Greece has approved new national rules for electric scooters that set the minimum riding age at 17, require liability insurance and establish an electronic registry linking vehicles with their owners.
Parliament passed the legislation on July 21. As of July 24, it remained on Parliament’s list of approved bills awaiting publication in the Government Gazette. The provisions will take effect upon publication unless an individual article establishes a different date.
The Greek rules are stricter than those in several U.S. states and cities with large Greek-American populations, but the comparisons are not exact. Each jurisdiction defines qualifying scooters differently, using its own limits for speed, power, weight and design.
New Jersey sets no statewide minimum age for low-speed electric scooters. Delaware begins at 14, New York City at 16 and Illinois at 18. Massachusetts requires a driver’s license or learner’s permit, making 16 the practical minimum. Pennsylvania generally keeps ordinary stand-up scooters off public roads and sidewalks.
Greece sets the minimum age at 17
Once the law takes effect, riders must have reached 17 to operate electric scooters subject to the new provisions on public roads. Mobility devices intended for people with disabilities are excluded.
The sale, rental or other provision of a scooter to anyone younger than 17 will also be prohibited. Retailers and rental providers must verify age through an official physical or digital identification document or Greece’s electronic age-verification system, including the Kids Wallet application.
Riding below the age limit carries a €150 fine, while a business that sells, rents or provides a scooter to someone under 17 may be fined €1,000. Riders must also carry identification and proof of insurance. Operating without the required coverage carries a €250 penalty.
The rules apply to Greece’s broader legal category of light personal electric vehicles, which includes stand-up scooters and similar motorized devices.
Liability insurance and registration become compulsory
Owners and holders of the vehicles will have to carry liability insurance covering injuries, death and property damage caused to others. Shared-scooter operators may meet the requirement through a fleet policy.
The legislation also establishes an electronic registry within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, accessible through gov.gr. It will record vehicles, their owners and their technical characteristics.
A later ministerial decision must set the registration procedure, the system’s technical operation and penalties for failing to submit information. Parliament’s scientific service identifies compulsory insurance, the under-17 restriction and the registry among the bill’s scooter provisions.
Electric scooters were already prohibited on Greek roads where the posted speed limit exceeds 50 kilometers per hour. The new legislation raises the fine for that violation from €30 to €350. Riders must also use a bicycle or moped lane where one is available.
How Greece compares with selected U.S. rules
The United States has no national operating framework for electric scooters, leaving states and cities to set rules that can differ sharply by location.
| Jurisdiction | Minimum age | Main distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Greece | 17 | Liability insurance required; national registry established |
| New Jersey | No statewide minimum stated | Helmet required through age 16; no license, registration or insurance |
| Pennsylvania | — | Ordinary stand-up scooters generally barred from roads and sidewalks |
| Delaware | 14 | Helmet required under 18; rentals require municipal authorization |
| New York City | 16 | Helmet required at 16 and 17; speed limited to 15 mph |
| Illinois/Chicago | 18 under state law | Chicago guidance permits rentals at 16 and 17 with parental consent |
| Massachusetts/Boston | Effective minimum of 16 | Driver’s license or learner’s permit and helmet required |
Delaware Valley rules range from permissive to prohibitive
New Jersey defines a low-speed electric scooter as a vehicle with handlebars and a standing floorboard capable of traveling at less than 19 miles per hour.
The state lists no minimum age and requires no driver’s license, registration or insurance. Riders 16 and younger must wear a helmet.
Under the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s micromobility guidance, scooters meeting that definition may be used on public streets, bike lanes and paved bikeways. Municipalities may decide whether they can be ridden on sidewalks, while public agencies may restrict their use on trails or paths under their control. Sidewalk parking is permitted when pedestrian access is not blocked.
Pennsylvania’s statewide position is considerably more restrictive. PennDOT says ordinary stand-up electric scooters do not meet the equipment and inspection standards required for titling and registration. They therefore cannot be titled or registered and may not be operated on Pennsylvania roads or sidewalks.
Seated motor scooters that meet motorcycle-style equipment, licensing, registration, and insurance rules fall into a different category.
Delaware permits low-speed scooters capable of no more than 15 miles per hour. Riders must be at least 14, and anyone younger than 18 must wear an approved bicycle helmet.
A driver’s license, title, registration, license plate and insurance are not required. The scooters may be used wherever bicycles are allowed, including streets, shoulders, bike lanes and qualifying paths, but not on sidewalks. Rental fleets remain prohibited unless a municipality explicitly permits them by ordinance or regulation.
New York, Chicago and Boston follow different models
New York City permits electric scooters beginning at age 16. Helmets are compulsory for riders who are 16 or 17 and recommended for older users.
Scooters may not exceed 15 miles per hour. They may be ridden in bicycle lanes and on streets with speed limits of 30 miles per hour or lower, but not on sidewalks. No driver’s license, registration, or license plate is required.
Illinois law allows municipalities and other local authorities to decide whether low-speed scooters may be used within their jurisdictions. The state statute sets the minimum age at 18 and prohibits their use on state highways and roads posted above 35 miles per hour.
Chicago’s published shared-scooter guidance does not align with that age requirement. The city says riders must be 18 or at least 16 with parental or guardian consent. Shared scooters are limited to 15 miles per hour and may not be ridden on sidewalks. The official state and city sources therefore give different answers on whether 16- and 17-year-olds may ride.
Massachusetts requires scooter riders to hold a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit, making 16 the practical minimum age. Riders must wear an approved helmet, cannot exceed 20 miles per hour, and may not carry passengers or operate between sunset and sunrise.
Boston follows the statewide framework rather than maintaining a separate general age rule. The city directs riders to Massachusetts law for the applicable definitions and operating requirements.
European scooter restrictions do not all cover private use
Several widely reported European “bans” apply only to shared rental fleets.
Paris ended its shared-scooter program on August 31, 2023, after about 89 percent of participants in a city vote supported removing the rental vehicles. The decision applied to shared fleets, not every electric scooter in the city.
Madrid announced in September 2024 that it was revoking the permits of its three shared-scooter operators. The city cited failures involving insurance coverage, inspections, fleet distribution and technology intended to prevent riding or parking in prohibited areas. The decision concerned shared rentals rather than privately owned scooters.
The United Kingdom takes a broader approach. Privately owned electric scooters cannot legally be ridden on public roads, pavements or in parks. Public use is limited to approved rental schemes in selected areas, where riders need a full or provisional driving license, and the operator provides third-party insurance.
Greece has chosen tighter national regulation rather than a broad prohibition. Its age threshold is higher than those in New Jersey, Delaware, New York City and Massachusetts, while Illinois law sets a higher minimum and Pennsylvania generally excludes stand-up scooters from public roads. Greece also differs by requiring liability insurance and creating a national vehicle registry.
Families buying a scooter for a teenager or planning to rent one during a visit to Greece should check the vehicle classification, the rider’s age and the local operating rules before setting out.