This is the question we're asked most often.

The answer varies from state to state and even in some cases from community to community within the same state. 

Historically, electric scooters have occupied a vague stratum of the law, nestled somewhere between motorcycles and bicycles. Lacking the speed and safety features (turn signals, lights, horns, etc.) of motorcycles, e-scooters were not deemed street legal; because they were motor-powered, though, they were banned from sidewalks and bike lanes. In effect, e-scooters were vehicular pariahs, trapped in legal limbo, stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Recently, though, with all of the interest over getting cars off of our streets and hydrocarbons out of our air, lawmakers have come to view the electric scooter more favorably as a viable means of alternative transportation. The great state of California, for example, recently legalized electric scooters for helmeted drivers over the age of 16.

The definition of a motorized scooter as used in the California Vehicle Code is: any two-wheel device that has handlebars, is designed to be stood or sat upon by the operator and is powered by a motor capable of propelling the device with or without human propulsion.

Some of the regulations are as follows:

1. The operator must be at least 16 years of age.

2. A driver's license is not required.

3. No insurance, registration or license plates are required

4. The operator must properly wear a bicycle helmet (even adults).

5. The operator may not have any passengers.

6. The operator must have a least one hand on the handlebars at all times.

7. Driving under the influence is applicable on scooters.

8. Scooters may not be operated at a speed greater than 15 mph.

9. Scooters may not be operated on streets with a speed limit more than 25 mph, unless it is operated in a marked bicycle lane.

10. Scooters may not be operated on sidewalks.

11. The operator may not make a left turn at an intersection. The operator shall stop and dismount at the right hand side of the roadway or curb and then complete the turn by crossing the roadway on foot.

12. The handlebars must be at or below the level of the operator's shoulders.

13. The operator may not park the scooter on a sidewalk if it blocks the path of the sidewalk.

14. The operator may not attach them self or the scooter to any other vehicle on the roadway.

15. Equipment requirements during darkness:

1. Must have a white headlight visible from 300 feet from the front and the sides.

2. Must have a red reflector on the rear of the scooter or attached to the operator of the scooter visible from 500 feet.

3. Must have a white or yellow reflector on each side visible from 200 feet in front and the rear of the scooter.

4. Must have an engine/motor kill switch that activates when released or when the brakes are applied.

16. Motor scooters shall not emit excessive noise. This usually is the result of a modified exhaust system.

An operator of a motorized scooter may be cited by a police officer and ordered to appear in court for violating the laws regulating these vehicles. Parents or guardians of a minor may be liable for injury to persons or property in a collision.

If you live in an area where electric scooters are technically illegal, check with your local law enforcement. If your community is progressively inclined, you may find that the police tolerate electric scooters as long as they are operated in a responsible manner.