The city that is always awake.
It’s busy, crowded, and full of lots of different ways to get around.
But can you get around NYC on your electric skateboard?
In short, yes.
Yes, riding an electric skateboard in New York City is legal.
Problems from the past
Before June 2019, there were a lot of questions about e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-boards, which are vehicles with electric motors.
Before June 2019, e-bikes were against the law.
But it got uncertain.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said there would be harsh punishments, but they didn’t happen.
When people didn’t follow the rules, the police didn’t really do anything about it or give them tickets. Then, De Blasio loosened the ban and started going in the wrong direction (pun intended).
Everything got very confusing, but once the ban was lifted in June 2019, all electric-assisted devices were given the go-ahead.
Even though electric skateboards weren’t the main focus of the ban, they weren’t hurt too much because of this.
Rules, regulations, and laws for the E-board in NYC
The truth is that there are no laws in NYC about electric skateboards.
It’s not clear what to do.
But you should do this one thing…
You should probably follow all the rules that apply to skateboards that don’t have motors as well as e-bikes and e-scooters.
You’ll be fine as long as you use your head, but here are some rules you should follow.
Don’t ride on the curb.
Sidewalks are meant for people who walk.
A busy sidewalk and a fast electric skateboard are not a good combination.
It’s dangerous, and you’re just asking for an accident or someone to get hurt.
I’ve already seen accidents happen when regular scooters without motors were going 10 miles per hour on a busy sidewalk. What do you think will happen when a 25 mph motorized skateboard is used instead of a scooter?
It’s against the law to do it on an e-bike or e-scooter, so you shouldn’t do it on an e-board.
Use the bike path (If There Is One)
As you already know, almost every avenue, street, and road in New York City has bike lanes.
The bike lanes are a great place to be because they keep cyclists safe from accidents with cars and people.
In June 2019, new laws said that electric scooters could ride in the bike lane: “They must ride in the bike lane (if there is one) or at the farthest right edge of a street to “prevent undue interference with the flow of traffic.”
Considering this, you can probably ride your electric skateboard in the bike lane, since e-scooters are allowed to do so.
Also, don’t go too slowly and make it hard for cyclists to pass.
On this file, you can see all the rules for NYC bike lanes.
Don’t think you automatically have the right of way
This isn’t just a rule that makes sense; it’s also a great way to be careful.
The law in NYC says that e-scooters must give way to people walking. You must do the same thing on an electric skateboard.
This is also true for getting cars through traffic.
Cars are a lot bigger and riskier to ride next to.
Your safety and the way you act will be up to you in the end.
Slow down and let other people go first.
It will make the whole world safer!
Personal Experience
I live about an hour from New York City, so I go there every once in a while.
Even though I’ve never been on an e-board in New York City, I see a lot of electric skateboards, scooters, and bikes there almost every time I go.
So, if you’re still not sure if e-boards are legal in the city, don’t worry… They are used every day by tens of thousands of people in New York.
As long as you don’t do something stupid, you should be fine.