Micromobility Regulations
WHAT IS MICROMOBILITY?
Micromobility vehicles are a range of lightweight, low-speed vehicles driven by users, such as bikes, e-scooters and skateboards.
Get acquainted with campus micromobility regulations before you complete the required registration. Micromobility regulations are implemented for the safety of pedestrians, micromobility riders, people with disabilities and all others who traverse our campus. Terps should also review our bike and e-scooter/e-bike safety tips before hitting the road.
Registration is required for bikes, e-scooters and e-bikes. Effective August 1, 2025, UMD students living in on-campus properties, including UMD residence halls, university-owned fraternity and sorority chapter houses, and South Campus Commons, are not permitted to bring personal electric micromobility devices (electric bikes, electric scooters, skateboards, or any other privately-owned electric micromobility devices) to campus. Please review our registration guidelines for more details.
Personal mobility aids (PMAs) designed to support individuals with limited mobility, such as power wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walking aids with powered assistance, are not included in this regulation. Please contact Accessibility and Disability Service to request an accommodation.
OPERATING REGULATIONS
Maryland State Law regulates bikes and e-scooters/e-bikes under MD Transportation Code § 11-104 (2022), which indicates that micromobility vehicles must be operated on the road or permitted paths, and must abide by all traffic laws and posted signage. These laws include, but are not limited to, stopping at stop signs, obeying traffic signals, riding in the direction of traffic, the prohibited wearing of headsets or earplugs in both ears and yielding to other vehicles and pedestrians.
Micromobility users should ride in bike lanes, on designated bike paths or on the road.
- Stick to low-traffic and low-speed areas and use bike lanes where possible. Exercise caution if it is necessary to cross or briefly travel on a busy road.
- If a sidewalk or crosswalk must be used to reach your destination, step off your micromobility vehicle and walk. Pedestrians are unpredictable and vulnerable on sidewalks and may not be able to anticipate an oncoming e-scooter or e-bike.
- When riding in roadways, note that many streets on campus have shared-lane markings. Micromobility riders are allowed to use the whole lane and cars are required to give at least 3 feet of space when passing.
- Micromobility riders must obey traffic control signs, yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and use hand signals to indicate direction.
- Do not operate a micromobility vehicle while impaired.
- Do not operate a micromobility vehicle in an unsafe manner. This includes using earbuds or headphones while riding, acrobatic riding, distracted riding or more than one rider per vehicle.
- Avoid riding within campus parking garages. Structural elements within garages can reduce driver visibility, making it a challenge for motorists to anticipate oncoming micromobility vehicles.
Please note, e-scooters may not be brought onto Shuttle-UM buses, unless they are foldable. Like standard bicycles, e-bikes can be secured on Shuttle-UM front racks.
UMPD enforces all traffic laws in accordance with the Maryland Transportation Article (MD Transportation Code § 11-104 (2022)). Improper riding could result in a ticket that includes a fine.
PARKING REGULATIONS
Make sure to park your micromobility vehicle the right way–it helps keep campus safe and accessible for everyone. Improperly parked bikes or e-scooters/e-bikes will be subject to booting or impoundment by university personnel. Relocation, impoundment and/or storage fees may apply.
Micromobility parking is prohibited at any designated parking area between the end of spring semester and the beginning of fall semester, unless (i) the owner is present on campus and using the vehicle or (ii) the bike is a rental unit provided by a third-party micromobility vendor.
BIKE PARKING REGULATIONS
Bikes may only be parked at bike racks. Locking to trees, benches, railings or other objects is prohibited.
E-SCOOTER/E-BIKE PARKING REGULATIONS
All e-scooters and e-bikes must be parked in designated e-scooter/e-bike parking areas, bike racks or covered bike parking areas.
- Electric micromobility vehicles are strictly prohibited inside campus buildings including residence halls, academic buildings and campus bike rooms due to the fire hazard posed by their lithium-ion batteries. Violators of this policy are subject to:
- Up to $100 of fines ($50 indoor occupancy fine; $50 impound)
- Immediate impoundment of their electric micromobility vehicle
- Referral to the Office of Student Conduct and/or Residential Life Rights & Responsibilities for further discipline.
- E-scooter/e-bike parking is prohibited at any designated parking area between the end of spring semester and the beginning of fall semester, unless (i) the owner is present on campus and using the vehicle or (ii) the e-scooter/e-bike is a rental unit provided by a third-party micromobility vendor.
ADA PARKING VIOLATIONS
Bicycle, e-scooter/e-bike owners may be assessed an immediate $50 ADA parking violation fine for any vehicle that is parked in a manner that blocks access to handrails, stairways, walkways, ramps, benches, building entrances and exits or sidewalk curb cuts.
Reports of ADA parking violations can come from any member of the UMD community and DOTS will issue the violation to all identifiable micromobility vehicles that are deemed to be violating ADA regulations.
DOTS is responsible for enforcing e-scooter and e-bike parking regulations.
If you see an e-scooter/e-bike that is improperly parked please report it to DOTS.
EXAMPLES OF PROPER ELECTRIC MICROMOBILITY VEHICLE PARKING:
EXAMPLES OF IMPROPER ELECTRIC MICROMOBILITY VEHICLE PARKING:
IMPOUNDED, BOOTED, LOST OR STOLEN MICROMOBILITY VEHICLES
IMPOUNDED BIKE OR E-SCOOTER/E-BIKE
Micromobility vehicles that are not parked at bike racks may be impounded immediately for improper parking. This includes devices that are blocking accessible pathways or are locked to trees, railings, gates or signs.
Bike racks near campus buildings are checked for abandoned devices on an ongoing basis. Devices that are left during the summer months or that appear abandoned (excessive rust, flat tires, missing components) will receive a warning tag. This tag indicates that the device must be moved before a set date, usually two weeks from the placement of the tag. If the device is not moved, it will be impounded.
Booting, impound and storage fees will apply. Any locks used to secure an improperly parked micromobility vehicle may be removed and possibly damaged by university personnel while relocating the vehicle. The university shall not be liable for the cost of repair or replacement of locking devices.
BOOTED MICROMOBILITY VEHICLES
Unregistered e-scooters/e-bikes are subject to booting or impoundment.
- If your vehicle is booted, the first step is to fill out the Booting Release Form and authorize a $20 release fee.
- During regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-4 p.m.), a DOTS employee will email you a code to release the u-lock boot. Please note that booting release is not available outside of business hours, including on Saturday and Sunday.
- Once the code is emailed by a staff member, you will have 48 hours to remove the boot from your vehicle and return it to DOTS in fair condition, or you will face a $30 charge for the replacement of the u-lock. Please be aware that the banner on the u-lock must still be attached, or a $10 banner replacement fee may be applied. Detailed instructions on how to return the u-lock are provided via email when the release code is sent.
LOST OR STOLEN MICROMOBILITY VEHICLES
If you are unable to locate your bike or e-scooter/e-bike, check the impound database and follow the reclaim procedures in the next section. All reclaimed vehicles will be assessed a $35 impound fee.
If you believe your bike or e-bike/e-scooter was stolen, call the Department of Public Safety immediately at (301) 405-3555.
RECLAIMING A MICROMOBILITY VEHICLE
DOTS currently has hundreds of bikes and e-scooters/e-bikes in our impound that have been lost or abandoned. Many of these vehicles are similar models and colors, and therefore we are unable to identify your vehicle without detailed information and time to look for it. If you think your bike or e-scooter/e-bike has been impounded, check the Impound Database and see if you can identify your vehicle. All impounded micromobility vehicles are on this list.
IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY YOUR VEHICLE IN THE DATABASE
Please fill out the Retrieval Form to reclaim your micromobility vehicle and arrange for a pick-up. DOTS will send available pick-up times via email. At the time of your appointment, please come to the DOTS lobby to collect your micromobility vehicle and to pay any associated fees.
Please be aware that if your micromobility vehicle was not registered at the time of impoundment, you will be required to register your bicycle or e-scooter/e-bike at the time of retrieval. DOTS is unable to return vehicles to individuals without this proof of ownership. More information about this can be found in our registration guidelines.
IF YOU CANNOT IDENTIFY YOUR VEHICLE IN THE IMPOUND DATABASE
DOTS does not have your vehicle and we highly recommend you contact the Department of Public Safety (301) 405-3555 to report it as missing.
PROTECT YOUR DEVICE FROM THEFT
When locking your micromobility vehicle, use a u-lock. The solid steel of a u-lock is more difficult to cut than the braided steel of cable locks or the thinner steel of chain locks. The thicker the lock you purchase, the more difficult it will be to cut.
Always lock your frame to the bike rack with the u-lock. Avoid locking only the front fork or a single wheel, as this can leave the rest of the vehicle vulnerable to theft.
U-locks are available for purchase from the DOTS office at Regents Drive Garage and from the RecWell Bike Shop. If you have questions, please send an email to bike@umd.edu.