Did you know that you’re not allowed to ride on public roads on hoverboards / airboards, electric scooters, electric skateboards or other “toys” in the Netherlands? Some electric scooters, like Segways, are allowed but must fulfil specific conditions.

Electric scooters in the Netherlands

As previously mentioned, some electric scooters are allowed on Dutch public roads (cycle paths included) but must fulfil specific conditions. An electric scooter is only permitted on the road if it has been appointed the status of “special moped” (bijzondere bromfiets) by the minister. If this is not the case, the electric scooter is not allowed on public roads.

If you’ve bought an electric scooter and it does belong to the “special moped” category, it also needs to be insured before it can take to the road, amongst other things, and the user needs to be 16 years old or above. The vehicle must also be equipped with lights and red and white / yellow reflectors.

When using the electric scooter, the driver must keep right as much as possible and use bicycle / moped paths if these are there. Special mopeds are only allowed to reach speeds of 25kmph.

“Toys” banned from public roads

Hoverboards, electric skateboards, monowheels and other “toys” are not allowed on public roads. They are not even allowed on the pavement. They can, however, be used on private premises, but these must not be accessible to public traffic. If you are caught using one of these vehicles on a public road, you risk getting a fine of 380 euros and may also have your vehicle confiscated.

What’s more, if you cause an accident, you’ll have to cough up for the damages yourself, warns the Dutch Association of Insurers. The Association wants there to be better information available about uninsured e-scooters and e-skateboards.