Shared electric scooters proliferated in Paris during the past few years, but on September 1, 2023, rental scooters were officially banned, and have been removed from service.

Officially termed trottinettes electriques en libre-service, you'll also hear them called scouteurs in Franglais. (The official name is Engins de déplacement personnel motorisés (Personal Motorized Travel Devices), or EDPM, which incudes electric scooters and unicycles (monowheels), hoverboards, electric skateboards, and all other small personal motorized travel devices.

Rental scooters were everywhere, up to 40,000 of them on the streets of Paris. Although potentially a useful addition to the city's ecologically-sensitive transportation system, there was widespread misuse of them, hundreds of traffic accidents, and even deaths.

The City of Paris enacted strict safety regulations for their use, but abuses continued, so in April 2023 a referendum was held to determine their future.

Parisians voted overwhelmingly (90%) to discontinue rental e-scooters. The three companies once permitted to rent them, dott, Lime-S, and Tier, have not had their permits renewed, and when they expired on August 31, 2023, it was the end of rental scooters.

Presumably, personally-owned scooters may still be used, as they will not litter the sidewalks and be used carelessly by inexperienced riders.

Traffic Laws & Regulations

Scooters are subject to the same laws and regulations as bicycles and motorcycles. The proliferation of trottinettes—and their misuse—has caused the city government to undertake enforcement actions of the regulations regarding their use.

1. Illegal to Ride Scooters on Sidewalks!

Scooters must be ridden in bike lanes and on roadways on which the speed limit is 50 km/h (31 mph) or lower.

You must obey all traffic signs, signals and regulations just like any other motorized vehicle.

Riding on sidewalks (trottoirs) exposes pedestrians, especially children, the elderly, and the handicapped, to danger, and is prohibited. Infractions are subject to a penalty (procès-verbal) of 135€ (about US$140).

2. Maximum Speed: 20 km/h

The maximum speed allowed is 25 km/h (about 15.5 mph), or 10 or 20 km/h, about 6 to 12.5 mph, in some areas. (In fact, the e-scooter rental company may automatically slow the speed of your vehicle in high-density areas, based on geo-location.) The penalty for exceeding these limits is 1500€! Many scooters have top speeds of 32 km/h (20 mph), so don't ride them at top speed.

3. One Rider per Scooter

Only one person (age 12 or older) is allowed to ride a scooter. Those found riding two on one scooter are subject to a fine of 135€ (about US$140).

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