North Dakota E-Scooter Laws: Sidewalk, Helmet & Age Rules (2026)

This article is general information about North Dakota e-scooter laws and is not legal advice. If you were cited under a Fargo or other local ordinance, check the current municipal code directly or consult a North Dakota attorney. Information last verified on 23 July 2026.

Are e-scooters legal in North Dakota?

Yes, but North Dakota does not use the word "scooter" anywhere in Title 39 of its Century Code, the state's motor vehicle law. A stand-up electric scooter is instead governed as a "motorized bicycle," defined at NDCC § 39-01-01(49). That definition covers a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with either foot pedals for muscular propulsion or footrests for the operator, a limited power source, and a top unassisted speed of no more than 30 mph. The "or footrests" clause is what pulls a pedal-less stand-up e-scooter into this category rather than leaving it undefined; the definition specifically excludes an electric bicycle, which is treated as its own separate category.

What counts as an e-scooter in North Dakota

Under NDCC § 39-01-01(49), a motorized bicycle is a two- or three-wheeled vehicle no more than 32 inches wide, with a power source of up to two brake horsepower, a maximum unassisted speed of 30 mph on a level road, and an automatic power-drive system that does not require the operator to clutch or shift. This is the category a stand-up electric scooter falls into under North Dakota law.

Where you can ride

North Dakota's general sidewalk statute, NDCC § 39-10-52.1, states plainly: "No person may drive any vehicle upon a sidewalk or sidewalk area except upon a permanent or duly authorized temporary driveway." The state's broad definition of "vehicle" covers any device that transports a person on a public highway other than a human-powered device or an electric bicycle, and a motorized bicycle/e-scooter is motor-driven, not human-powered, so it falls within that definition and is barred from sidewalks statewide, absent a local exception. There is no scooter-specific sidewalk carve-out in state law.

On the roadway, the device-specific rules come from NDCC chapter 39-10.2, which is titled "Motorcycles." Section 39-10.2-01 provides that "[f]or purposes of this chapter, the term 'motorcycle' means motorcycles and motorized bicycles," and that every person operating one "is granted all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under this title, except as to special regulations in this chapter and except as to those provisions of this title which by their nature can have no application." One of those special regulations is § 39-10.2-03(3): "No person may operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles." Lane-splitting, and threading the gap between stopped cars, are barred.

Rider rules

• Age: North Dakota's motorized bicycle operator's permit, under NDCC § 39-06-14.1(3), is available starting at age 14, for a $10 fee, with a written traffic-laws exam. This permit is only required for someone who does not already hold a regular operator's license, temporary permit, instruction permit, or motorcycle permit. If you already hold any of those, you do not need this separate permit. This is a permit requirement for the unlicensed, not a blanket rule that everyone must be 14 to operate a motorized bicycle.
• Helmet: North Dakota does have a statewide helmet requirement that reaches this device. Because chapter 39-10.2 defines "motorcycle" to include motorized bicycles, NDCC § 39-10.2-06(1) applies: "No person under the age of eighteen years may operate or ride upon a motorcycle unless a safety helmet meeting United States department of transportation standards is being worn on the head of the operator and rider, except when participating in a lawful parade." The same subsection adds that if the operator is required to wear a helmet, any passenger must also wear one regardless of the passenger's age. Section 39-10.2-06(3) separately bars operating with an under-18 passenger who is not helmeted. The requirement does not reach riders 18 and over, and § 39-10.2-06(2) exempts people riding within an enclosed cab or on a golf cart.
• Other chapter 39-10.2 rules: Section 39-10.2-04 bars attaching yourself or the device to another vehicle on a roadway, and § 39-10.2-05 requires footrests for any passenger carried other than in a sidecar or enclosed cab. Some of the chapter's other provisions are written for a seated machine: § 39-10.2-02 requires riding on the permanent and regular seat, astride and facing forward, and keeping both hands free for the handlebars. How those apply to a seatless stand-up scooter turns on § 39-10.2-01's exception for provisions "which by their nature can have no application," which no reported North Dakota decision has applied to this device.
• License, registration, insurance: Unlike most nearby states, North Dakota's own definitions section names motorized bicycles as motor vehicles specifically "for purposes of motor vehicle registration, title registration, and operator's licenses." The exact registration procedure or any registration exemption specific to motorized bicycles was not located in a search of the registration chapter for this research, so the practical mechanics of registering a motorized bicycle in North Dakota were not confirmed this session.

Penalties

A specific statewide fine schedule tied to a motorized bicycle violation was not located in the sections reviewed for this research. Sidewalk riding is a violation of NDCC § 39-10-52.1. For the chapter 39-10.2 rules above, § 39-10.2-07 provides that "[a]ll of the provisions of chapter 39-06.1 pertaining to the disposition of traffic offenses apply to this chapter," so those violations are handled as traffic offenses under that chapter. Check the current court fine schedule or your citation for the exact amount.

Enforcement in practice

No statewide enforcement data specific to motorized bicycles or e-scooters was located for this research. Enforcement patterns do not change the underlying legal status described above.

Fargo e-scooter rules

Fargo, North Dakota's largest city, maintains Article 8-20 of its municipal code, titled "Motorized Scooters." Its existence is confirmed by a citation in a separate Fargo traffic ordinance, but the substantive text of Article 8-20 itself could not be retrieved from the city's code host this session, so its specific requirements are not confirmed here. A separate, lower-confidence search result describes a downtown sidewalk restriction grouping scooters with roller skates and skateboards, but this was not verified as the same provision as Article 8-20, so it is not presented as settled. Riders in Fargo should check the current municipal code directly.

See also RecordingLaw's North Dakota DUI Laws and North Dakota Car Accident Laws pages, and the E-Scooter Laws by State hub to compare North Dakota's rules to other states.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a minimum age to ride an e-scooter in North Dakota?

There is no blanket age-14 rule to operate one. North Dakota offers a motorized bicycle operator's permit starting at age 14, but only for someone who does not already hold a regular driver's license or similar permit.

Do I need a helmet to ride an e-scooter in North Dakota?

If you are under 18, yes. NDCC chapter 39-10.2 defines "motorcycle" to include motorized bicycles, and § 39-10.2-06(1) bars anyone under 18 from operating or riding one unless a safety helmet meeting US Department of Transportation standards is worn. It is also illegal to operate with an under-18 passenger who is not helmeted. Riders 18 and over are not covered by that requirement.

Can I ride an e-scooter on the sidewalk in North Dakota?

No. North Dakota bars any non-human-powered vehicle, which includes a motorized bicycle/e-scooter, from a sidewalk statewide.

Does North Dakota require registration for an e-scooter?

North Dakota's own definitions section names motorized bicycles as motor vehicles for registration, title, and licensing purposes, unlike most nearby states. The exact registration procedure for this specific device class was not confirmed in this research; check with the North Dakota Department of Transportation.

What's the speed limit for an e-scooter in North Dakota?

There is no special statewide speed limit for the device; the posted limit for the roadway applies. The 30 mph figure in the "motorized bicycle" definition is a classification threshold: a device that can propel itself faster than 30 mph unassisted on a level road is not a motorized bicycle at all and is treated as a full motor vehicle.

Can I ride an e-scooter between lanes of traffic in North Dakota?

No. NDCC § 39-10.2-03(3) bars operating between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles, and that chapter's rules apply to motorized bicycles.

Are Fargo's e-scooter rules different from the rest of North Dakota?

Fargo has its own municipal code article for motorized scooters, but its specific text could not be confirmed against a primary source this session. Check the current Fargo municipal code directly.