Electric skateboard in Germany - What does the law says

Esk8-related Politics
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Hello there fellow riders.

First : an apology for my lateness in creating an account. I’ve been spying on this website since a year and a half now…
And oh boy some of you helped me big time when it comes to vesc programming of esk8 building. So cheers to you all!

I’m creating this topic because, as a french living now in Germany but still working in france, i’m very confused about germany’s law on esk8.

I decided, tell me if it is a good idea or not, to create a topic to share updates on the law side of the thing…

Here is what i found so far, as of today, the 18th of june 2023 :

  • eskate are available to buy, but allowed anywhere. Beside your own garden or company parking place.
  • you have to have an insurance, but, once again, can’t legally go on any public paths…
  • if caught, legal fees are applied, as some people on this forum discovered, going from a fine to the board confiscated plus fine.
  • i did read somewhere that it can lead to emprisonment? :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

If i am missing things, feel free to add things.
I might edit the first post to centralise the infos…

I hope that Germany will do something about that situation soon-ish…
It is a bother :roll_eyes:

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Yes

Legal to buy, legal to own. Not legal to drive.

Yes, which you can’t get as no one insures them.

You also need a from the factory issued General Operating License which esk8 don’t have and won’t get.

I believe you also need 2 different and independent from each other working braking systems. So 1 electronic brake and a physical brake. Good luck with that on street wheels.

Your board also needs fully installed lights and i believe reflectors.

And a handle, just like a scooter.

You are technically allowed to use esk8 in the public IF and only IF your board can only ride with a max of 6km/h. Everything above makes it illegal. But even if it only can do 6km/h i wouldn’t bet on not getting harassed by the police regardless.

This is what a legal esk8 looks in germany.

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I assume you mean “aren’t allowed anywhere”

They are allowed on private property, no where else. Be it your property or someone else’s if you are allowed to go onto that property.

This depends on the officer that catches you.

It can be

A warning
A fine
Board confiscated and no fine
Board confiscated with fine.

Basically everything is possible.

Technically? Unlikely on your first or second offense. imprisonment can happen if they fine you and you refuse to pay the daily rates.

So for example if they caught you for driving without license, insurance and all the other offenses that happen with esk8 on the road and they fine you let’s say 60 daily rates. If you make 2k a month that would be 65€ per daily rate so 60 x 65 = 3900€ fine. If you do not pay this fine you can go to jail for the amount of daily rates to “pay them off” = 60 days jail

Keep dreaming. Scooters have been legal for 4 years. Exactly 0 progress has been made towards esk8.

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Oh wow.
Thanks @xsynatic for clarification.

So, yes, i meant not allowed anywhere.

I do agree that physical break are tedious on an eskate and would defeat the purpose of the remote system…

And that board allowed in Germany is… interesting?

So the best option for Germans is to basically leave the country for riding in “legal” conditions…

So much for the ecological transition…
One can hope though. So much nice places to visit in the black forest alone…

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And they want you to do that on a rented 7 series, not an esk8 :sunglasses:

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It’s from a single person that tried to make a business out of it. He made another version but with pneumatics. His pricetag was 2900€ for your average diy parts packed together in a not so well built board.

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In an interview he perfectly demonstrated (albeit by accident) how bad it is to have a handle on your board.

This or to risk it.

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Yes on a market availability, it does make sense to try to work with what’s allowed.

Even if it gives a hybrid sort of things.
That being said, and as much as i don’t like this upward pole on a skateboard, for very beginners it might help them understand how much you have to lean to turn… Tried that at some point on a skateboard i’m working on at work.

I still thinks that i can make an accident from ok to worse…
But hey, legality and stuff.

As for risking it, i don’t feel comfortable doing it, as my German is roundabout 10 words… Haha

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This could play in your favor lol.

I can see how they don’t want to bother trying to talk to someone in a language they likely won’t speak. Just act as if you only know french.

Maybe they will then just try to tell you to not ride and let you go.

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I don’t know if this video makes me want to cry or to laugh

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Same problem in Switzerland, I think the best solution is to buy a Mountainboard and go offroading.

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I’m sorry but HUH they fine you depending on how much you make??

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With daily rates, yes. Based on your daily net income. Normal fines via the crime catalog are fixed fines.

In principle, a daily rate corresponds to the amount of the net income earned by the offender on one day. With an income of 900.00 EURO this would correspond to a daily rate of 30.00 EURO (900 : 30). According to the law, the amount of a daily sentence is at least 1.00 EURO and at most 30,000.00 EURO

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The same system for fines exists here in the US when it comes to bail. The more you make the higher the bail is which is done to prevent people from paying it and never coming back for their court date. I don’t think the US has ever applied the same thing for other fines though.

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Yep, “day fines” were invented so that a parking ticket can’t demolish the life of a working class family but get ignored by a rich schmuck in a lambo. Same perceived risk for everyone.

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Just don’t go to jail then I guess

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I wonder why anyone would be against this. Makes no sense for anyone who isn’t trying to break a bunch of laws and isn’t rich to be against a policy like this; unless they’ve been brainwashed into believing in policy that only benefits the rich.

Fixed Fines = rich people are allowed to break the law essentially whenever they want.

Adaptive fines are much more fair and effective, I’m all for it

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Rich folk write the laws round these parts, there’s yer problem

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But that’s so weird , unless we’ve got some folks like that in this community, idk why it’s getting the :thinking: response

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Lol probably, I thought rich people just paid off fees in America anyway, I didn’t think we had scaled fines. Wouldn’t know cuz I’ve never gotten one

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I like the idea, sounds fair an nice

The only reason I can find out to be opposed to it in an idle five minute of reflection is that it’s one more of those things which makes life more complicated for law abiding people and less for assholes

Like it’s theoretically the same risk perceived for rich like for poor, but it’s definitely not the same risk for someone who works 10h a day in an office and someone who’s 80% of his income comes from non declared work or drug deals

but you could argue that law is supposed to be fair in an abstract way and not meant to deal with things it doesn’t knows about

(but I agree with you at 99% anyway)

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Eco bum lives in a tree full time has millions in the back earns nothing has no fee to pay :man_shrugging:

save the planet dude then flys across the world to save the next tree buys avocados out of session. Creating more CO2 than the average persion looking down their snobby nose.

Wouldn’t say it’s fare hypocritical vegans w**kers still screw you over.