Amarillo, TX Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Ordinance
- Sec. 16-5-52, adopted Ord. No. 7802 (Aug. 20, 2019)
- Scope
- Citywide ban on public sidewalks and rights-of-way
- Covers
- GPS-equipped dockless scooters, e-bikes, bicycles for rent
- Riders included
- Using an acquired shared-service device also prohibited
- Amendment process
- Requires Traffic Advisory Board hearing before Council vote
Summary
Amarillo prohibits any shared mobility service, meaning dockless GPS-equipped scooters, e-bikes, or bicycles offered for rent from public property, from operating on public sidewalks or rights-of-way anywhere in the city. City Code Sec. 16-5-52 closes the door on companies like Bird, Lime, or Spin setting up fleets in Amarillo, and also reaches riders using a device obtained through such a service.
No person or entity shall provide a "shared mobility service" that allows for the use of a motor-assisted device as defined in Chapter 16-3, electric bicycles, and bicycles, equipped with global positioning systems (GPS) on any public sidewalk or public rights-of-way within the city limits. Included in this prohibition is the operation of any personal transportation device listed in this article that was acquired through a shared mobility service. For purposes of this section a "shared mobility service" shall mean any service that displays, offers or places for rent on a public way or public property one or more motor-assisted devices, electric bicycles, bicycles, or other similar personal transportation devices equipped with GPS that may be locked and unlocked with or without a docking station.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 81).
Full Breakdown
Section 16-5-52 of the Code of Ordinances, adopted by Ordinance No. 7802 on August 20, 2019, bars anyone from operating a "shared mobility service" anywhere within Amarillo city limits. The ordinance defines that term broadly: any service that displays, offers, or places for rent on a public way or public property one or more motor-assisted devices (as defined in Chapter 16-3), electric bicycles, bicycles, or similar personal transportation devices equipped with GPS that can be locked and unlocked with or without a docking station. That sweeps in the dockless scooter and e-bike fleets that spread through other Texas cities starting in 2018, along with any hybrid docked/dockless bike-share system relying on GPS tracking.
The prohibition reaches both the rental service and the individual devices: riding a scooter or bike "acquired through a shared mobility service" on a public sidewalk or right-of-way is covered by the ban, not just the company that placed the device there. The rule applies citywide, not just downtown, and draws no exception for special events or the Central Business District, which separately permits golf carts under Article III of the same chapter. Amarillo built a formal reconsideration path into the ban rather than leaving it permanently frozen: subsection (b) requires that any proposed amendment to Sec.
16-5-52 first go to the Traffic Advisory Board for a public hearing and study, with the Board then making a recommendation to City Council before Council can act on any change to loosen or remove the prohibition.
Violations & Fines
Section 16-5-52 sets no scooter-specific fine schedule of its own; a violation is prosecuted as an offense through Amarillo Municipal Court like other offenses under this title of the Code. Both the rental company that displays, offers, or places a device for rent on the public way and a rider operating a shared-service scooter, e-bike, or bicycle on a sidewalk or right-of-way can be cited. Any change to the ban itself requires a Traffic Advisory Board public hearing and recommendation before the City Council may act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Bird, Lime, or another scooter company operate in Amarillo?
Is it illegal to ride a rented scooter I found on the street?
Can Amarillo ever allow scooter-share in the future?
Does the ban apply to a scooter or bike I personally own?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Amarillo
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Amarillo to another location·View the Texas mobility & curb rules overview
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