Are electric skateboards legal in Delaware?
Not allowed on public roads. Delaware is the clearest prohibition in the United States, and the only one we have read that names the device, bans it from the road AND the sidewalk, and prices the offence. There is no ambiguity to interpret here — the section is titled “Operation of motorized skateboards and scooters”.
What the law says
| What the text says | Section | |
|---|---|---|
| What counts as one | “Any device that is designed to travel on at least 2 wheels with the deck or chassis of such device open and close to the ground, that has handlebars <b>or a hand-controlled throttle or brake</b>, that is designed to be stood or sat upon by the operator, and that is powered by a motor that is capable of propelling the device without human propulsion.” | 21 Del. C. § 101(42) |
| ⚠ The handheld remote is the hinge | Most electric skateboards have no handlebars — but almost all are driven by a handheld remote with a throttle. The definition asks for handlebars <b>or</b> a hand-controlled throttle, and a remote is a hand-controlled throttle on any ordinary reading. That “or” is what brings the board inside a definition written mainly for scooters. | 21 Del. C. § 101(42) |
| Road, street, sidewalk — all closed | “Motorized skateboards or scooters shall not be operated upon a public highway or street or sidewalk or right-of-way thereof located within this State.” Delaware closes the sidewalk explicitly, where Michigan and Virginia leave it open. | 21 Del. C. § 4198N |
| The three exceptions, and they are narrow | You may push it across a public way with the power train disengaged; it may run on a street for a special event of limited duration under permit from the governing unit; and the section does not apply to a low-speed motorized scooter — a separate category, not a skateboard. | 21 Del. C. § 4198N |
| What it costs | A first offence draws a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $115; a second or subsequent offence within 24 months costs more. | 21 Del. C. § 4198N |
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
- 21 Del. C. § 101(42) — Definition — motorized skateboard or scooter. Official source, read 2026-09-23.
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21 Del. C. § 4198N — Operation of motorized skateboards and scooters.
Official source, read 2026-09-23.
Read on the Delaware Code’s own server.
Every source on this page is the text as published by the legislature or the state agency itself. Open them.
How Delaware 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Prohibited | 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, |
| Michigan | Regulated | “A person less than 19 years of age operating an electric skateboard shall wear a crash he | “An electric skateboard must not be operated at a speed of m |
| New York | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Texas | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Washington | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Florida | Unaddressed | no rule naming the device | — |
| Ontario | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Arizona | Named only | no rule naming the device | — |
| Georgia | Unaddressed | 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 |
| British Columbia | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Colorado | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Pennsylvania | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Alberta | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Illinois | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| North Carolina | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Virginia | Regulated | no rule naming the device | — |
| Missouri | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Iowa | Regulated | no rule naming the device | — |
| Connecticut | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Nova Scotia | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Manitoba | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| New Brunswick | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Prince Edward Island | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Maine | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| New Hampshire | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Vermont | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Montana | Regulated | no rule naming the device | — |
| Rhode Island | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| North Dakota | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| West Virginia | Prohibited | no rule naming the device | — |
| Wyoming | Named only | 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 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. California · Michigan · New York · Texas
Questions this raises
Are electric skateboards legal in Delaware?
The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. Delaware is the clearest prohibition in the United States, and the only one we have read that names the device, bans it from the road AND the sidewalk, and prices the offence. There is no ambiguity to interpret here — the section is titled “Operation of motorized skateboards and scooters”.
Do I need a helmet in Delaware?
No rule naming this device addresses helmets in the sources we have read for Delaware. Your municipality may have one.
How fast am I allowed to go in Delaware?
No speed limit specific to this device appears in the sources we have read for Delaware.
Does this cover city rules?
No. This page reads state or provincial 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.