Are electric skateboards legal in Austria?
No statute names the device. No Austrian text we read names electric skateboards. The e-scooter category in the Road Traffic Act (StVO) requires a handlebar, so it does not cover boards. The StVO treats any electrically driven vehicle whose drive matches an e-bike's (at most 250 W and 25 km/h) as a bicycle, and separately provides for small vehicles meant mainly for use off the roadway, but no official text or page places electric skateboards in either class. The federal government's citizen portal applies skateboard rules to electrically driven hoverboards, allowing them on sidewalks at walking pace, and is silent on electric skateboards.
What the law says
| What the text says | Section | |
|---|---|---|
| The e-scooter category requires a handlebar | § 2(1) no. 22a StVO defines an electrically driven kick scooter as “ein elektrisch angetriebenes, einspuriges Fahrzeug mit einer Höchstleistung von nicht mehr als 600 Watt und einer Bauartgeschwindigkeit von nicht mehr als 25 km/h, das mit einer Lenkstange, einem Trittbrett und mit einem äußeren Felgendurchmesser von höchstens 300 mm ausgestattet ist und keine Sitzvorrichtung aufweist” (an electrically driven single-track vehicle of at most 600 W and 25 km/h design speed, with a handlebar, a footboard and a rim diameter of at most 300 mm, and no seat — our translation). § 1(2b) KFG 1967 exempts these scooters from the motor vehicle rules. | § 2 StVO 1960 |
| Electric vehicles with an e-bike-type drive count as bicycles | § 2(1) no. 22(d) StVO includes among bicycles “ein elektrisch angetriebenes Fahrzeug, dessen Antrieb dem eines Elektrofahrrads im Sinne des § 1 Abs. 2a KFG 1967 entspricht” (an electrically driven vehicle whose drive corresponds to that of an electric bicycle under § 1(2a) KFG 1967 — our translation). Under § 1(2a) KFG, that drive has “einer Nenndauerleistung von nicht mehr als 250 Watt” and “einer Bauartgeschwindigkeit von nicht mehr als 25 km/h” (a continuous rated power of not more than 250 W and a design speed of not more than 25 km/h — our translation). No text or official page says whether an electric skateboard falls under this provision. | § 2 StVO 1960 |
| Small vehicles for use off the roadway | § 2(1) no. 19(f) StVO excludes from the definition of 'vehicle' “ähnliche, vorwiegend zur Verwendung außerhalb der Fahrbahn bestimmte Kleinfahrzeuge” (similar small vehicles intended mainly for use off the roadway — our translation), giving non-electric kick scooters as the example. | § 2 StVO 1960 |
| Sidewalks: vehicle-like toys at walking pace | § 88(2) StVO allows such devices on sidewalks and footpaths: “Spiele auf Gehsteigen oder Gehwegen und deren Befahren mit fahrzeugähnlichem Spielzeug und ähnlichen Bewegungsmitteln in Schrittgeschwindigkeit sind gestattet, wenn hiedurch der Verkehr auf der Fahrbahn oder Fußgänger nicht gefährdet oder behindert werden.” (Games on sidewalks or footpaths and riding on them with vehicle-like toys and similar means of locomotion at walking pace are permitted if they do not endanger or obstruct traffic on the roadway or pedestrians — our translation.) | § 88 StVO 1960 |
| Official portal: hoverboards follow skateboard rules | Oesterreich.gv.at (responsible: Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure): “Monorovers (Oxboards, Hoverboards) gelten als elektrisch angetriebene, vorwiegend zur Verwendung außerhalb der Fahrbahn bestimmte Kleinfahrzeuge. Für sie gelten dieselben Bestimmungen wie für Skateboards (siehe unten).” (Monorovers — Oxboards, hoverboards — count as electrically driven small vehicles intended mainly for use off the roadway, and the same rules as for skateboards apply to them — our translation.) The page does not mention electric skateboards. | oesterreich.gv.at — Spielen auf der Straße |
| Skateboard rules on the portal | “Skateboards dürfen auf Gehwegen oder Gehsteigen nur verwendet werden, wenn das Skateboard nicht auf die Fahrbahn gelangen kann. Nicht erlaubt ist das Skateboard fahren auf Radfahranlagen oder auf der Fahrbahn.” (Skateboards may be used on footpaths or sidewalks only if the board cannot roll onto the roadway; skateboarding on cycle facilities or on the roadway is not permitted — our translation.) Riding in parks and similar facilities is also allowed. | oesterreich.gv.at — Spielen auf der Straße |
| Supervision of children with electric devices | The portal, relying on § 88(2) StVO: “Kinder über acht Jahre dürfen mit den oben genannten Fortbewegungsmitteln im öffentlichen Verkehr nur dann alleine unterwegs sein, wenn die Fortbewegungsmittel ausschließlich durch Muskelkraft betrieben werden.” (Children over eight may ride these devices alone in public traffic only if the devices are powered purely by muscle — our translation.) Otherwise children under twelve must be supervised by someone aged at least 16, unless they hold a cycling permit. | oesterreich.gv.at — Spielen auf der Straße |
| Segways: e-bike or motor vehicle | “Segways gelten grundsätzlich als Elektrofahrräder. Überschreitet die Leistung eines Segways 250 Watt oder die Bauartgeschwindigkeit 25 km/h, so gelten sie als Kraftfahrzeuge und dürfen nur dann auf Straßen mit öffentlichem Verkehr verwendet werden, wenn sie über eine Zulassung und eine EU-Betriebserlaubnis verfügen.” (Segways are in principle treated as electric bicycles; above 250 W or 25 km/h they are motor vehicles and may be used on public roads only with registration and an EU type approval — our translation.) | oesterreich.gv.at — Spielen auf der Straße |
Each row is the statute's own content, reduced to plain wording where it is long and quoted directly where the exact words matter. The section in the last column is a link to the text.
Sources
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§ 2 StVO 1960 — Straßenverkehrsordnung 1960, § 2 (version in force 1 May – 30 September 2026, as amended by BGBl. I Nr. 17/2026).
Official source, read 2026-09-25.
German text; translations are ours. The RIS web interface returned a bot check, so we read the Federal Chancellery's official open-data copy. § 1 KFG read at https://ogd.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Bundesnormen/NOR40276999/NOR40276999.html -
§ 88 StVO 1960 — Straßenverkehrsordnung 1960, § 88 Spielen auf Straßen.
Official source, read 2026-09-25.
German text; translations are ours. -
§ 68a StVO 1960 — Straßenverkehrsordnung 1960, § 68a Rollerfahren (in force from 1 May 2026).
Official source, read 2026-09-25.
German text; translations are ours. The former § 88b was repealed on 30 April 2026. -
oesterreich.gv.at — Spielen auf der Straße — Spielen auf der Straße (last updated 1 May 2026).
Official source, read 2026-09-25.
German text; translations are ours.
Every source on this page is the text as published by the legislature or the state agency itself. Open them.
How Austria compares
The same four questions, across every jurisdiction whose primary sources we have read. Each row links to its own page and its own citations.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Helmet | Speed limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Alabama | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Alaska | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Arizona | Named only | no rule naming the device | — |
| Arkansas | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| California | Regulated | Required at every age: a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet meeting the standard | Not above 15 mph on a highway, bikeway, public bicycle path, |
| Colorado | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Connecticut | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Delaware | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Florida | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Georgia | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Hawaii | Unaddressed | “No person under eighteen years of age shall operate a skateboard upon a street, roadway, | — |
| Idaho | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Illinois | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Indiana | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Iowa | Regulated | no rule naming the device | — |
| Kansas | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Kentucky | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Louisiana | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Maine | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Maryland | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | Maryland’s stand-up electric class requires a vehicle that “ |
| Massachusetts | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Michigan | Regulated | “A person less than 19 years of age operating an electric skateboard shall wear a crash he | — |
| Minnesota | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Mississippi | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Missouri | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Montana | Regulated | no rule naming the device | — |
| Nebraska | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Nevada | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| New Hampshire | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| New Jersey | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | The 2019 class that New Jersey does allow on the road is def |
| New Mexico | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| New York | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| North Carolina | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| North Dakota | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Ohio | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | “Vehicle” does not include “any low-speed micromobility devi |
| Oklahoma | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Oregon | Unaddressed | It is an offence if a person “is under 16 years of age, rides on a skateboard or scooter o | — |
| Pennsylvania | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Rhode Island | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| South Carolina | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| South Dakota | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Tennessee | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Texas | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Utah | Regulated | “An individual under 21 years old may not operate or ride the following on a highway unles | — |
| Vermont | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Virginia | Regulated | no rule naming the device | — |
| Washington | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| West Virginia | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Wisconsin | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Wyoming | Named only | no rule naming the device | — |
| Alberta | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| British Columbia | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Manitoba | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| New Brunswick | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Northwest Territories | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Nova Scotia | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Nunavut | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Ontario | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Prince Edward Island | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Quebec | Regulated | Required. A rigid shell, padded inside, with a chin strap, correctly fitted and firmly fas | Maximum rated power 500 W, combined across motors, and the d |
| Saskatchewan | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | A “limited speed motor vehicle” is “any motor vehicle that h |
| Yukon | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Australian Capital Territory | Regulated | s 244H(1): “A person travelling in or on a personal mobility device must wear an approved | s 244FB: an offence is committed by travelling faster than “ |
| New South Wales | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Northern Territory | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Queensland | Regulated | “When you ride a personal mobility device, you must wear an approved bicycle helmet or an | “You may ride on paths unless there's a sign prohibiting per |
| South Australia | Regulated | “PMD riders must: be aged 16 years or over wear a helmet”. “When you ride a PMD, you must | — |
| Tasmania | Regulated | “Yes. All PMD users must wear an approved helmet.” | “PMD users must not exceed: 15km/h on footpaths 25km/h on sh |
| Victoria | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Western Australia | Regulated | r 223B(2): “A person must not ride an electric rideable device on a road or path unless th | r 15(2): a person “must not ride an electric rideable device |
| France | Regulated | A helmet is required nationally only where the authority has opened a road limited to 80 k | Service-public.fr: “La vitesse maximum autorisée est de 25 k |
| Germany | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | These rules apply only to vehicles covered by the eKFV, not |
| Hong Kong | Prohibited | The 2023 LegCo paper (para. 14) proposes that “EMD users must be at least 16 years old” an | The 2023 LegCo paper (para. 14) proposes that “EMD users mus |
| Netherlands | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| New Zealand | Prohibited | The Road User Rule helmet requirement (cl. 11.8(1)) applies to anyone who rides “a bicycle | — |
| Singapore | Regulated | no rule naming the device | — |
| Spain | Unaddressed | In the version of the Reglamento General de Circulación amended by Real Decreto 518/2026, | — |
| Switzerland | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| United Kingdom | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
The spread is the point. These are neighbouring jurisdictions regulating the same object, and they do not agree on what it is, how fast it may go, who may ride it, or whether it may be ridden at all. A rider who crosses a state line is, quite often, subject to a different legal category rather than a stricter version of the same one — which is why a single national answer to this question does not exist and why anyone offering you one has stopped reading the law.
It also explains why so many rows say the device is unaddressed. Most vehicle codes were written before this machine existed, and a legislature that has not revisited them has not thereby permitted anything — it has left the question to a general classification and to your city.
What about a Onewheel?
No text we read for Austria names a board with a single wheel. The reading above is for electric skateboards; whether a Onewheel falls in the same class, another one or none is a question the statutes here do not answer, and neither do we. 8 jurisdictions do name it — Are Onewheels legal?
What this page does not tell you
- It is not legal advice, and it never says you may ride. It says what the statute says, and links it.
- It does not cover municipal law. Cities regulate sidewalks, parks, paths and often these devices by name. Those rules sit on top of everything above.
- It does not cover private property, insurance, or what happens after an accident.
- It may be out of date. Every source carries the day we read it. A statute amended since then will not have updated itself here.
Other jurisdictions: the full list. Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas
Questions this raises
Are electric skateboards legal in Austria?
No law we can find defines an electric skateboard. What applies instead is a general vehicle classification and, in practice, your municipality. No Austrian text we read names electric skateboards. The e-scooter category in the Road Traffic Act (StVO) requires a handlebar, so it does not cover boards. The StVO treats any electrically driven vehicle whose drive matches an e-bike's (at most 250 W and 25 km/h) as a bicycle, and separately provides for small vehicles meant mainly for use off the roadway, but no official text or page places electric skateboards in either class. The federal government's citizen portal applies skateboard rules to electrically driven hoverboards, allowing them on sidewalks at walking pace, and is silent on electric skateboards.
Is a Onewheel legal in Austria?
No statute we read for Austria names a board with a single wheel, so the law there does not answer directly. For electric skateboards, the status we found is: no statute names the device. Only 8 of the 81 jurisdictions we read name a one-wheel board: Utah, Quebec, Queensland, Tasmania, British Columbia, New York, Victoria, the Netherlands.
Do I need a helmet in Austria?
No rule naming this device addresses helmets in the sources we have read for Austria. Your municipality may have one.
How fast am I allowed to go in Austria?
No speed limit specific to this device appears in the sources we have read for Austria.
Does this cover city rules?
No. This page reads state, provincial or national law only. Municipal codes frequently add rules — on sidewalks, parks and paths especially — and where the state has written nothing, the city has written everything.
How do I check this myself?
Open the links in the sources below. Every row in the table above names the section it comes from, and every source shows the date we read it. That is the whole point of the page: you should not have to take our word for it.