Are electric skateboards legal in the Netherlands?
Not allowed on public roads. The Dutch central government says plainly that electric skateboards may not be used on public roads or sidewalks. Its page on prohibited vehicles lists the electric skateboard, the hoverboard, the monowheel and the Onewheel as vehicles without handlebars or a seat, which are not allowed. Riders can be fined and the police can seize the vehicle. Use is allowed only on private ground closed to other traffic.
What the law says
| What the text says | Section | |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles without handlebars or a seat are prohibited | Rijksoverheid.nl: “Voertuigen zonder stuur en zitplaats zijn verboden, zoals een hoverboard en een elektrisch skateboard.” (Vehicles without handlebars and a seat are prohibited, such as a hoverboard and an electric skateboard — our translation.) | Rijksoverheid.nl — Verboden voertuigen op de weg en stoep |
| The electric skateboard is named | The page lists the electric skateboard among the vehicles you may not ride on roads or sidewalks (“U mag niet op de weg en stoep rijden met een:” — you may not ride on the road or sidewalk with a — our translation) and describes it as “Een skateboard met een elektromotor. Er is geen stuur of zitplaats aanwezig.” (A skateboard with an electric motor. There are no handlebars and no seat — our translation.) | Rijksoverheid.nl — Verboden voertuigen op de weg en stoep |
| “Road” includes bike paths and sidewalks | “Alle andere wegen, fietspaden en stoepen horen tot de weg.” (All other roads, bike paths and sidewalks count as the road — our translation.) The same page says that “Een eigen terrein is niet toegankelijk voor ander verkeer.” (Private ground is not accessible to other traffic — our translation.) | Rijksoverheid.nl — Verboden voertuigen op de weg en stoep |
| Private ground only | “U mag wel op eigen terrein rijden met deze voertuigen.” (You may ride these vehicles on private ground — our translation.) | Rijksoverheid.nl — Verboden voertuigen op de weg en stoep |
| Fines and seizure | “U kunt een boete krijgen als u op de weg of stoep rijdt met een verboden voertuig.” (You can be fined if you ride a prohibited vehicle on the road or sidewalk — our translation.) “De politie kan het voertuig ook in beslag nemen.” (The police can also seize the vehicle — our translation.) | Rijksoverheid.nl — Verboden voertuigen op de weg en stoep |
| Toy threshold of 6 km/h | “Een voertuig met een maximumsnelheid van 6 kilometer per uur is speelgoed. Daarmee mag u wel op de weg en stoep rijden.” (A vehicle with a maximum speed of 6 km/h is a toy and may be ridden on the road and sidewalk — our translation.) | Rijksoverheid.nl — Verboden voertuigen op de weg en stoep |
| Statutory definition of a motor vehicle | Article 1(1)(c) of the Road Traffic Act 1994 (Wegenverkeerswet 1994) defines motorrijtuigen as “alle voertuigen, bestemd om anders dan langs spoorstaven te worden voortbewogen uitsluitend of mede door een mechanische kracht” (all vehicles intended to be moved other than along rails, wholly or partly by mechanical power — our translation), with pedal-assisted bicycles excepted. The Act does not name electric skateboards. | Art. 1 Wegenverkeerswet 1994 |
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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Rijksoverheid.nl — Verboden voertuigen op de weg en stoep — Verboden voertuigen op de weg en stoep (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat).
Official source, read 2026-09-25.
Dutch text; translations are ours. The page shows no date. -
Art. 1 Wegenverkeerswet 1994 — Wegenverkeerswet 1994 (version in force from 1 September 2026).
Official source, read 2026-09-25.
Dutch 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 the Netherlands 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Prohibited | 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 |
| Austria | Unaddressed | no rule naming the 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 |
| 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?
Not allowed on roads or sidewalks. The Dutch government lists the Onewheel — “Een elektrische eenwieler met een plank om op te staan” (an electric one-wheeler with a board to stand on — our translation) — among vehicles without handlebars or a seat that may not be ridden, and counts bike paths and sidewalks as part of the road.
Every jurisdiction that names a one-wheel board, side by side: 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 the Netherlands?
The state says the device may not be operated on public highways. The Dutch central government says plainly that electric skateboards may not be used on public roads or sidewalks. Its page on prohibited vehicles lists the electric skateboard, the hoverboard, the monowheel and the Onewheel as vehicles without handlebars or a seat, which are not allowed. Riders can be fined and the police can seize the vehicle. Use is allowed only on private ground closed to other traffic.
Is a Onewheel legal in the Netherlands?
Not allowed on roads or sidewalks. The Dutch government lists the Onewheel — “Een elektrische eenwieler met een plank om op te staan” (an electric one-wheeler with a board to stand on — our translation) — among vehicles without handlebars or a seat that may not be ridden, and counts bike paths and sidewalks as part of the road.
Do I need a helmet in the Netherlands?
No rule naming this device addresses helmets in the sources we have read for the Netherlands. Your municipality may have one.
How fast am I allowed to go in the Netherlands?
No speed limit specific to this device appears in the sources we have read for the Netherlands.
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.