Street Legal Electric Scooters

There are several different types of scooters available on the market, but not all of them are street legal. In order to be street legal, electric scooters must be registered with the DMV, meeting certain safety requirements, and capable of going above certain speeds. Most electric scooters lack things like turn signals, head lights, and horns, which means they do not meet federal requirements to be allowed on the road. Often, motorized vehicles that can reach certain speeds, like electric scooters, are barred from sidewalks and bikepaths because they cause a danger to pedestrians. This makes it illegal to ride anywhere on an electric scooter, and so they are viewed as recreational machines only. However, that is beginning to change across the country as scooters are reevaluated and removed from the legal limbo they have been inhabiting. More laws are changing so that scooters can become street legal, especially in California, where there are a number of electric scooter enthusiasts due to the traffic conditions and the year-around warm weather. On the other hand, in some states like Washington, all electric scooters are illegal.

You should contact your local DMV or police to find out the laws on street legal electric scooters in your area. Generally, police will leave scooter riders alone if they are not creating a nuisance or attracting attention to themselves. Follow the laws of the road, be polite to pedestrians and cyclists, and don’t do anything overtly stupid or knowingly illegal. Generally, as long as you act like an adult, the police have better things to do with their time.

Related Information:

Vespa Motor Scooters
Check with local authorities if you have questions about street legal electric scooters in your area.

Yamaha Motor Scooters
Street legal electric scooters have the proper safety requirements to be registered with the DMV.