An e-scooter is a vehicle with a small standing platform and no seat, for use by one person only. An e-scooter may have two or more wheels and be propelled by an electric motor.
The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 introduced a new category of vehicles, ‘Personal Powered Transporters’ or PPTs. E-scooters are now categorised as PPTs.
E-scooters can be legally used on public roads only if they meet the technical and usage requirements for the category. Note that users must be 16 or older, not carry passengers or goods, and obey a speed limit of 20 kilometres per hour. Visit the RSA website on Frequently Asked Questions about e-scooters.
An e-scooter used on public roads must:
• have a maximum continuous rated power output of 400 watts or less
• have a maximum net weight of 25 kilograms (including batteries)
• have a maximum design speed of 20 kilometres per hour or less
• have wheels with a minimum diameter of 200 millimetres
• be fitted with front and rear lights and reflectors, brakes and a bell
• be fitted with a manufacturer’s plate certifying the power output, weight and design speed
• not have a seat.
An e-scooter that does not meet these technical requirements, set out in SI 199 of 2024, may not legally be used on public roads.
An e-scooter should be used in the same way as a bicycle on public roads. Users must:
• Be 16 or older
• Not carry passengers (for example, carrying children to school)
• Not carry goods (for example, food or parcel delivery)
• Obey a speed limit of 20 kilometres per hour
• Drive on the left (including in bicycle lanes and bus lanes)
• Not use the footpath
• Obey all rules of the road, particularly for traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, pelican crossings and zebra crossings
• Obey signals given by a Garda or school warden
• Obey all traffic lights, including bicycle traffic lights
• Obey all traffic signs in the same way that they apply to cyclists
• Not use a mobile phone.
Wearing protective equipment, such as a helmet and high-vis clothing, is advised.
This is the relevant legislation for e-scooters:
• The Road Traffic (Electric Scooters) Regulations 2024 (S.I 199 of 2024) provides for technical standards and conditions for safe use, including a minimum age of 16 and a speed limit of 20 km/h.
• The Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 2024 (S.I 200 of 2024) provides that signs for bicycle use will also apply to e-scooters.
• The Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (S.I 222 of 2024) provides for traffic rules, including forbidding use on motorways, footpaths and pedestrianised areas.
• The Road Traffic (Use of Powered Personal Transporters) Regulations 2024 (S.I 224 of 2024) provides that other types of PPT, and e-scooters which do not comply with the regulations, will remain illegal to use in public places.
• The Road Traffic Act 1994 (Detention of Powered Personal Transporters) Regulations 2024 (S.I 223 of 2024) gives An Garda Síochána powers to seize and detain non-compliant e-scooters or other types of PPT.
• The Road Traffic Act 2010 (Part 3) (Fixed Charge Offences) Regulations 2024 (S.I 227 of 2024) provides for fixed charge penalties of €50.00 for certain e-scooter offences.