Harford County, MD Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

Article VI of Chapter 244, added by Bill No. 02-23, defines a 'motorized scooter' in Section 244-27(A) as any two-wheeled device with handlebars, designed to be stood on by the operator, and powered by an electric or gas motor, expressly including a go-ped or other stand-up platform scooter; the definition carves out mopeds, motor scooters, motorcycles and off-road motorcycles as those terms are defined in the Transportation Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, which remain governed by state vehicle law instead of this section.

Subsection B is a flat prohibition: a person shall not operate a motorized scooter on any county road or county sidewalk, with no permit, license or registration path written into the chapter that would let an individual or a shared-scooter operator legalize the activity in unincorporated Harford County. Subsection C gives a law enforcement officer authority to issue a civil citation for a violation, with a fine of up to $500, and states that each ride is a separate offense, so a rider stopped on multiple occasions faces cumulative penalties rather than one flat fee.

Because the ban reaches both roads and sidewalks, it forecloses essentially every public right-of-way a shared micromobility fleet would need to operate, distinguishing Harford County's unincorporated area from jurisdictions that instead regulate scooters through permits, speed caps or parking corrals.