Where can you legally ride an electric skateboard?
There is no single answer, and the honest starting point is that most places have never written a law about it. We have read the primary sources for 99 of 99 jurisdictions so far — 50 US states, 13 Canadian provinces and territories, 8 Australian states and territories, 20 other countries and 8 cities. Of those, 19 have a statute that names the device and sets conditions, 32 prohibit it on public roads, 46 regulate a neighbouring device while never naming this one — which is the answer nobody publishes — and 2 name it without writing a single rule for it.
What the four answers mean
- Regulated — A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it.
- Prohibited — The state says the device may not be operated on public highways.
- Unaddressed — No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality.
- Named only — A statute defines the device and takes it out of the vehicle code, but no provision says where it may be ridden or under what conditions. The silence is the answer, and it is not the same silence as a state that never wrote anything at all.
- Not yet read — We have not yet read a primary source for this jurisdiction, so we say nothing.
The third one is the reason this page exists. “No statute names the device” is the commonest real situation and the one every buying guide flattens into a yes or a no. It matters because it tells you where to look next: a general vehicle classification, and your own municipality.
United States
50 of 50 states read
| State | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Alaska | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Arizona | Named only | A statute defines the device and takes it out of the vehicle code, but no provision says where it may be ridden or under what conditions. The silence is the answer, and it is not the same silence as a state that never wrote anything at all. |
| Arkansas | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| California | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Colorado | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Connecticut | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Delaware | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Florida | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Georgia | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Hawaii | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Idaho | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Illinois | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Indiana | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Iowa | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Kansas | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Kentucky | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Louisiana | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Maine | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Maryland | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Massachusetts | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Michigan | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Minnesota | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Mississippi | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Missouri | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Montana | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Nebraska | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Nevada | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| New Hampshire | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| New Jersey | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| New Mexico | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| New York | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| North Carolina | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| North Dakota | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Ohio | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Oklahoma | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Oregon | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Pennsylvania | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Rhode Island | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| South Carolina | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| South Dakota | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Tennessee | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Texas | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Utah | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Vermont | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Virginia | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Washington | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| West Virginia | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Wisconsin | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Wyoming | Named only | A statute defines the device and takes it out of the vehicle code, but no provision says where it may be ridden or under what conditions. The silence is the answer, and it is not the same silence as a state that never wrote anything at all. |
Canada
13 of 13 provinces and territories read
| Province or territory | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| British Columbia | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Manitoba | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| New Brunswick | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Northwest Territories | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Nova Scotia | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Nunavut | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Ontario | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Prince Edward Island | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Quebec | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Saskatchewan | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Yukon | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
Australia
8 of 8 states and territories read
| State or territory | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| New South Wales | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Northern Territory | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Queensland | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| South Australia | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Tasmania | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Victoria | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Western Australia | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
Other countries
20 of 20 countries read
| Country | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Belgium | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Denmark | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| France | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Germany | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Hong Kong | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Ireland | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Italy | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Japan | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Netherlands | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| New Zealand | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| Norway | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Poland | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Portugal | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Singapore | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| South Korea | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Spain | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Sweden | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Switzerland | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
| United Kingdom | Prohibited | The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. |
Cities
8 of 8 cities read
| City | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Regulated | A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. |
| Los Angeles | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Montréal | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| New York City | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| San Francisco | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Seattle | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Toronto | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
| Vancouver | Unaddressed | No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. |
How this list is built, and what it is not
This is the only part of the site that does not come from our own measurements. Everywhere else we read shop catalogues twice a day and publish what we counted. Here we read a public register — and the same rule applies to both: we show the source so you do not have to trust us. Every line carries a section number, a link, and the date we read it.
Two boundaries we hold to. First, we never write “you may ride”. We write what the statute says and link the text. The difference is not lawyerly caution: wrong legal information at scale costs somebody a fine, a confiscated board, or worse. Second, municipal codes are covered only for the 8 cities listed under “Cities” (Chicago, Los Angeles, Montréal, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver), and elsewhere they frequently decide the question. A state that has written nothing leaves your city to write everything.
Where an official server refused us — two did on the day we started — we quote a legal publisher reproducing the codified text and label it as such, rather than presenting a copy as the original.
Electric skateboards in stock today
Priced at the shops we read, in US dollars. Real deals and new lows first, then the lowest price; checked twice a day at the shop itself. We do not rate boards and take no payment for a place here.
| Product | Best price | Verdict | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
WowGo 2S MAX Electric Skateboard & Longboard
🇺🇸renewableoutdoors.com |
US$349.00 | ✓Real deal | |
MEEPO V5 Electric Skateboard
🇺🇸renewableoutdoors.com |
US$379.00 | ✓Real deal | |
WowGo Mini 2S Electric Skateboard & Shortboard
🇺🇸renewableoutdoors.com |
US$444.00 | ✓Real deal | |
Exway Flex Paragon Electric Skateboard
🇺🇸renewableoutdoors.com |
US$1799.00US$1059.00 | ✓Real deal | |
Onewheel Pint X
🇺🇸ridechargedwheels.com |
US$1100.00 | ✓Real deal | |
BOUNDMOTOR Flash Ultra Electric Skateboard
🇺🇸cyrusher.com |
US$1999.00US$1299.00 | ✓Real deal |
Every electric skateboard we track · today's real deals · the cheapest one · 36 under $500 · 111 under $1,000 · what one costs · recalls and safety alerts.
Questions this raises
Are electric skateboards legal in the United States?
There is no federal answer — it is decided state by state, and often city by city below that. Of the states we have read the primary sources for, some have written a statute naming the device, at least one prohibits it on public roads outright, and others regulate a neighbouring device while never naming this one.
Are electric skateboards legal in the UK?
Not on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes. No UK statute names the device; the Department for Transport treats it as a “powered transporter”, which falls within the legal definition of a motor vehicle, and its 2020 call for evidence lists the “Electric Skateboard” among “Devices not currently legal for use on the road”.
Are electric skateboards legal in Australia?
It depends on the state. Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT allow them as personal mobility devices, with speed, weight, age and helmet rules. New South Wales and Victoria keep them off roads and footpaths; the Northern Territory has no text that names them.
Why do other sites give a simple yes or no?
Because a table of fifty yes-or-no answers is easy to write and impossible to source. The most common real situation is that no law names the device at all, and a site forced to pick a column will write “legal” or “illegal” with equal confidence and equal inaccuracy. We publish a third answer and show the text.
Does this page tell me whether I can ride today?
No, and it does not try. It tells you what the statute says, with the section number and a link, so you can read it. Your city almost certainly has rules of its own on top, and we do not cover municipal codes.
Why are most jurisdictions blank?
Because we have not read them yet, and saying so is better than guessing. Each entry is added when a primary source has been read and quoted, with the date. The blank rows are the work list, published rather than hidden.
How current is this?
Every source carries the date we read it, shown on each jurisdiction's page. Laws change; a legal page without a date on every line is worth nothing, so we put one on every line.