Are Electric Scooters Legal in Austin?

Austin’s April 2024 rule overhaul cut the number of licensed vendors to Lime and Bird, shrank the fleet cap to 6,700 devices citywide (2,250 downtown, with temporary boosts only for major events), and paired the reductions with new slow zones that automatically drop shared scooters from 15 mph to 10 mph between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in the Rainey Street, East 6th Street, and other nightlife corridors. Micromobility users must follow the same traffic laws as motorists, may ride on sidewalks only at a prudent speed while yielding to people walking, and are instructed to keep at least three feet of sidewalk clear when staging a device. Austin Transportation’s guidance also bans parking on bridges, near creeks or lakes, or in front of ramps, doorways, transit stops, and private property; operators must rebalance scooters into marked corrals and respond to 311 complaints so blocked facilities are cleared quickly. City staff report the fleet cap, nightly slow zones, and new staging rules have cut clutter complaints while keeping average trips per scooter stable.