Indiana
Indiana E-Scooter Laws: Sidewalk, Helmet & Age Rules (2026)
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited July 23, 2026). · Law checked current as of August 9, 2026. · 3 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
This article is general information about Indiana e-scooter laws and is not legal advice. If you were cited or injured while riding, consult an Indiana attorney or check your municipality's current ordinance directly. Information last verified on 23 July 2026.
Are e-scooters legal in Indiana?
Yes. Indiana defines an "electric foot scooter" at IC 9-13-2-49.4 and sets out how it may be operated at IC 9-21-11-13.6, both added by P.L.142-2019. The core structure of Indiana's law is that a scooter rider gets "all the rights and duties under this chapter that are applicable to a person riding a bicycle," except for a short list of special scooter-specific rules and provisions that by their nature do not apply. In practice, that means Indiana treats e-scooters as a variant of a bicycle for legal purposes rather than writing an entirely separate rulebook.
What counts as an e-scooter in Indiana
IC 9-13-2-49.4 defines an "electric foot scooter" as a device that: weighs no more than 100 pounds; travels on no more than three wheels in contact with the ground; has handlebars and a floorboard the rider stands on; and is powered by an electric motor, with or without added human propulsion, capable of no more than 20 mph on a paved level surface. A motor-driven cycle, motor vehicle, or motorcycle is expressly excluded. The 20 mph figure is built into the definition itself, meaning a device that can exceed 20 mph under power on level pavement is not an "electric foot scooter" under this statute at all.
Where you can ride
Because a scooter rider has bicycle-equivalent rights and duties, IC 9-21-11-13.6(f) allows an electric foot scooter to be operated "where a bicycle may be operated," subject to any ordinance, rule, or regulation a local authority adopts to the contrary. The one hard statewide restriction is that an electric foot scooter may not be operated on an interstate highway, regardless of local rules.
Sidewalk parking is addressed directly by statute: a scooter may be parked on a sidewalk in a way that does not impede the normal movement of pedestrians or vehicle traffic, unless a local authority prohibits it there and provides an adequate alternative parking location nearby. Sidewalk riding is not separately addressed in the state statute the way parking is; because scooters otherwise follow bicycle rules, whether sidewalk riding is allowed in a given area depends heavily on local ordinance, as Indianapolis's own sidewalk-riding ban illustrates below.
Cities have broad general authority to regulate scooter operation, parking, and even registration or licensing under IC 9-21-1-2 and IC 9-21-1-3. But state law draws one firm line around that local power: under IC 9-21-1-3.5, a local authority cannot adopt any ordinance banning or restricting electric foot scooters from a path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. A city can regulate scooters heavily elsewhere, but it cannot lock scooters out of a bike-exclusive path the way it might lock them off a sidewalk.
Rider rules
- Age: No statewide minimum age for operating an electric foot scooter. This is a confirmed absence, not an unchecked gap: the same chapter's electric-bicycle section, IC 9-21-11-13.1, explicitly sets a 15-year age floor for Class 3 electric bicycles, so the legislature demonstrably knew how to write an age rule in this exact part of the code and chose not to extend it to scooters.
- Helmet: No statewide helmet requirement. Again by contrast, the electric-bicycle section in the same chapter requires a CPSC- or ASTM-compliant helmet for anyone under 18 riding a Class 3 electric bicycle, making the scooter omission look like a deliberate legislative choice rather than an oversight.
- License, registration, insurance: None required at the state level, and Indiana says so expressly rather than by implication. IC 9-25-1-7 provides that the financial-responsibility article "does not apply to ... electric foot scooters." IC 9-13-2-105 excludes an electric foot scooter from the definition of "motor vehicle" both generally in subsection (a) and specifically for purposes of IC 9-21 in subsection (b), which is what keeps the license requirement in IC 9-24-1-1, written in terms of operating a "motor vehicle" upon a highway, from reaching a scooter. IC 9-13-2-196(a)(4) excludes an electric foot scooter from the definition of "vehicle," which is what removes it from the registration article at IC 9-18.1.
- Equipment: When operated on a highway between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise, a scooter must have a front lamp showing white light visible 500 feet ahead and a rear lamp or reflector showing red visible 500 feet behind. IC 9-21-11-13.6(b) builds that "on a highway" qualifier into the lighting rule itself, so it is not a blanket after-dark requirement for every surface a scooter can be ridden on. The brake requirement in subsection (c) carries no such limit: a functioning brake that can skid the wheels on dry, level, clean pavement is required at all times.
Penalties
A person who violates Indiana Code Chapter 9-21-11, which includes the electric-foot-scooter rules in section 13.6, commits a Class C infraction under IC 9-21-11-14. That is the statewide penalty tier for a state-law violation; a separate local ordinance violation, such as Indianapolis's sidewalk-riding rule, would carry whatever fine that city sets.
Enforcement in practice
No statewide e-scooter enforcement data was verified for this page beyond Indianapolis's own reported local practice, described below. Enforcement of interstate-highway, equipment, and any local sidewalk rules is a local and state police matter that can vary by jurisdiction. Enforcement patterns do not change what the statute requires, and the absence of visible ticketing in a given area is not the same as a rule not applying there.
Indianapolis e-scooter rules
Indianapolis is Indiana's largest city and rewrote its own scooter ordinance after the 2019 state law took effect. Per a 2019 local news report, the updated Indianapolis ordinance allows riding scooters on streets and in bike lanes, where riders must follow ordinary traffic laws, but bans riding on sidewalks, with a reported $20 ticket for a sidewalk violation. This page could not independently confirm the current text of Indianapolis's Code of Ordinances (reported to include Chapter 743 for scooter operation and Chapter 905 for shared-mobility-operator permits) or whether the $20 figure and streets-and-bike-lanes framework are still current as of 2026, since the city's Municode page was not directly accessible for this research. Other claims circulating online, such as a locally set 16-year minimum age or a 15 mph fleet speed cap for shared scooters in Indianapolis, were not confirmed against any primary ordinance text and should not be treated as fact.
If a crash involving an e-scooter happens on an Indiana road, ordinary negligence law and, where alcohol or drugs are involved, DUI law can still apply. If you were hurt in one, ask an Indiana personal injury lawyer in a free consultation how negligence law applies to your crash (attorney advertising). See RecordingLaw's Indiana DUI Laws and Indiana Car Accident Laws pages for more, and RecordingLaw's E-Scooter Laws by State hub to compare Indiana with other states.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ride an e-scooter on the sidewalk in Indiana?
State law does not set a specific statewide rule for sidewalk riding, since scooters generally follow bicycle rules and local authorities can add restrictions. Indianapolis, for example, reportedly bans sidewalk riding with a $20 fine, though this page could not confirm that figure is still current.
Do I need a license or insurance to ride an e-scooter in Indiana?
No. Indiana exempts electric foot scooters expressly rather than by inference: IC 9-25-1-7 makes the financial-responsibility article inapplicable to them, and IC 9-13-2-105 and IC 9-13-2-196 exclude them from the definitions of motor vehicle and vehicle, which is what keeps the state driver's-license and registration requirements from applying.
How old do you have to be to ride an e-scooter in Indiana?
There is no statewide minimum age for e-scooters. This is notable because the same chapter of Indiana law sets a 15-year age floor for electric bicycles, so the absence of an age rule for scooters appears intentional rather than an oversight.
Do I need a helmet to ride an e-scooter in Indiana?
No statewide helmet requirement exists for e-scooters in Indiana, unlike the under-18 helmet rule Indiana sets for electric bicycles in the same chapter.
Can I ride an e-scooter on the highway in Indiana?
An electric foot scooter may be operated where a bicycle may be operated, subject to local rules, but it can never be operated on an interstate highway anywhere in Indiana.
What is the fine for an e-scooter violation in Indiana?
Violating the state-law scooter rules is a Class C infraction under IC 9-21-11-14. A local ordinance violation, like Indianapolis's sidewalk rule, carries a separate local fine, reported at $20 in a 2019 news report.
Updates
Corrected the sidewalk-parking key takeaway, which had the local-authority condition backwards, added the statutory "on a highway" limit to the after-dark lighting rule, and replaced the inferred license and insurance reasoning with Indiana’s express exemptions for electric foot scooters.
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Indiana Code, TITLE 9. MOTOR VEHICLES
§ 9-21-11-13.6Electric foot scooter; rights and duties; operation; equipment; parkingIn force
Sec. 13.6. (a) A person operating an electric foot scooter has all the rights and duties under this chapter that are applicable to a person riding a bicycle, except the following: (1) Special regulations of this chapter. (2) Those provisions of this chapter that by their nature have no application, including section 3 of this chapter. (b) An electric foot scooter operated on a highway from one-half (1/2) hour after sunset until one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise must be equipped with the following: (1) A lamp on the front exhibiting a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred (500) feet to the front. (2) A lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear or a red reflector visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear. (c) An electric foot scooter must be equipped with a brake that will enable the person who operates the electric foot scooter to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-07 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
§ 9-13-2-49.4"Electric foot scooter"In force
Sec. 49.4. "Electric foot scooter" means a device: (1) weighing not more than one hundred (100) pounds; (2) designed to travel on not more than three (3) wheels in contact with the ground; (3) with handlebars and a floorboard that the rider uses to stand on the device during operation; and (4) powered by an electric motor that is capable of powering the device with or without human propulsion at a speed not more than twenty (20) miles per hour on a paved level surface. The term does not include a motor driven cycle, motor vehicle, or motorcycle.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
§ 9-21-1-3.5Local authority; prohibition against or restriction on use of electric foot scooter or electric personal assistive mobility deviceIn force
Sec. 3.5. A local authority may not adopt by ordinance any prohibition against or restriction on the use of an electric foot scooter or electric personal assistive mobility device operated on a path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles as set forth in IC 9-21-11-1(b).
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
§ 9-21-11-14Violations; Class C infractionIn force
Sec. 14. A person who violates this chapter commits a Class C infraction. [Pre-1991 Recodification Citation: 9-4-1-127.1(b).]
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
Cited in 2 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2015
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Maraman v. City of Carmel (Indiana Court of Appeals 2015, 47 N.E.3d 1218)“…r [regulating motorcycles] commits a Class C infraction.”); Ind.Code § 9-21-11-14 ("A person who violates this chapter [r…”
- Jason J. Maraman v. City of Carmel, Indiana (Indiana Court of Appeals 2015)“…r [regulating motorcycles] commits a Class C infraction.”); Ind. Code § 9-21-11-14 (“A person who violates this chap…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
§ 9-21-11-13.1Electric bicycles; rights and duties; exemption from certain statutes; required equipment and features; restrictions on useIn force
Sec. 13.1. (a) An electric bicycle is not a motor vehicle (as defined in IC 9-13-2-105). (b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an operator of an electric bicycle is: (1) subject to all of the duties; and (2) entitled to all of the rights and privileges; of a bicycle operator. (c) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an electric bicycle shall be regulated as a bicycle. (d) The operator of an electric bicycle is not subject to: (1) IC 9-24 (driver's licenses); or (2) IC 9-25 (financial responsibility). (e) An electric bicycle is not subject to: (1) IC 9-17 (certificates of title); (2) IC 9-18.1 (motor vehicle registration); or (3) IC 14-16-1 (off-road vehicles). (f) On and after January 1, 2020, a manufacturer or distributor of an electric bicycle shall affix a permanent and conspicuous label to each electric bicycle. Each label described under this subsection shall prominently display the following information: (1) The class level of the electric bicycle. (2) The top assisted speed of the electric bicycle. (3) The rated wattage of the electric bicycle's electric motor.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
§ 9-21-1-3Powers of local authorities; effective date of ordinancesIn force
Sec. 3. (a) A local authority, with respect to private roads and highways under the authority's jurisdiction, in accordance with sections 2 and 3.3(a) of this chapter, and within the reasonable exercise of the police power, may do the following: (1) Regulate the standing or parking of vehicles and electric foot scooters. (2) Regulate traffic by means of police officers or traffic control signals. (3) Regulate or prohibit processions or assemblages on the highways. (4) Designate a highway as a one-way highway and require that all vehicles operated on the highway be moved in one (1) specific direction. (5) Regulate the speed of vehicles in public parks. (6) Designate a highway as a through highway and require that all vehicles stop before entering or crossing the highway. (7) Designate an intersection as a stop intersection and require all vehicles to stop at one (1) or more entrances to the intersection. (8) Restrict the use of highways as authorized in IC 9-21-4-7. (9) Regulate the operation of bicycles and electric foot scooters and require the registration and licensing of bicycles and electric foot scooters, including the requirement of a registration fee.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
Cited in 3 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2017
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Jason J. Maraman v. City of Carmel, Indiana (Indiana Court of Appeals 2015)“…highway affected.” (Br. of Appellee at 20) (citing Ind. Code § 9-21-1-3(b)). That subsection provides: “An ordi…”
- Jalen Lee, A Minor Child, by and through his Next Friend, Crystal Estes and Crystal Estes, Individually v. Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, City of Columbus (Indiana Court of Appeals 2017, 75 N.E.3d 518)“…ts authorized under [Indiana Code chapter] 9-21-5.” I.C. § 9-21-1-3(a)(2),(7),(11). [35] Specifically w…”
- Nikki Jones, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Phillip Matthew Jones v. Hancock County Board of Commissioners (Indiana Court of Appeals 2016, 55 N.E.3d 311)“…way system”); Lowe, 753 N.E.2d at 712. In addition, Ind. Code § 9-21-1-3(a) provides in part: A…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
§ 9-13-2-105"Motor vehicle"In force
Sec. 105. (a) "Motor vehicle" means, except as otherwise provided in this section, a vehicle that is self-propelled. The term does not include a farm tractor, an implement of agriculture designed to be operated primarily in a farm field or on farm premises, an electric bicycle, an electric foot scooter, or an electric personal assistive mobility device. (b) "Motor vehicle", for purposes of IC 9-21, means: (1) a vehicle that is self-propelled; or (2) a vehicle that is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails. The term does not include an electric foot scooter. (c) "Motor vehicle", for purposes of IC 9-32-1 through IC 9-32-11, IC 9-32-13-25, IC 9-32-13-26, IC 9-32-14, and IC 9-32-16 through IC 9-32-18, includes a semitrailer, a trailer, an off-road vehicle, a snowmobile, a mini-truck, a manufactured home, or a recreational vehicle. The term does not include an electric foot scooter. (d) "Motor vehicle", for purposes of IC 9-32-13 (except IC 9-32-13-25 and IC 9-32-13-26) and IC 9-32-15, includes a semitrailer, an off-road vehicle, a snowmobile, a mini-truck, a manufactured home, or a recreational vehicle.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
Cited in 15 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2025
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Michael J. Lock v. State of Indiana (Indiana Supreme Court 2012, 971 N.E.2d 71)“…on of motor vehicle “does not include a motorized bicycle.” Ind. Code § 9-13-2-105(d) (2010). A “motorized bicycle,” in tu…”
- Chapman v. State (Indiana Court of Appeals 1995, 650 N.E.2d 764)“…ehicle; commits auto theft, a Class D felony. I.C. 9-13-2-105(a) provides that a motor vehicle means,…”
- Lock v. State (Indiana Court of Appeals 2011, 952 N.E.2d 280)“…because his Zuma is a motorized bicycle, which, pursuant to Ind.Code § 9-13-2-105(d), is exempt from the provisions of th…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
§ 9-13-2-196"Vehicle"In force
Sec. 196. (a) "Vehicle" means, except as otherwise provided in this section, a device in, upon, or by which a person or property is, or may be, transported or drawn upon a highway. The term does not include the following: (1) A device moved by human power. (2) A device that runs only on rails or tracks. (3) A wheelchair. (4) An electric foot scooter. (b) For purposes of IC 9-17, the term includes the following: (1) Off-road vehicles. (2) Manufactured homes or mobile homes that are: (A) personal property not held for resale; and (B) not attached to real estate by a permanent foundation. (3) Watercraft. (c) For purposes of IC 9-22 (except IC 9-22-6) and IC 9-32, the term refers to a vehicle or watercraft of a type that must be registered under IC 9-18-2 (before its expiration) or IC 9-18.1, other than an off-road vehicle or a snowmobile under IC 9-18-2.5 (before its expiration) or IC 9-18.1-14. (d) For purposes of IC 9-30-5, IC 9-30-6, IC 9-30-8, and IC 9-30-9, the term means a device for transportation by land, air, or water. The term does not include an electric personal assistive mobility device.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
Cited in 6 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2016
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Courtney West v. State of Indiana (Indiana Court of Appeals 2014, 22 N.E.3d 872)“…perty is, or may be, transported or drawn upon a highway.” Ind. Code § 9-13-2-196 (2010). In 2013, the General Ass…”
- Kremer v. State (Indiana Court of Appeals 1994, 643 N.E.2d 357)“…ehicle" means "a device for transportation by land or air." IC. 9-13-2-196(e). 5 . In both th…”
- State v. Laker (Indiana Court of Appeals 2010, 937 N.E.2d 1259)“…"vehicle" is "a device for transportation by land or air," Ind.Code § 9-13-2-196(e), and "in, upon, or by which a person…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
§ 9-21-1-2Local authorities; adoption of additional regulations; conflict of law; fines; disbursementIn force
Sec. 2. (a) Except as provided in section 3.5 of this chapter, a local authority may adopt by ordinance additional traffic regulations with respect to highways under the authority's jurisdiction. An ordinance adopted under this subsection may not conflict with or duplicate a statute. (b) Except as provided in IC 9-21-23.5, after a request has been made at a public meeting or by certified mail to the legislative body (as defined in IC 36-1-2-9) from the property owner, a local authority may adopt by ordinance additional traffic regulations with respect to a private road within the authority's jurisdiction. The ordinance: (1) must require a contractual agreement between the local authority and property owner of the private road setting forth the terms and responsibilities of the additional traffic regulations; (2) must require the contractual agreement required under subdivision (1) to be recorded after passage of the ordinance in the office of the recorder of the county in which the private road is located; and (3) may not conflict with or duplicate state law.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
Cited in 4 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2017
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Jason J. Maraman v. City of Carmel, Indiana (Indiana Court of Appeals 2015)“…ces “may not conflict with or duplicate a statute.” Ind. Code § 9-21-1-2(a). [11] Carmel next asserts its or…”
- Jalen Lee, A Minor Child, by and through his Next Friend, Crystal Estes and Crystal Estes, Individually v. Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, City of Columbus (Indiana Court of Appeals 2017, 75 N.E.3d 518)“…it does not “conflict with or duplicate a statute.” I.C. § 9-21-1-2. In part, “with respect to private road…”
- Maraman v. City of Carmel (Indiana Court of Appeals 2015, 47 N.E.3d 1218)“…utes in the Article controlling Traffic Regulation, e.g., Ind.Code § 9-21-1-2, and we decline to hold it nullifies th…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
§ 9-24-1-1License required; violationIn force
Sec. 1. (a) Except as provided in section 7 of this chapter, an individual must have a valid: (1) driver's license; or (2) permit; including any necessary endorsements, issued to the individual by the bureau in the form of a physical credential to operate upon a highway the type of motor vehicle for which the driver's license, endorsement, or permit was issued. (b) An individual must have: (1) an unexpired identification card with a motor driven cycle endorsement issued to the individual by the bureau under IC 9-24-16; (2) a valid driver's license; or (3) a valid learner's permit; issued in the form of a physical credential to operate a motor driven cycle upon a highway. (c) An individual who violates this section commits a Class C infraction. [Pre-1991 Recodification Citations: 9-1-4-26(a); Part new.]
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
Cited in 7 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2024
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Fields v. State (Indiana Supreme Court 1997, 679 N.E.2d 898)“…t was required to notify the Bureau of his current address. I.C. §§ 9-24-1-1, 9-24-13-4(1). Also, as a holder of an…”
- Johnson v. Owens (Indiana Court of Appeals 1994, 639 N.E.2d 1016)“…ive remains within the exclusive province of the BMV. See Ind. Code 9-24-1-1 (formerly IC 9-1-4-26). IC X-XX-X-XX(d)…”
- Brown v. State (Indiana Supreme Court 1997, 677 N.E.2d 517)“…highways except under certain exceptions not relevant here. I.C. § 9-24-1-1. Thus, any driver must be licensed (or…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
§ 9-25-1-7ApplicabilityIn force
Sec. 7. This article does not apply to: (1) off-road vehicles; (2) snowmobiles; (3) motor driven cycles; or (4) electric foot scooters.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at iga.in.gov
Search our full record of US law — 2.1 million sections, every state + federal →
Sources and References
- Indiana Code 9-13-2-49.4, definition of electric foot scooter(in.gov).gov
- Indiana Code 9-21-11-13.6, electric foot scooter rights, duties, operation, equipment, and parking(in.gov).gov
- Indiana Code 9-21-1-3.5, local ordinance restrictions on bicycle-exclusive paths(in.gov).gov
- WBIW, "Scooters Banned from Indy Sidewalks" (2019), on the Indianapolis local ordinance(wbiw.com)
- RecordingLaw.com, Indiana DUI Laws(recordinglaw.com)
- RecordingLaw.com, Indiana Car Accident Laws(recordinglaw.com)
- Indiana Code 9-25-1-7, financial responsibility article does not apply to electric foot scooters (2026 edition)(iga.in.gov)
- Indiana Code 9-13-2-105, definition of "motor vehicle" excludes an electric foot scooter, generally and for purposes of IC 9-21 (2026 edition)(iga.in.gov)
- Indiana Code 9-13-2-196(a)(4), definition of "vehicle" excludes an electric foot scooter (2026 edition)(iga.in.gov)
- Indiana Code 9-21-11-13.6, electric foot scooter rights, duties, highway lighting, brakes, and sidewalk parking (2026 edition)(iga.in.gov)
- Indiana Code 9-24-1-1, driver’s license required to operate a motor vehicle upon a highway (2026 edition)(iga.in.gov)
Paid attorney referral. RecordingLaw may receive compensation when you use an attorney-help link. RecordingLaw is not a law firm. Submitting a request does not guarantee that an attorney will accept your case and does not create an attorney-client relationship.