Is An Electric Skateboard Street legal? : An Explanatory Discussion

When you decide to get an electric skateboard, what’s the first thing that pops up in your mind? We bet it’s not the electric skateboard’s safety, usability, or design. Instead, we dare mention that you have thought about the street-legality of the e-skateboard. And we know that you have continued visiting from one website to another to find the answer to the question, “Is an electric skateboard street legal?”

We understand that you haven’t got your answer and so, you are here. So, we would give an insight into electric skateboard legality in the USA, UK, and other European countries.

But, here’s the short answer.

In most states of the USA, an electric skateboard is legal only in individual properties. However, a few states, including California and Michigan, have made electric skateboards street-legal following a few rules imposed for the rider and the skateboard. In the UK, the government is in the experimental stage for allowing e-skateboards on the street.

Now, let’s take this discussion deep so you can know if your locality allows you to ride an electric skateboard on the streets.

Is An Electric Skateboard Street Legal?

Electric skateboards are the latest buzz in the commuter industry. It has swept the globe with adventurous commuting skills and eco and rider-friendliness. But, one thing has limited the popularity of these skateboards among general people, and it’s their street legality and complex rules regarding the traffic rules.

So, we will discuss the rules about electric skateboard legality on roads in the following discussion. Also, you may own an electric board of a different kind and might want to know about its allowance on the road. To know whether e-boards are legal or not, read more.

Electric Skateboard Steel legality in the USA

Although electric skateboards have gone through massive technological advancement, the laws regarding this vehicle are falling behind the technology. And guess what, different states of the US have made it even more complex as it varies from one state to another. Also, there’s no federal law about electric skateboards.

So, it will be a good idea to find what different states have to say about e-skateboards for usability on the streets.

California:

California is among the first few places to accept the electric skateboard as a mainstream commuting vehicle. The state government of California has passed the law and allowed riding e-skateboard on public areas and streets. But, you need to follow a few traffic rules for it. Some of the key rules include:

1. The rider must be over 16 years old and wear a helmet
2. Your electric skateboard power mustn’t cross 1000W
3. The speed limit is set at 20MPH for the skateboards
4. When you ride on public property, you mustn’t cross 15MPH speed
5. Riding on highways is prohibited. And for riding at night, the e-skateboard needs to have a front light and red and yellow reflectors.

Michigan

Michigan passed House Bill 5391 in 2018 that legalized e-skateboard on the roads. Now, e-skaters can ride an electric skateboard on the streets like regular cyclists. E-skaters now have to follow the rules imposed for cyclists while driving on the streets.

However, Michigan has more generous laws for e-skaters than California. Yes, in Michigan, e-skateboard motor capacity is limited at 2500W, and the speed limit is set at 25MPH, and both of these features are better than Californian rules. Also, only one rider is allowed on the board, and the rider must wear a helmet.

New York, Florida, and Texas

Electric skateboarding is illegal on the streets in New York and Florida. It is a sad thing given then electric skateboard has advanced seriously. Last but not least, Texas doesn’t have any specific rules regarding the street legality of electric skateboards. However, some people argue that e-skateboard is legal in streets under their motor-assisted vehicle rules.

Is Electric Skateboard Legal in UK and EU?

The UK hasn’t approved electric skateboards on the street yet. But, recently, the government has shown some empathy for e-skaters. On 9^th May 2020, an announcement swept the country with great news.

The government said they are planning to execute some rules for electric skateboards. But, the scenario seems pretty bleak since the UK is yet to develop traffic rules, even for electric scooters. In fact, they have only lately introduced a few experiments for e-scooters.

And for EU countries, it differs from one country to another. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and France have legalized riding electric skateboards on the roads. Nonetheless, it is still illegal to ride your electric skateboard on the roads in Germany, Ireland, and Italy. Other countries haven’t specified any rules about e-skateboard legality.

Final Words

The discussion about electric skateboard legality on the streets shows that only a few European countries and California and Michigan in the USA have permitted to ride an electric skateboard on the roads. Other countries are yet to legalize electric skateboards. But, we hope that those countries act fast to accept the reality and permit e-skateboards soon with specific rules.