Waterloo, IA Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

Under City Code § 3-8-5, any company running a shared scooter or e-bike program must obtain a shared mobility device license from the city clerk, paying a $500 initial annual fee and $200 for each renewal year over a two-year term, plus five cents per completed ride billed quarterly under § 3-8-5(E). Section 3-8-6(A) caps the city at issuing no more than two operator licenses at a time. Section 3-8-4 lets the city council set the operating area and speed limit by resolution; devices inside that zone are capped at 15 miles per hour, and it is unlawful to rent out a device that is not governed to that speed.

Section 3-8-7 sets hours of operation from 4:00 A.M. to midnight, requires licensees to cap fleets at 150 devices absent city approval to grow, and to relocate improperly parked or unsafe devices within 12 hours (4 hours for emergencies) or face city impoundment at up to $20 per device. Riders must be 18 or older and are barred outright from riding on sidewalks under § 3-8-9(A); they also may not block ADA paths, fire hydrants, bus benches, driveways or building entrances when parking. The city clerk can deny, suspend or revoke a license for violations of the chapter, fraud in an application, or failure to maintain required insurance, following a city council hearing; a suspension runs at least 14 days and a revocation bars the operator from re-licensing for one year, per § 3-8-14.