Are Electric Scooters Legal in Jackson?

When GOAT scooters appeared downtown in 2023, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and the Planning Department said the company lacked the required permissions and would need to pause until the city drafts a scooter ordinance to address rider safety and deployment zones. Until that ordinance is adopted, Jackson defaults to Mississippi’s traffic code: Section 63-3-208 lets electric personal mobility devices use bike lanes, streets where bicycles are allowed, and even sidewalks so long as riders yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing. Practically, that means only privately owned devices can operate today, and any future shared-fleet operator will have to secure a city permit that builds on those statewide rules.