Lansing, MI Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $2,500 nonrefundable annual fee
- Ride fee
- $0.10 per-ride origination fee
- Speed cap
- 15 mph top speed citywide
- Insurance floor
- $500,000/$1,000,000 liability minimum
- Sidewalk clearance
- 5 feet of unobstructed sidewalk
- Enforcement
- Scooter impound under § 404.01(i)
Summary
Any company that wants to drop dockless electric scooters on Lansing, Michigan streets and sidewalks needs an annual City Clerk license under Lansing Codified Ordinances Section 872.02. The license costs $2,500 a year plus a 10-cent fee on every ride that starts in the city, and every scooter must be governed to a 15 mph top speed.
No person shall engage in the business of a dockless electric scooter company that uses the rights-of-way of the City of Lansing, including roadways and sidewalks, to park and/or advertise the electric scooters without first obtaining an operating license from the City. (a)In order to obtain a license, a person shall agree to:(1)Limit the maximum speed of all electric scooters to 15 miles per hour within the City... (b)The City Clerk is hereby authorized to grant licenses described in this subsection. All licenses are annual unless revoked earlier as provided in Section 872.06. A nonrefundable fee must be paid for a license; the annual fee for each calendar year, or portion thereof, that this chapter is in effect is $2,500.00 unless adjusted and set by resolution of City Council. An additional origination fee for each electric scooter ride that originates in the City shall be paid to the City on a monthly basis; the origination fee during the each calendar year, or portion thereof, that this chapter is in effect is $0.10 unless adjusted and set by resolution of City Council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 872 of the Lansing Codified Ordinances, in Ingham County, treats dockless electric scooter operators as a licensed business, not an unregulated street use. 13F. 02 bars anyone from running a dockless scooter company that uses city rights-of-way to park or advertise scooters without a City Clerk-issued operating license. To get one, a company must cap scooter speeds at 15 mph, post a visible ID number and 24-hour customer service line on every device, answer complaints about mis-parked or unsafe scooters within two hours, and carry at least $500,000 per-incident and $1,000,000 aggregate liability insurance.
13. 05 sets where scooters may sit once parked: upright on hard sidewalk surfaces only if five linear feet of clear sidewalk remains, and never blocking crosswalks, bus stops, fire hydrants, bike racks, driveways or building entrances; the Director of Public Services can suspend rights-of-way parking for weather, construction or special events. 01(i), which covers bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and skateboards left unlawfully on public property. 06 lets City Council revoke a company's license for violating its license terms or City or State law, following a Police Department petition and a noticed hearing.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 872 doesn't set its own fine table, so a scooter-company violation defaults to the Code's general penalty at Section 202.99: a misdemeanor carrying up to $500 in fines plus prosecution costs, up to 90 days in jail, or both. The sharper tool is license revocation under Section 872.06: the Chief of Police petitions the City Clerk, Council schedules a hearing with five days' written notice, and Council may revoke the license by a preponderance of the evidence after the company presents its defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lansing regulate individual scooter riders or just the companies?
How much does a scooter company pay to operate in Lansing?
Is there a speed limit on shared scooters in Lansing?
Can the City shut down a scooter company for breaking the rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lansing
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