Paris Adds Helmet and High-Vis Rule for E-Scooter Riders

November 9, 2026

Table of Contents

Since 7 August 2026, riders of electric scooters and similar devices in Paris and the neighbouring departments of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne must wear a helmet and a high-visibility vest or retroreflective equipment on every public-road trip, day or night, under Order No. 2026-00969 issued by the Prefect of Police. Riding without a helmet brings a fixed fine of EUR 135 and riding without the reflective gear a EUR 35 fine, so anyone commuting on an e-scooter, hoverboard, unicycle or gyropod in the Paris region now needs both items before setting off.

Key dates and facts

Item	Detail
In force	7 August 2026, by Police Prefecture Order No. 2026-00969
Where	Paris plus Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne (the petite couronne)
Who it covers	Users of motorised personal mobility devices (EDPM): electric scooters, gyropods, monowheels, hoverboards and light mopeds
Helmet	Mandatory at all times on public roads; fixed fine of EUR 135 if missing
Visibility	High-visibility vest or retroreflective equipment; fine of EUR 35 if missing
Hours	Applies day and night, for any ride on the public highway
Not covered	Pedal-assist e-bikes, which stay under France's bicycle rules
Background	79 EDPM deaths in France in 2025 (45 in 2024) and around 1,100 e-scooter users seriously injured, up 33 percent year on year

What riders in and around Paris should do now

Keep a certified helmet on every ride, including short trips: the EUR 135 fine applies on any public-road journey in the four departments, at any hour.
Add a high-visibility vest or retroreflective elements to your scooter bag. Reflective strips on the machine alone do not count; the fine of EUR 35 targets the rider's clothing or equipment.
Keep the standing rules in mind as well: riders must be 14 or older, the scooter is capped at 25 km/h, insurance is required, passengers are prohibited and pavement riding is banned. The new order adds equipment duties on top of these, it does not replace them.
Riding outside the Paris region? Several other departments such as Seine-et-Marne, Alpes-Maritimes and Yonne already impose similar duties, and the government is studying a national standard, so check the local prefectural order before travelling.

Why Paris tightened the rules

The Police Prefecture pointed to the sharp rise in serious and fatal crashes involving EDPM users: 79 deaths across France in 2025, up from 45 in 2024, and roughly 1,100 e-scooter riders seriously injured, a 33 percent increase on the previous year. A large share of the most severe outcomes are head injuries, which is why the helmet duty is paired with visibility requirements that make riders noticeable at night.

Paris is not alone in France

The Paris order extends a practice already running in other departments: helmet and reflective gear have been mandatory in Seine-et-Marne, Alpes-Maritimes and Yonne, and Vaucluse requires the helmet alone. A minister delegate has tasked the national road safety delegation with studying a single country-wide helmet standard for EDPM users, but no timetable has been announced, so riders should expect departmental rules to keep differing for now.

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