Charlottesville, VA Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

Charlottesville's dockless mobility ordinance, adopted December 2, 2019 and codified at City Code Sections 15-445 through 15-452, covers any 'dockless mobility business' that offers bicycles, electric power-assisted bicycles, or motorized skateboards or scooters for hire by storing them in the public right-of-way for customer pickup, as defined in Section 15-446. Section 15-447 makes it unlawful to provide dockless mobility service for public hire in the city without a permit issued by the city manager. Section 15-448 gives the city manager, or a designee, authority to promulgate regulations governing every permit holder, including fees, charges, penalties, insurance coverage, bond payment and indemnification requirements.

Section 15-449 lets the city manager set, change or eliminate a citywide cap on the total number of devices allowed to operate under the program, and Section 15-450 requires each applicant to request an initial device allocation, which the city manager can later raise or lower based on the cap, demand for service, or goals in the city's comprehensive or strategic plan. Section 15-451 authorizes the city manager to suspend or revoke a permit for any violation of Article X or the regulations issued under it.

Section 15-452 requires the city manager to set up an administrative appeal process for a denied application, a suspended or revoked permit, or a change in a permit's approved device count.