Tucson, AZ Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

City Code § 5-17 makes it unlawful for a mobility share entity to operate shared mobility devices -- including electric scooters -- within Tucson's corporate limits unless it holds a valid Mobility Share Permit through a program authorized by the director of the Department of Transportation (TDOT). Permitted operators must follow all rules the director promulgates, which under § 5-17(c) must address minimum safety requirements, parking, operations and rebalancing, data sharing and privacy, fees, application requirements, and indemnification, bond and insurance. Those rules only take effect once approved by mayor and council, and the director must first give the city clerk three copies for public review and post them on a city website.

Section 5-18 layers on rider-specific rules for scooters used as part of an authorized program: an operator is granted the rights and duties of a bicycle rider under state and local law (notwithstanding Tucson Code Chapter 20, Article I, Sec. 30(C)(1)), riders must be at least 16, and riders under 18 must wear a helmet meeting current American National Standards Institute protective headgear standards. Definitions in § 5-16 describe an electric scooter as a self-propelled, stand-up deck device with an electric motor and at least two tandem wheels, offered for hire on a short-term basis and not required to return to a specific origin point. These provisions trace to Ord. No. 11583 (9-5-18) as amended by Ord. No. 11779 (9-9-20).