The pavement is only a fallback — where a bike path exists, the bike path is compulsory

Updated July 2026

🛴 Can I ride an e-scooter on the pavement?

With conditions

Quick answer

Conditional — only where your route has no bike path or bike lane. The Road Safety Act (art. 112(3)) lets riders of personal mobility devices use pedestrian surfaces solely as a fallback when no cycling infrastructure exists, and then only with a duty of care toward pedestrians; art. 112(2) makes the bike path compulsory where one exists. Riding the pavement in breach of that duty costs 130 EUR, and skipping an existing bike path 60 EUR. The myth "a scooter is a toy, there are no rules" died on 30 July 2022 (NN 85/2022): riders are full traffic participants — a helmet is mandatory at every age (30 EUR), the minimum age is 14, and the alcohol limit is 0.50 g/kg.

📋 The rules

Order of surfaces: a rider of a personal mobility device (OPS) must use the bike path or lane in the direction of travel (art. 112(2), fine 60 EUR); only where none exists may they ride on pedestrian surfaces and in traffic-calmed zones, minding pedestrians' safety (art. 112(3), breach = 130 EUR).
Second fallback: where neither cycling nor pedestrian surfaces are available, an OPS may use county, local and unclassified roads with a limit of 50 km/h or less where a traffic sign allows it, keeping to the right edge (art. 112(4), fine 130 EUR); motorways, expressways and motor-vehicle-only roads are always off limits.
Device caps (definition per NN 85/2022): no seat, engine up to 25 cm³ or an electric motor up to 0.6 kW, top speed 25 km/h; the minimum rider age is 14 (art. 215(1)). A scooter exceeding those caps is not an OPS and is banned from all public traffic surfaces (art. 112(10), 130 EUR).
A helmet is mandatory for every OPS rider regardless of age (art. 114(2), fine 30 EUR per NN 114/2022); only one person — the rider — may be on the scooter (art. 158, 30 EUR).
Visibility and conduct: at night and in reduced visibility a reflective vest or marking is mandatory (30 EUR), along with a white front and a red rear light (art. 101(2), 60 EUR per NN 114/2022); headphones in both ears are banned (30 EUR); the alcohol limit is 0.50 g/kg — riding above it or under drugs costs 60 EUR, and refusing the test 90 EUR.

🔓 Exceptions

Push scooters, roller skates and children's bikes are pedestrian aids — they belong on pedestrian surfaces, and riding or playing with them on the carriageway is banned (art. 124).
Scooters faster than 25 km/h, stronger than 0.6 kW or fitted with a seat may not be ridden anywhere on public traffic surfaces; the only lawful options are limiting them to spec or keeping them on private land. A firm that enables their use in traffic risks 660–1,990 EUR.
Leaving a scooter unattended is allowed only at specially arranged and marked places — anywhere else on traffic surfaces costs 130 EUR (art. 112(9)).

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Typical rider fines run 30–130 EUR: helmet 30, ignoring the bike path 60, unsafe pavement riding 130, lights 60, alcohol 60, refusing a test 90. The costs that arrive later matter more: a child under 14 on an e-scooter is treated by the police as a parental-supervision failure (by July 2025 Croatia recorded a 285% rise in child hospitalisations from e-scooter falls, with 40% of the injured under the legal age); non-compliant devices are excluded from traffic; and legal persons such as rental firms face 660–1,990 EUR. A collision with a pedestrian on the pavement also opens up civil liability for the damage.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Can I use the pavement if the bike path is blocked by parked cars?

The law permits the pavement only where no bike path or lane exists at all. If a bike path is there, you must use it, and riding elsewhere is fined 60 EUR.

Is a helmet mandatory for adults on an e-scooter?

Yes — art. 114(2) requires a helmet for every rider of a personal mobility device regardless of age. The fine is 30 EUR, even though several blogs and magazines still quote 40 EUR.

What is the minimum age for an e-scooter?

The minimum age is 14 (art. 215(1)). If a younger child rides one, the police treat it as a parental-supervision matter, and the injury statistics show 40% of injured children were below the legal age.

What is the alcohol limit on a scooter?

The same as for a bicycle — 0.50 g/kg. Riding above that limit or under the influence of drugs costs 60 EUR and refusing a breath test 90 EUR; the "60 to 200 EUR" ranges quoted by blogs are not in the statute.

What about scooters that go faster than 25 km/h?

Such a device is not a personal mobility device and may not be ridden anywhere on public traffic surfaces. Lawfully you can only limit it to spec or ride it on private land.

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