Are electric skateboards legal in Quebec?
Specific law, with conditions. Quebec is the only jurisdiction we have read where an electric skateboard sits squarely inside a written framework — and where almost no board on sale can legally meet it. A pilot project in force since 2023 defines the “motorized personal transport device” broadly enough to catch a skateboard, then requires wheels of at least 190 mm. Most electric skateboards run 70 to 110 mm. The device is permitted in principle and disqualified in practice, and no shop selling into Quebec says so.
What the law says
| What the text says | Section | |
|---|---|---|
| What counts as one | A vehicle meant to carry people that “is fitted exclusively with electric motors”, “has at least one wheel”, and “has no cabin enclosed by a rigid or soft material”. The exclusions are the motorcycle, the moped, the power-assisted bicycle, the motorized mobility aid, the motorized toy vehicle and off-road vehicles — an electric skateboard is none of these, so it is an ATPM. | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| Wheel diameter — the rule that decides | “The overall diameter of the wheels of the ATPM is at least 190 mm” (s. 6). This is the provision that takes most electric skateboards out, and it is worth measuring your own board before assuming anything. | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| Motor and speed | Maximum rated power 500 W, combined across motors, and the drive must cut out at no more than 25 km/h (s. 4). | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| Weight | No more than 36 kg including the battery (s. 5). | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| Brakes | Every wheel must have a brake that stops the device promptly on dry level pavement; a hub motor able to do that counts as a brake (s. 7). Except for a self-balancing device, two independent brake systems are required, one of them mechanical (s. 8). | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| Minimum age | Only a person at least 14 years old may ride an ATPM on a public road, and must carry proof of age and show it to a peace officer on request (s. 16). | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| Helmet | Required. A rigid shell, padded inside, with a chin strap, correctly fitted and firmly fastened (s. 17). | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| Where you may ride | Riding is prohibited on a public road posted above 50 km/h, except to cross at an intersection, to move between two 50 km/h roads through a roundabout, or on a cycle lane physically separated from the roadway (s. 19). Cyclist obligations under the Highway Safety Code apply (s. 31), and a road authority may ban ATPMs from a lane or road by posting the sign set out in the regulation (ss. 33-34). | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| Lights and reflectors | Red reflector at the rear and on each side, white at the front, visible at 150 m (ss. 10, 13). At night, a white lamp at the front and a red one at the rear (s. 12), which may be replaced by a light worn by the rider. | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| What it costs to get it wrong | Riding a non-compliant device draws a $200 fine for the power and weight rules and $100 for the equipment rules in sections 6 to 15 (s. 44). Riding without a helmet, above 50 km/h roads, or against the cyclist rules is $100 (s. 46). | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
| It is a pilot project, not permanent law | The instrument is a ministerial pilot project made under section 633.1 of the Highway Safety Code, in force since 2023 and amended in 2024 and 2025. Pilot projects expire and get replaced. The text we read is the consolidation current to 15 April 2026. | RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 |
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
-
RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002 — Projet pilote relatif à l’utilisation des appareils de transport personnel motorisés.
Official source, read 2026-09-20.
Read on Légis Québec, which states “Ce document a valeur officielle” and dates the consolidation to 15 April 2026. The regulation is in French; the wording above is our translation, and the section numbers let you check it against the original.
Every source on this page is the text as published by the legislature or the state agency itself. Open them.
How Quebec 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 | Not above 25 mph. |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
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 Quebec?
A statute names the device and sets out what is required to ride it. Quebec is the only jurisdiction we have read where an electric skateboard sits squarely inside a written framework — and where almost no board on sale can legally meet it. A pilot project in force since 2023 defines the “motorized personal transport device” broadly enough to catch a skateboard, then requires wheels of at least 190 mm. Most electric skateboards run 70 to 110 mm. The device is permitted in principle and disqualified in practice, and no shop selling into Quebec says so.
Do I need a helmet in Quebec?
Required. A rigid shell, padded inside, with a chin strap, correctly fitted and firmly fastened (s. 17). That is RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002.
How fast am I allowed to go in Quebec?
Maximum rated power 500 W, combined across motors, and the drive must cut out at no more than 25 km/h (s. 4). That is RLRQ c. C-24.2, r. 39.1.002.
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.