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

Under City Code Sec. 19-5, it is unlawful to park or leave unattended any bicycle or dockless vehicle, a category the ordinance defines to include e-bikes and e-scooters, on a city sidewalk so as to obstruct pedestrians or create a hazard. Riders may leave a shared scooter standing upright at designated areas, on their own property, at bicycle stands, or on private property with the owner's consent, but the code lists specific no-park zones: a public right-of-way serving as a street or road unless the city manager has designated the spot by signage, a driveway without the driveway owner's permission, any area designated for sidewalk dining, a bus stop or passenger waiting area (unless signage allows it), a loading zone, and any handicapped parking area or spot that interferes with accessible access.

The city manager or designee can also post signage prohibiting parking of bicycles, skateboards, scooters, e-bikes, e-scooters or other devices on sidewalks in specific areas based on sidewalk width and usage, and can similarly restrict where such devices may be ridden at all under the companion riding provision, Sec. 19-4, which caps e-bike and e-scooter sidewalk speed at 10 mph when pedestrians are present and 20 mph otherwise. Sec. 19-5 sits in Chapter 19, Article I of the Code of Ordinances, most recently amended by Ordinance No. O-7-20 on April 20, 2020, the same ordinance that added the e-bike and e-scooter definitions used across the article.