What to know
- The City of Toronto says e-scooters are illegal to ride on public streets, sidewalks, bike lanes and trails, even though they can legally be purchased in stores.
- The city says it cannot ban the sale of e-scooters, as regulating product sales falls under provincial and federal jurisdiction. It can, however, decide where they’re allowed to operate.
- A social media post explaining the rule sparked widespread debate, with many residents questioning why the devices can be sold if they can’t legally be used in Toronto.
- The city says the restrictions are intended to improve safety, citing concerns about injuries involving e-scooters and e-bikes, including findings from SickKids showing an increase in emergency department visits.
- Instead of e-scooters, the city encourages residents to use manual scooters, bicycles or e-bikes, which are permitted under specific rules.
You can walk into a Toronto store and legally buy an e-scooter, but the moment you take it onto a public street, sidewalk, bike lane or trail, you could be breaking the rules.
That apparent contradiction has left Torontonians scratching their heads after a City of Toronto social media post reminding residents of its e-scooter ban sparked hundreds of reactions online.
Are e-scooters actually illegal in Toronto?
On Wednesday, the city made a short post on X warning residents that although e-scooters are allowed to be sold in Toronto, it is illegal to ride them on public streets, sidewalks, bike lanes or trails.
“You can buy ‘em, but you can’t ride ‘em,” the post said.
What seemed to be a simple PSA sparked hundreds of reactions online, as many people questioned the rule.
“You can buy them but you can’t ride them? Then why allow them to be sold at all? This has to be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read,” one user wrote.
“Maybe you should make them legal. This is a stupid rule. Especially when other cities around you accept them on public roadways, bike lanes, and trails,” a different user suggested.
“If it’s not legal, why [is it] being sold everywhere?” another person questioned.
“It’s 2026. Are we closing our eyes and pretending eScooters won’t be constantly increasing in popularity? Why don’t you adjust bylaws accordingly to keep people safe instead of pretending these will just go away?” another person said.
Why can stores sell e-scooters if you can’t ride them?
Although the rules might seem confusing for some residents, the City of Toronto told Now Toronto it doesn’t have the authority to regulate or prohibit the sales of e-scooters. This authority instead falls under the provincial and federal levels of government.
However, the city does have the authority to regulate where vehicles can operate in public spaces.
For that reason, even though buying an e-scooter is allowed, and even riding them in other municipalities is permitted, it is illegal to operate them in Toronto, regardless of age.
In addition, the city points to a study by the SickKids hospital published in 2024 which found that more children and youth were arriving at the emergency department with injuries caused by the use of e-scooters and e-bikes.
According to the study, between June and July of 2024 alone, the hospital registered 16 injuries related to the micromobility vehicles compared to only five injuries during the same period in 2023.
“The City prioritizes the safety of all road users and continues to promote safe and legal operation of micromobility vehicles,” the city said in a statement to Now Toronto.
Instead of e-scooters, residents are encouraged to ride manual kick scooters, traditional bicycles or e-bikes. More information on the rules and safety warnings about e-scooters is available on the city’s website.
