Kuwait E-Scooter Laws: The 2020 Public-Road Ban Explained (2026)
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited July 23, 2026). How we verify our legal content
This article is general information about e-scooter law in Kuwait and is not legal advice. Enforcement and any future rule changes can shift quickly, so confirm current requirements with Kuwait's Ministry of Interior General Traffic Department before riding. Information last verified on 23 July 2026.
Are e-scooters legal in Kuwait?
Owning an e-scooter is legal in Kuwait, but riding one on a public road is not. Kuwait's Ministry of Interior, through its General Traffic Department, announced a ban on driving electric scooters and road bicycles on public roads effective 31 October 2020, citing rising use in residential areas and the safety risk that came with it.
The ban applies to where you ride, not whether you can own the device. That distinction matters here because Kuwait has no rental e-scooter industry to separate from the private-ownership answer.
Private e-scooters
Private e-scooters may be owned freely, but riding one on a public road, sidewalk, footpath, or residential street is banned. The Ministry of Interior's own framing treats footpaths and sidewalks as "public roads" for purposes of this ban, not as a permitted middle ground.
Rental e-scooters
No evidence was found of an authorized or operating e-scooter rental scheme anywhere in Kuwait. Given that riding in public is banned outright, a commercial rental business has little legal room to operate, and none appears to exist.
What counts as an e-scooter here
No source found for this article gives Kuwait a formal statutory definition separating an e-scooter from another kind of vehicle by power, weight, or speed. The Ministry of Interior's ban statement names electric scooters directly, alongside road bicycles, without a device-spec threshold attached.
Where you can ride
The only place clearly outside the ban is private property, such as a residential compound or private yard. Public roads, sidewalks, footpaths, and residential streets are all treated as covered by the ban.
Rider rules
No age, helmet, licensing, or insurance requirement was found for e-scooters in Kuwait, because the current rule is a use-prohibition rather than a licensing regime. There is nothing to comply with beyond not riding in a public place, since the ban does not create a permitted, regulated category of on-road use to attach rider rules to.
Penalties
A violation of the public-road ban can lead to the vehicle being confiscated for up to two months. The Ministry of Interior has tied this consequence to Article 207 of Kuwait's traffic executive regulations, according to reporting that quotes the ministry's own statement. The underlying regulation text itself was not independently reviewed for this article, so treat Article 207 as the ministry's own cited authority rather than an independently confirmed statutory reference.
Enforcement in practice
The ban was announced through a public Ministry of Interior statement rather than rolled out as a systematic roadside patrol campaign aimed specifically at scooters. Multiple 2025 accounts describe riders, particularly delivery workers, continuing to use e-scooters on Kuwaiti streets despite the ban, on streets not built with scooter use in mind.
This pattern of continued use does not change the legal status of riding in public. A rule that is unevenly enforced is still a rule, and a rider who is not stopped on a given day has not been given permission to ride.
Legal history and what may change
Kuwaiti press coverage in 2025 and 2026 has described the Ministry of Interior as considering new rules covering protective gear, usage guidelines, and dedicated lanes for e-scooters. This remains at the proposal stage. No source found for this article shows these ideas have been enacted into a replacement rule, and the October 2020 public-road ban remains the operative law as of the date this article was last verified.
Bahrain, covered in this site's world e-scooter law guide, shows what a comprehensive, enacted e-scooter framework looks like once a Gulf country moves past the proposal stage. Kuwait has not reached that point yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are e-scooters legal in Kuwait?
Owning one is legal, but riding it on a public road, sidewalk, or footpath has been banned since 31 October 2020, when Kuwait's Ministry of Interior announced the prohibition.
Where can I legally ride an e-scooter in Kuwait?
The only place clearly outside the ban is private property, such as a residential compound or private yard. Public roads, sidewalks, and footpaths are all covered by the ban.
What happens if I'm caught riding an e-scooter in public in Kuwait?
The vehicle can be confiscated for up to two months, a penalty the Ministry of Interior has tied to Article 207 of the traffic executive regulations.
Can I rent an e-scooter in Kuwait?
No authorized rental scheme was found operating in Kuwait. The public-use ban leaves little room for a scooter-rental business to operate legally.
Is Kuwait's e-scooter ban actually enforced?
Enforcement has been reported as uneven, with delivery riders in particular continuing to use e-scooters despite the ban, but that does not make riding in public lawful.
Is Kuwait planning to change its e-scooter rules?
Kuwaiti media reported in 2025 and 2026 that the Ministry of Interior was considering gear and lane rules, but this remained a proposal, not an enacted change, as of the last verification date for this article.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- Arab Times report quoting Kuwait's Ministry of Interior statement on the 31 October 2020 public-road ban on e-scooters and road bicycles, citing Article 207(arabtimesonline.com)
- Zawya coverage of Kuwait's e-scooter public-road ban (blocked on direct fetch this session, referenced via secondary search)(zawya.com)
- Kuwait Times reporting on riders' calls for safer streets and dedicated e-scooter lanes (blocked on direct fetch this session, referenced via secondary search)(kuwaittimes.com)
- IndiansInKuwait news report on the Ministry of Interior e-scooter ban (blocked on direct fetch this session, referenced via secondary search)(indiansinkuwait.com)