Gastonia, NC Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit term
- 1 year, renewable
- Minimum scooter rider age
- 16 years old, helmet required
- Response time, business hours
- 2 hours for misparked device
- Response time, other hours
- 12 hours for misparked device
- Civil penalty
- $200.00 per violation plus costs
- Misdemeanor fine cap
- $500.00
- Enacted
- Ord. No. 20-729, 10-20-20
Summary
Gastonia requires any shared scooter or e-bike rental company to hold a one-year city permit before operating. Devices may only be ridden and parked in designated device operating areas, and permittees must remove misplaced or unsafe scooters within set time windows.
A permit is valid for conducting a SATS within device operating areas only, and with the consent of the owner or lawful occupant on other real property. It is unlawful to operate a shared device on any real property outside device operating areas without consent of the property's owner or lawful occupant... During the time period of 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, not including legal holidays, the permittee shall remove or re-park within two hours of receiving notice from any person via mobile or other web application or phone number.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 21 of the Gastonia Code makes it unlawful for any person to conduct a shared active transportation system (SATS), covering rental bicycles, electric assisted bicycles and motorized scooters, without a permit under section 21-3. Section 21-4 requires the planning department to issue a one-year, renewable permit before a company can operate, with fees set by city council and terms the director may tailor, including fleet-size limits. Section 21-6(a) confines lawful operation to device operating areas (the public right-of-way for all devices, plus greenway trails for bicycles only) and makes it unlawful to operate a shared device on other real property without the owner's consent; permittees must be able to detect out-of-area use and notify customers.
on weekdays, or within 12 hours at other times, must pull any bicycle or e-bike parked in one spot more than seven consecutive days and any scooter parked more than 72 consecutive hours, and must clear its entire fleet ahead of forecast sustained winds of 40 mph or gusts of 58 mph. Section 21-7(a) requires permittees to disclose to customers that scooter riders must be at least 16 years old and wear a helmet, that riding is prohibited on sidewalks, and that e-bikes and scooters may not be ridden on greenway trails. The city council may also designate additional no-parking zones for shared devices under section 21-9(b).
Violations & Fines
Section 21-12(a) sets a civil penalty of $200.00 per violation of the article or a permit's terms, plus the city's costs of responding, including device removal costs. Unpaid penalties can be pursued as a civil debt action, and section 21-12(d) makes any violation of the article or a permit, other than device-operation violations themselves, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.00. The director may also revoke or refuse to renew a permit under section 21-11 for fraud in the application, violation of the article or permit terms, or customer misuse that creates unsafe conditions or a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a scooter-share company need a permit to operate in Gastonia?
Where are shared scooters allowed to be ridden in Gastonia?
How fast must a company remove a misparked scooter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gastonia
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