E-Scooter License or Registration - Do I need to?

My questions pertain to whether or not I need to get a particular vehicle licensed or registered in the state of Ohio, in case anyone is confident about the laws there....

I plan on moving to central Ohio in the near future and intend to buy an electric scooter. What I would ideally like to get is a 500W electric scooter bike that does not utilize gas at all. It can travel up to 28 miles per hour, has 2 wheels, optional pedals, a floorboard, rearview mirrors, turn signals, a headlight, etc. I only intend to ride this vehicle in the bike lane and obey traffic laws to the best of my general knowledge.

My questions are: Would I need to get a moped license or register this e-scooter with the Ohio BMV? Also, would I need insurance on this e-scooter? I can't but feel a little uncertain even after having done some research online, but I don't want to get ticketed when the time comes to ride whatever new scooter bike I end up buying.

28mph takes a whole lot more than 500W. That's 2/3 of a horsepower. Scooters that go 28mph typically have at least 2hp, or 1500W. Sometimes quite a lot more.

Play around with this calculator:
http://kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

Make pessimistic assumptions about rider position and rolling resistance, because scooters aren't nearly as efficient as bicycles.

In Ohio, you're allowed a maximum speed of 20mph on a motorized bicycle that doesn't require a driver's license. I would assume any speed over that would require the same license, registration, and insurance as a gas powered scooter of the same performance.

In regards to the power of said bike, this is the actual vehicle I'm considering:
https://www.upzy.com/collections/el...nix-500w-72v-20ah-electric-moped-scooter-bike

72V times 30A, as specified, is 2160W. That power minus efficiency losses might, in a best case, result in the approximately 2hp which could propel the scooter at up to 28mph. The lead acid pack in that scooter has about 20 minutes of duration at that power, if you want it to last for more than a handful of charge cycles. That's about 9 miles.

It isn't nearly 500W by any definition. It also won't allow anything like the 50 mile claimed range. These things should call into question the validity of any other performance claims made by the manufacturer and seller of the scooter.

My advice is, run don't walk away from that garbage.

The law would be a municipal one. Don't quote me on this but I think you don't need license/registration for anything under 750W. However, each town and city has its own laws about these things, whether and where you can ride them, etc.

A quick google search found me this article talking about Bird scooters, and how the laws surrounding them are really vague, and it's pretty much up to municipal laws whether they're permitted or not.

Anyway, that aside, these Gio scooters are your standard Chinese junk. They're not great, they're not very powerful, they're not especially well made. They are however, very easy to find used. The price you linked is absolutely absurd, ESPECIALLY with a lead acid battery. If it had a lithium battery and was a thousand dollars cheaper it might be worth it. I think these scooters cost less than $700 wholesale, so that site you linked is making a pretty insane markup.

Whatever you do, do not spend that kind of money on one of these scooters. People buy these, realize they aren't that powerful, they struggle on hills, and they don't get you very far on a charge. So, they end up on the used market for peanuts. Here's a craigslist listing for one for $200 in Cleveland: https://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/d/maple-heights-electric-scooter/6886524543.html

Jaclyn_Phoenix_Fan said:

My questions pertain to whether or not I need to get a particular vehicle licensed or registered in the state of Ohio, in case anyone is confident about the laws there....

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For legal stuff, you really have to check directly with the authorities at the locality in question. If they don't know, then you'll still have to find out all the details yourself, because as the LEOs will probably tell you "ignorance of the law..."blahblahblah. :/

If you want to be a "bicycle" you'll have to check the local laws about what actually is defined as a bicycle, and not exceed whatever that is.

Generally the state itself defines what various modes of transportation are, including power levels, braking and lighting requirements, etc. So the first place to check is the state legislation for the transportation section (in AZ, tha'ts title 28, dunno about OH).

Sometimes counties/etc and cities/etc have local restrictions against some types of transportation, or limiting them further, if state law does not forbid this (some do, some don't). So after you've made sure you meet state laws, then you'd need to verify local ones.

Personally, I recommend going with a bicycle-looking ebike, if you're going to use one, because scooter-looking ones are going to attract more negative attention just because they look like scooters (they *are* scooters, with basically fake pedals, effectively, for almost every one I've seen). They also have all the negative traits of scooters for ride quality/etc., rather than the traits of bicycles. An ebike can be pedalled if your electrics die, the scooters can't (well, maybe a very short distance before you die of exhaustion :lol: ).

Did a quick Google, and it appears the laws are covered under House Bill 250, but the legislature website is down at the moment.

Based on summaries of it, it appears that:

1. The bike must be rideable by pedals alone to be considered an eBike and not a moped. So "optional" pedals on a 250lb+ bike? You gotta be dreaming. I actually wonder if they modelled that Australian case law, where an importer argued that pedals made the eBike legal, but the judge said that the legislation said the motor must "assist", the rider, not replace it. Nobody could pedal the bike without the motor turned off, so the judge ruled the main source of power to be the motor, and thus a moped.

2. To get to 28mph, you need a class 3 eBike. Class 3 eBikes are not permitted on sidewalks, shared paths or bike paths.

In short, no. Your plans woukd break multiple laws, and since its not exactly subtle, you probably will be fined. And I wouldn't blame them. Imagine being hit crossing a bike path by 250lbs of metal and another 200lba of rider going 28mphs. Death is a strong possibilty.

Interesting!

Here's the full text of the bill: http://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/solarapi/v1/general_assembly_132/bills/hb250/EN/05?format=pdf

These laws have a lot of loopholes, and in some places these scooters are very common because of that. The pedals *actually* being useful for riding the bike is not important, just that they exist and can move the wheel.

For class 1 and class 3 bikes, the throttle may only be operated through pedal assist. For class 2, you can use a throttle instead.
Class 1 and 2 are limited to 20mph. Class 3 can do up to 28mph.

The state laws re: bike lanes is pretty convoluted, but it basically states Class 1 and Class 2 can use "ebike lanes" and "shared bike lanes", but not "bike trails". This can also be overruled by municipal laws.

Basically so long as it's limited to 20mph it should be a Class 2, and it ought to be legal to ride. I am not a lawyer.

PS: One thing to note about this forum is even though you're in the e-scooter/motorcycle section, you're going to get a lot of angry bicycle people who seem to HATE scooters. Common complaints are they're big, heavy, slow, and stick out like a sore thumb. Which they do. Prepare to be stopped by curious police once in a while. Recite a script explaining how this is a class-2 electric bike, etc.

I for one own a scooter, and have been riding it 5 years. I really enjoy the cargo capacity on the thing. There's no way I'm going to the grocery store and bringing home a 20lb bag of potatoes or a 36pk of toilet paper on a bike-shaped ebike. I enjoy the seating position and comfort, not having to balance. I like the safety of using actual DOT-approved motorcycle turn signals, brake lights, headlamps, etc, I feel I'm a lot more visible than someone with a single blinking red LED.

That said, I can't ride it on bike lanes, paths or trails. If it were bicycle-shaped, I could probably get away with using them so long as I stuck to speed limits etc, but a scooter is just too big, to obvious. (note that some municipalities actually allow scooter-shaped ebikes on bike paths, like Victoria BC). It's heavy, and while it has really good disc brakes, it still has a lot more inertia to overcome.

So, it's up to you. Just know that if you drive an ebike on bike paths, you'll be hated by cyclists and joggers. If you drive a e-scooter at all, you'll be hated by e-bikers as well.

inedible said:

These laws have a lot of loopholes, and in some places these scooters are very common because of that. The pedals *actually* being useful for riding the bike is not important, just that they exist and can move the wheel.

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There are indeed, and so it is very much caveat emptor. I'm not disagreeing with you, but just showing the NSW experience, because the laws are very similar, but this guidance is provided by NSW, Australia's equivalent of the BMV:



Seeing that from my own jurisdiction makes me wonder if the legislature's choice of words, especially emphasising "Fully" operable, and "provides assistance", are deliberately worded to target motorcycles with functional, but impractical pedals.



You would never know until there is a precedent in Ohio, but if you are a cynic like me, you probably wouldn't sink $2.5k into a bike that might cop you a pretty hefty fine.

If I were OP, I'd be either targeting Class 2, or building a Class 3 eBike that at first glance, you couldn't tell if it was Class 2, 1 or even human powered.

Oops, meant to edit, quoted myself as well. OH well, clean up:

I thought I might add a comment to this:

PS: One thing to note about this forum is even though you're in the e-scooter/motorcycle section, you're going to get a lot of angry bicycle people who seem to HATE scooters. Common complaints are they're big, heavy, slow, and stick out like a sore thumb. Which they do. Prepare to be stopped by curious police once in a while. Recite a script explaining how this is a class-2 electric bike, etc.

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Having been very active here for 8 years, I would have to be a bit more nuanced in supporting that statement. Over the last 8 years, electric bikes have gone from a legal "no man's land", to legally banned (New York City - lifted now), to formally approved (places like Ohio).

Pretty much all the hate I've seen for scooters, are not for electric scooters being built and used as scooters. It's where people people have tried to use nascent electric bike laws to excuse riding what's effectively a motorcycle/motorscooter on a footpath, and getting law enforcement to clamp down hard on other eBikers. E.g. There was one article I can't find, where a Foodora rider was riding a 50mph/80kmh capable Stealth Bomber on footpaths. That was one of the examples that the NYC legislature used to justify the ban on ALL electric bikes.

I think you find even for the guys who are building powerful, non-compliant bikes, most will just say "Ride sensibly, pretend to pedal, look like a compliant eBike, and you'll be fine". They hate it when electric bikes get negative press in the news, because they know that they'll get more scruitiny, and a bike that looks like a motorcycle, weighs like a motorcycle, and is ridden like a motorcycle is a duck. I mean, probably not an electric bike.

TBH, I'm less passionate about that now. I mostly ride an electric motorcycle registered as an electric motorcycle, but just explaining why there is "hate" out there. (It's more concern that negative press will be brought to our community, and the discretion and "live and let live" attitude that most cops would normally have to non-compliant bikes, would be lost because of one idiot).

i have a duel hub elctric mini bike that is home built. but because it goes 20mph it is classed as a moped and had to be registered as such the bike has been completed and does have a mirror and seat along with required lights. so all i can say is under ohio law the bmv will require you to register the bike you are getting as a scooter and will require a scooter license due to the speed above 20mph and if it goes above 30mph it then is classed as a motorcycle and will require such license or endorsment i have called the columbus bmv to confirm it to the ohio bmv website