The US federal law allow two or three-wheeled vehicles that is powered by a motor, or by a motor and pedals, to be ridden as long as the rider does not exceed 20mph, and has a motor that is 750W or lower.
This law precedes the mass adoption of electric scooters, so it does not include the term "electric scooters". Generally, it's reasonable to assume electric scooters are covered under this law.
With a basis to reference, each U.S state has created their own electric scooter laws. These regulations are always changing and where there is a missing state-wide regulation, the individual cities are left to dictate the rules.
Our table gives a brief overview of each state's age restrictions, legal status, and where electric scooters can be ridden. We recommend checking with your city officials for the latest electric scooter rules or upcoming news.
| State | Age Restriction | Legal Status | Description |
| Alabama | At least 14 years old | Class M license required. | Wearing a helmet is required. Ride on roadways. Prohibited to ride on bike lanes or sidewalks. |
| Alaska | At least 14 years old | Class M2 license required. | Wearing a helmet is required. Ride on roadways, bike lanes, and sidewalks. Unless street signage states otherwise. |
| Arizona | At least 18 years old | Legal. No license required. |
Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Arkansas |
At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| California | At least 18 years old | Driver license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Colorado | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Connecticut | At least 15 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for everyone. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Delaware | At least 16 years old | Not legal to ride on public roads. | Riding on public roadways, bike lanes, and sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Florida | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 16. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Georgia | At least 15 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for everyone. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Hawaii | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 16. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Idaho | None | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways, bike lanes, and sidewalks. Unless street signage states otherwise. |
| Illinois | At least 16 years old | Driver license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Indiana | None | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Iowa | None | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Kansas | None | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Kentucky | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Louisiana | At least 17 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 17. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Maine | At least 16 years old | Driver license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Maryland | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 16. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Massachusetts | None | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways, bike lanes, and sidewalks (outside of business district). |
| Michigan | At least 12 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 19. Ride on roadways, bike lanes, and sidewalks. Unless street signage states otherwise. |
| Minnesota | At least 12 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Mississippi | At least 15 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways, sidewalks, and bike lanes. |
| Missouri | At least 16 years old | Driver license required. | Wearing a helmet is required. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Montana | None | Not legal to ride on public roads. | Riding on public roadways, bike lanes, and sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Nebraska | None | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways, sidewalks, and bike lanes. No statewide regulation of electric scooters. Please check your city's regulation. |
| Nevada | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Unless street signage states otherwise. |
| New Hampshire | At least 16 years old | Vehicle must be registered. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| New Jersey | None | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 17. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| New Mexico | None | Not legal to ride on public roads. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. No statewide regulation of electric scooters. Please check your city's regulation. |
| New York | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| North Carolina | At least 16 years old |
Driver license required. Vehicle must be registered. |
Wearing a helmet is required. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| North Dakota | At least 14 years old | Driver license required. | Wearing a helmet is required. Ride on roadways. Bike lanes and sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Ohio | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Unless street signage states otherwise. |
| Oklahoma | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Oregon | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Pennsylvania | At least 16 years old |
Vehicle must be registered. Insurance coverage required. Vehicle must satisfy motorcycle requirements. |
Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. Due to the heavy regulation, very few electric scooters meet a motorcycle requirement, so electric scooters are generally considered illegal for public road use. |
| Rhode Island | At least 16 years old |
Driver license required. Vehicle must be registered. Vehicle must have a rear-view mirror. |
Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 21. Eye protection is required. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| South Carolina | At least 16 years old |
Class M license required. Vehicle must be registered. Insurance coverage required. |
Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 21. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| South Dakota | At least 16 years old |
Driver license required.
|
Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Eye protection is required. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Tennessee | At least 18 years old | Driver license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 16. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Texas | None | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Utah | At least 18 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Vermont | At least 16 years old | Not legal to ride on public roads. | No statewide regulation of electric scooters. Please check your city's regulation. |
| Virginia | At least 14 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| Washington | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is required for riders under 18. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. |
| West Virginia | At least 16 years old |
Driver license required. Vehicle must be registered. Insurance coverage required. |
Wearing a helmet is required for riders. Ride on roadways and bike lanes. Sidewalks are prohibited. Due to the heavy regulation, very few electric scooters meet a motorcycle requirement, so electric scooters are generally considered illegal for public road use. |
| Wisconsin | At least 16 years old | Legal. No license required. | Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Unless street signage states otherwise. |
| Wyoming | None | No official legal requirements yet. |
No statewide regulation of electric scooters. In practice, electric scooters are treated similarly to e-bikes. Please check your city's regulation. Wearing a helmet is recommended. Ride on roadways, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Unless street signage states otherwise. |
FAQ
There is no official state-wide electric scooter law but I see electric scooters everywhere in my city. What should I do?
Although electric scooters are not officially legalized in some states, they may be de facto treated the same as electric bikes. Please check with your city's regulators for the latest news or upcoming electric scooter laws.
There is no state-wide helmet requirement for electric scooters. Do I need to wear a helmet?
Yes! Regardless of a legal requirement or age restriction, please wear a helmet when riding. Other optional safety precautions include closed toe shoes, sunglasses, helmet visor, gloves, knee pads, and shoulder pads.
Is there an electric scooter speed limit?
Most states have limited electric scooters to a top speed of 25 mph. The official rule varies from state to state so it's important to check with your local district. Most states limit riders to bike lanes and the roadways. Sidewalks are generally restricted from riding electric scooters.
Is there an electric scooter rider age restriction?
Most states require riders to be at least 16 years old. This will vary from state to state. Please check with your city's official whether licensing and insurance is required.
