Bellevue, WA Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

210 defines a motorized foot scooter as a two- or three-wheeled device with handlebars and a stand-on floorboard, powered by an engine or motor topping out at 20 mph on level ground, and excludes mopeds, motor-driven cycles, electric-assist bicycles and motorcycles from that definition. Scooters may operate on city roadways and bicycle lanes and on paved trails or shared-use paths, including in city parks, unless signed as prohibited. They cannot be ridden on sidewalks unless there is no safe alternative, such as a bike lane, or the posted speed limit is 20 mph, and they can never be ridden in a dismount zone, whether designated by the city traffic engineer on streets and trails or by the parks and community services director within parks.

Unpaved natural-surface trails are off-limits entirely. On sidewalks, shared-use paths or paved trails, riders must go no faster than the posted limit or 15 mph, whichever is lower, yield to pedestrians, and give an audible signal before passing. Riders must be at least 16 years old, may only carry one person at a time, and are strongly encouraged, though not required, to wear a helmet. After dark, a scooter needs a rear red reflector visible from 500 feet and side reflective material visible from the same distance. All rules of the road that apply to vehicle traffic also bind scooter riders.