Electric Scooter Laws In Wisconsin

Hello everyone and welcome back to the KOMOTO Electric Scooters blog!

This week we will be talking about the scooter laws of Wisconsin and some facts and points that you might not know about owning and riding an electric scooter.

Electric Scooters make an excellent alternative source of transportation for those who do not have a license or for those looking to find alternative forms of transportation for inner city travel without having to pay for a vehicle registration or needing a license to operate them like a car. It will also save you money on things like gas and vehicle registration as electric scooters only cost about ten to twenty cents on average to charge and you do not have to register or have a license to operate them like a car.

To start us off this week well jump into the basics of Wisconsin Scooter Laws

Standard Wisconsin Scooter laws

• In the state of Wisconsin an electric scooter is defined as "a device weighing less than 100 pounds that has handlebars and an electric motor, is powered solely by the electric motor and has a maximum average speed that does not exceed more than 20 miles per hour on a paved level surface when powered solely by the electric motor."

• An "electric scooter" does not include an electric personal assistive mobility device (Segway), motorcycle, motor bicycle, or moped.

• The legal age for E-Bike/Electric Scooters is 16 years or older and does not require a valid driver’s license. They are considered Bikes/E-Bikes by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

• In the city of Oshkosh electric scooters are not allowed on sidewalks or park paths. They do not allow operation on roads faster than 25mph unless there is access to a bike lane. The fine for operating on sidewalks/park paths is $15 plus court fees the same as any bike fine. Electric scooters are regulated legally as bikes and can only be banned off sidewalks. They cannot require anything extra unless they follow the same regulations for bikes/ebikes. Do not let anyone convince you it is not a bike. Wisconsin Department of Transportation says they are bikes by State Law.

• Electric scooters are exempt from vehicle registration by the Department of Transportation.

More Wisconsin Scooter Laws

• A person making a turn on the electric scooter should give the appropriate hand and arm signals, but they do not have to do so if the hand is needed to complete the turn.

• Operators of electric scooters must observe many of the rules of the road. Operators who violate the applicable rules of the road are subject to the same penalties as those that apply to violations committed while operating a Segway.

• Electric scooters may be operated on most roadways, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and bicycle ways. However, a local highway authority may by ordinance regulate the rental and operation of electric scooters.

• Electric scooters must satisfy the same equipment requirements as Segways, including lighting and brake requirements.

• Wisconsin Act 11 modified the definition of a motor vehicle to include electric scooters. This means that if you operate an electric scooter while under the influence of an intoxicant, you could be charged with an OWI.

Each state has their own electric scooter laws that might be like Wisconsin, but they vary from state to state. Most cities have local ordinances on the operation of electric scooters. Please check your local/state laws about the regulation of electric scooters/electric bikes.

These major brands are not legal in Wisconsin due to the operational top speeds.

Apollo, Dualtron, Emove, Kaabo, Nami, Road Runner, Varla and Vsett.

Click here for the Wisconsin State Law Page

Sources:

Wisconsin State Laws