Raleigh, NC Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

Chapter 3 of the Raleigh Bicycle Regulations, City Code Sec. 11-3004, Applicability of Traffic Regulations, treats bicycles and motorized scooters operated on shared streets and other designated bicycle facilities as vehicles, making their riders subject to all provisions of the Raleigh City Code and Chapter 20 of the North Carolina General Statutes applicable to drivers, except those that by their nature cannot apply. Subsection (c) specifically states that motorized scooters are not permitted to operate on sidewalks, greenways, or multi-use paths; they may operate only on shared streets and in bicycle lanes, and the operator must stop or yield right-of-way before entering or crossing a public street.

Sec. 11-3003 defines a motorized scooter as a device with no more than three wheels of 12 inches or smaller in diameter, with handlebars, designed to be stood on by the rider, and powered by an electric motor that cannot exceed 20 miles per hour on a paved level surface, and classifies it as a type of motor vehicle; the same chapter separately defines micromobility device to include scooters made available for private use by online reservation, which is how the code captures dockless shared-scooter fleets.

Sec. 11-3005 additionally requires a scooter operator to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians at all times on shared streets or bicycle lanes. Sec. 12-1007 lets the City Manager develop guidelines and enter agreements with micromobility providers to govern shared-scooter operations citywide, which is how program-specific no-ride zones and parking corrals are implemented on top of the core Sec. 11-3004 riding rule.