Prince William County, VA Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code Sec. 13-510
- Licensing authority
- County Executive or designee
- Enacted
- Ord. No. 19-53, 11-19-2019
- State enabling statute
- Virginia Code Sec. 46.2-1315
- Devices covered
- Motorized scooters, bicycles, e-bikes for hire
Summary
Prince William County requires anyone offering shared motorized scooters, bicycles, or e-bikes for hire to first obtain a license from the County Executive, who is authorized to write and enforce whatever operating rules and policies the program needs.
Before any person offers motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, or electric power-assisted bicycles for hire in the County, such person shall obtain a license from the County Executive or his/her designee. The County Executive or his/her designee is authorized to adopt and implement any regulations and policies he/she determines are necessary and/or appropriate regarding the licensing of persons offering, and the operation of, motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, or electric power-assisted bicycles for hire in the County.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 46 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
County Code Sec. 13-510, enacted by Ord. No. 19-53 on November 19, 2019, opens Article XX of Chapter 13 covering motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, or electric power-assisted bicycles for hire. It requires that before any person offers such devices for hire in the county, that person obtain a license from the County Executive or his or her designee. The section does not itself spell out fleet caps, parking corrals, or no-ride zones in the code text; instead it delegates that authority directly to the County Executive, who 'is authorized to adopt and implement any regulations and policies he/she determines are necessary and/or appropriate regarding the licensing of persons offering, and the operation of' these for-hire devices.
That delegation is grounded in Virginia Code Sec. 2-1315, cited as the state law reference, which is the enabling statute Dillon Rule counties rely on to regulate this kind of for-hire mobility device. Because the article consists of this single section, any operating detail such as insurance, device caps, speed limits within the right-of-way, or designated parking zones for a shared scooter program lives in the administrative regulations and policies the County Executive adopts under this authority rather than in a separate numbered ordinance section, so operators and riders must consult the current licensing regulations issued by the County Executive's office in addition to this section.
Violations & Fines
The article does not set out its own numbered penalty schedule for operating without the required license; violations of the licensing requirement in Sec. 13-510 fall to the general enforcement authority the County Executive exercises through the adopted regulations, and to the county's general misdemeanor penalty provisions applicable to unlicensed business activity under Chapter 13.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues the license for a shared scooter company in Prince William County?
Where are the detailed rules for where scooters can be parked or ridden?
What law lets the county regulate for-hire scooters at all?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince William County
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