Electric scooters are a fast growing comity and becoming a common site to see on the streets in the United States.   While the UK and Asia have long since been pushing the more economic first to last mile ride of electric bikes and electric scooters, the US is just starting to grow in popularity.  But many want to know, are the street-legal in the US?  Our team of experts searched high and low to answer some of the following factors:  can they be ridden in public areas; what's the max speed allowed; how old do you have to be; is a license required and what type; do you need to register or insure your ebike or escooter; what protective gear is needed; and what motor or power requirements classify them as motorized vehicles. 

 This nitty gritty: street riding is banned in a few states. South Carolina is yet to ratify a statewide electric scooter law and Wyoming has no information on laws available.  Also, many states allow counties and cities to set their own regulations so it's always best to do your own research by checking with your state and local municipalities before riding any electric vehicle to avoid heavy fines and other penalties.

Are Electric Bike's and Scooters Street-Legal?

38 states within the US deem electric bike's and scooters street-legal, however some of the states have applied additional laws to where and how the micromobility vehicles can be operated. For example, California doesn't allow scooters on highways, expressways, or limited-access roads due to most scooters not being able to reach a speed safe enough to keep up with the flow of traffic.  States like Indiana, Maine and Connecticut have added the stipulations that while scooters are street-legal, they must stay to the right side of the road while being ridden.  

So which states say what?