I have a suspended license from a DUI. However I need to get to work. do you need a license to ride an electric bike, scooter, or electric cycle?
this scooter is 600 watts and has pedels
If I have a suspended license in CA, Can I ride an electric scooter with out a license?
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I know you need a license for a scooter but I dont know about the other things
Well, this is kind of a complicated answer … yes, you can and no, you can’t. A lot of it depends on several factors. If the scooter you are planning on using is a “sit-down” model with any kind of engine that can go over 15 mph then you would need to license it with the DMV, and you would need a class M1 drivers license. If its the kind of scooter you normally use your foot to propel (like the kind my 8 year old niece uses), but it has a small electric motor to help with inclines then no, you wouldn’t need a license. The same goes for electric cycles … if it is considered the primary means of power then you would need to license it as “street legal,” and have a proper drivers license. Bicycles with small electric motors (below 10 CC’s) are not considered differnt from regular bicycles. Then there is also the situation of powered wheelchairs and those “hoverround” scooters old people use to get around — those do not require a license, but then again they don’t go very fast either.
As a general rule of thumb if you have to ask yourself if you need a license to operate something chances are you do … it should be self-evident what you don’t need a license to drive. And, if there is a placard in which to place a license plate then the answer should be obvious.
You could always get a Segway …
Edit: A 600 Watt scooter would be classified as a “motorized” vehicle … they can travel up to 25 mph, and the electrical motor is considered the primary mode of operation. You’d be fine using it to ride around the neighborhood, but if you try using it to commute long distances you might get in trouble. You wouldn’t be cited for driving without a license (per se) but operating an unlicensed vehicle. Since it is a motorized vehicle you cannot use it on sidewalks or bike lanes, and since it cannot go over 45 mph you cannot use it on roads either …