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.

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: No statewide helmet mandate applies to a motorized bicycle. North Dakota's only relevant helmet rule requires a safety helmet for a rider under 18 on a Class 3 electric bicycle, a different, explicitly excluded category from "motorized bicycle."
• 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; 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.