most non-highway roads have a posted speed limit of 35MPH. I scooters have to stay at 25MPH or less, wouldn't that mean there wouldn't be too many places one can ride a scooter?

To be honest, as the owner of a kaabo wolf warrior 11 the third setting and turbo is very tempting 😂😢. Still dont have enough gear to protect myself from that death wish though.

thanks for the honorable mention, but we tear these streets up here in DC! Meet up at the Lincoln

When there is no cops, you make your own law.😁

Dia diabh go léir, a chairde - greetings from Ireland, fellow e-Scoots. The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 is rocketing, sorry, crawling its way through the legislative process here at the moment - all (current) forms of PPT are included [Part 12]. Pretty much EU standard so no nasty surprises - 25k/h limit, maximum 250W continuous output, one person only, not to be used for the carriage of [commercial] goods (so no burger/curry deliveries I suppose), all required lights etc. to be present and functional, all speed limits to be observed irrespective of the actual scooter max., obey the Rules of the Road (yep, drive/ride on the LEFT!), use bike/bus lanes as appropriate. Helmet NOT mandatory though (which somewhat surprises me). Happy travels and remember this simple mantra - "EVERY driver is out to kill you" Fun fact - driving on the left became a legal requirement via the UKs Highway Act 1835 - useful to know in the event of an emergency pub quiz......

Can you share the brand and style of the helmet shown after the Califonia Scooter laws?

I Live in Iowa and it's all legal here. I ride my scooter on and off the sidewalks depending on on traffic and pedestrians. I also wear a helmet.

Anybody know any details on Texas.. It says mostly unregulated? Thanks.

Geez, I live in PA. Although I'm moving to Flordia in two years lol so I suppose it kind of works out.

I just want to know how the heck did the bikes in Netherlands get such favor as to have a law that states "if a car hits a bike the car is at fault." I know that there the insurance companies said this has to happen or we won't write a policy for bikes.

This needs to be a yearly updated video

In NY scooters are illegal to ride but I asked a cop what should i do use the road he told me just use the sidewalk but just be more careful and i use a scooter everyday to get to work

New Zealand law: Under 300 Watts: Allowed to ride on footpaths & side of the road if safe Over 300 Watts: Not allowed on the road at all Cops generally don't enforce this law, and treat all escooters like bicycles i've heard.

Hi if u are under 18 can u ride an electric scooter in the park? And what is the top speed of an electric scooter for someone under 18? Thank you

Whats the rules on power off operation kick riding an E scooter in the areas that are unlawful to operate E scooters

LOLLLL. Who makes these thumbnails!? 🤣🤣🤣 It's getting out of hand 🤣 anyways! Wear your helmet when riding ALL THE TIME! 😁

Please, what about Canada? I live in Toronto and want to get e-scooter but no clue on the laws. Researching now…

So Scooters can't use a bike lane on an expressway in California where the speed limit is 45 or 50 Mph but bicycles can? Does a road have to have a bike lane to ride a scooter there?

In Italy you can't gave more than 250 Watts and can't go faster than 13mph

Hey guys, I need some serious intel!!!. I am getting the itch that there are about to be some new releases from trusted brands like Kaabo, Varla, Dualtron, Nami and Apollo to name a few. I'm noticing several sales on high priced scooters and I just saw the spec for the new Varla Falcon. Hence, I am leaning on you to answer one question so that I can save my $3,000 for the next best scooter to launch. What companies are dropping scooters between now and Summer 2023? I don't want to buy anything old considering the vast array of improvements in tech and form to come. PLEASE DIVULGE!!! :))) THANKS A MILLION! YOUR CHANNEL IS PROLIFIC!

What I have to say about where things should go: 1. 25 mph should be a reasonable speed limit for scooters. 15 mph is just too low for most places. 2. If you go over 15 mph, you really should have a full cover helmet. The thing is if the shit hits the fan, a scooter is something you can quickly hop off of after jamming on the brakes at the last moment or even have the wheels digging into soft soil and rapidly slowing you down, causing you to lose some speed, likely pushing you under 10 mph when you hop off and then you can easily run a bit to a stop and stay on your feet. At 25 mph, you may try to do all of this, but you will most likely end up face planting and then that leads to an expensive hospital visit after hitting your head face first and a messed up face. Even at 15 mph, it is not a bad idea to use a full cover helmet. 3. Don't obstruct your hearing while riding. Hearing is very important for situational awareness. Maybe if you are poking along on a sidewalk at 5 mph and nobody is really around, OK, but any other situation, especially a busy street / crowded urban center, this is just asking for an accident to happen. 4. Something that frustrates me is even in the bike lanes in busy places, people just don't follow any sort of rules. People walking in the bike lane and even in groups obstructing the bike lanes when the walking path is right there next to the bike lanes. People riding their bicycles on the wrong side of the bike lanes and looking away and don't even notice when you are ringing your bell and hooting and hollering at them and then when they finally do notice at the very last moment, they swerve to their left while you are logically swerving to your right, causing you to still be on a collision course with them. This is not even a once or twice thing, but basically every time I try riding around a popular area. Then when you get to pedestrian heavy areas where it says to walk, people are riding their e-bikes at full speed through the crowd. I have been thanked for getting off my e-scooter and walking through the designated pedestrian heavy areas. People shouldn't feel compelled to thank you when you do this; it should just be what people do for safety reasons, especially when there is a sign right there with flashing lights telling you to walk and you can see a dense crowd of people right there and thus why the sign and flashing lights were put there. 5. This brings up another problem. Many of our urban centers are just not designed for bicycles and e-scooters and such. Some places are trying out various laws, but until our urban centers are designed right for the current trends in transport, there really needs to be a lot of sensible compromises. Maybe even a required online course teaching people about what is sensible especially as what I see is "common sense" is rare. These urban centers often have the problem that the way they are designed to get around, don't even really work. Cars are probably the most absurd solution to getting around dense urban centers. Bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters combined with good mass transit actually makes far more sense. 6. Getting away from dense urban centers, a lot of other places are very empty sidewalk usage wise and have high speed limits on the roads. Technically these are no e-scooter zones, but really e-scooters should be fine on the sidewalks because no people are on the sidewalks. And they probably should do more about bike lanes. 7. I find having an e-scooter can be a great thing to mix with mass transit. Granted not all mass transit is properly optimized for bikes and e-scooters and especially what accommodations are there are not enough for how popular this now is. It is especially important for mass transit systems to provide ways to properly lock up your bike or e-scooter, a simple bar properly setup will do, but so often something like this is not there like it needs to be there or not there at all. And not all e-scooters are properly optimized to be used with mass transit. This is something that is going to need to be better considered moving forward.

Both sites provided incorrect info compared to current Oregon DMV e-bike specific ODOT guide on the .gov site just saying.

Do you need a license in Chicago for a 50cc venture scooter

Do a Canada version of this

Do I need a permit to ride my solar p1 pro

Here in Jefferson city

Please add chapters to this video. Finding my state is impossible.

Me on my E scooter at 15 doing wheelies at 25 mph on the sidewalk in Cali: HEHEHEHEHAW

What about New Jersey!?

Hi from norway

Can a 15 year old ride an e scooter in Tucson?

i thought california was top because of LAEK8 and sur rons

People are very reckless when riding scooters therefore making the laws more stern on scooter riders.....

I like Florida but I would prefer no regulations

Requiring a drivers license to drive/ride an electric scooter is ridiculous. Government needs to stay out of our lives and worry about important stuff.

Pennsylvania is illegal to ride on any/all public roads. I know I got stopped twice.

To be honest, why is the scooter getting a bad rep? For when they’re all over the city, they should be all over the city. They should be all over Brampton Ontario and Toronto Ontario. If people can park their cars on the street so people be allowed to park their scooters on the street scooters take a lot less space in a car would.

You contradicted yourself. NY STATE law allows electric scooters up to 20mph and defines them as any vehicle weighing 100lbs or less that is solely propelled by the electric motor. If the law was 15mph, then the scooter cannot be able to exceed 15mph by design, not by the willingness of the rider. The information I got was from the DMV website.

Yet no issue with cars being designed to go way faster than any speed limit. Dang politicians.

As someone who doesn't live in the US, these laws sound really dumb. I suppose most politicians over there are of old age and don't understand the capabilities of these little machines. Here in Chile, electric scooters are not regulated. Most people use the bike lanes but I didn't spend 2 grands to ride on bike lanes! I just ride with caution, common sense and always on the road. I don't even have a license, nor does having one accounts for having a functional brain. It's sad to see people putting their lives and others' at risk always ruining fun things for the rest.

There is an untapped MARKET for scooters with a top speed of 15mph, but designed to have the quality and features of high-end scooters that are currently priced at $2000 or more. Regrettably, these scooter companies are unaware of this potential. The States that enforce the 15mph speed limit seem to do so solely to have the ability to hold scooter riders accountable for ANY incidents. No one desires a fragile scooter, even if it costs only $200, as it is considerably more dangerous compared to a fully equipped $2000+ scooter with full suspension. Very corrupted law at this point need cleansing.

What about Philadelphia Pennsylvania???

15 mph is ridiculous, bicycles regularly exceed that

Well since I can't go over 15 mph in Minnesota. I'm glad I don't need to wear a helmet since I'm over eighteen and can ride a bike faster 😂

So in CA kids cannot ride E Scooters.

“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made” - Otto von Bismarck [a wise man].

Laws, Legislations, rules... and when we come to see the objective is just to make a fine and those who make the laws do not comply.... F......

More laws against electric scooter than guns

Elon Musk, can scooters be self driving yet?!!

No matter the State please wear helmets people!

why are old people allowed to make laws?

20 mph is too slow for the street.

California laws are confusing !! Electric scooters are not allowed to go over 15 MPH on any public road or bike lane, and they must stay on slower streets with speed limits of 25 MPH or lower. Where do we have streets that have speed limits of 25 or LESS?

PRO TIP: If you live in New York, MOVE!! Not just for scooter laws, but for a PLETHORA of other reasons as well lol

How accurate is this guide? E-scooters are not banned in Idaho, although this guide states they are. 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Most scooters don’t go 25mph

Who won the giveaway? Would be nice to know if y'all actually went through with the giveaway

So if I don't have a driver's license in California I can't ride one?