Are Electric Scooters Legal in Houston?

ParkHouston has drafted amendments to Chapter 45 that would prohibit rental and private scooters from the public right-of-way in Houston’s core (Downtown, Midtown, and East Downtown) to address the sharp rise in crashes and complaints about sidewalk riding since 2021. The Quality of Life Committee will take public comment on July 24, 2025, before sending the measure to the full City Council, and staff have published the proposed scooter-free zone map, slide deck, and feedback form for riders and businesses. Until Council acts, the 2021 rules still apply—scooters cannot be staged in the public right-of-way without a permit, sidewalk riding is already banned in business districts, and the city can pause fleets that ignore curfew or parking requirements. Riders should monitor ParkHouston alerts because the ordinance would formalize geofenced no-ride zones in the civic core and could force operators to redeploy fleets elsewhere in the city.