If your scooter (koloběžka) can go faster than 25 km/h, from September 1 it will no longer be considered a scooter under the law, but a vehicle that requires insurance and possibly a license. The parliament approved an amendment to the Road Traffic Act on June 2, the president signed it on June 11, and it will take effect on September 1, 2026. The changes will affect everyone who rides electric scooters (elektrické koloběžky) in the city. Many Ukrainians in Slovakia, from students to delivery couriers, use them.
The main innovation is the introduction of an official category malé elektrické vozidlo (small electric vehicle). This includes scooters (koloběžky), segways, and similar devices that meet three conditions: a design speed not exceeding 25 km/h, no seat, and a factory serial number. Anything beyond these limits is legally equated to mopeds and motorcycles with corresponding requirements.
What exactly will change
Riding on sidewalks will be prohibited for scooters (koloběžky). The only exception will be areas where a traffic sign explicitly allows it. The main “home” for scooter riders will be bike infrastructure: bike lanes, bike paths, and where these are missing, the roadway with rules similar to those for cyclists.
The minimum age for riding on the road is 15 years. The allowed blood alcohol limit is up to 0.5 per mille, but only within city limits. Outside the city, like for car drivers, zero tolerance applies.
It is also important to remember the requirement effective from August 1, 2024: mandatory civil liability insurance PZP for scooters (koloběžky) with a design speed over 25 km/h or weight over 25 kg at speeds above 14 km/h. So owners of powerful models already need insurance now, not just from September.
Why the rules have become stricter
The lawmakers’ argument is simple: accident statistics. According to data cited by the expert organization BECEP in a report on scooter accidents, in 2022 Slovakia had 125 accidents involving electric scooters (elektrické koloběžky), with four deaths. In 2023, there were 104 accidents and one death. In 2024, the number of accidents dropped to 89, but two people died and 12 suffered serious injuries.
Motorcycle journalist Alexander Štefuca in an interview with ta3 about the new rules called the 25 km/h limit “absolutely the golden mean.” His logic is this: the speed difference between a scooter (koloběžka) going 50–60 km/h and car traffic creates deadly situations, and having a seat is a sign that it is actually a motorcycle, not a scooter. At the same time, he warned that enforcement will be difficult, so much will depend on patrols who see scooters flying in traffic.
Slovakia compared to the EU
There are no unified rules for electric scooters (elektrické koloběžky) in the European Union; each country regulates them differently, writes Voltride in a review of EU country rules. In Germany, license plates and insurance are required; in Italy, turn signals and brake lights. Against this background, the Slovak approach looks moderate: no plates or insurance for ordinary scooters up to 25 km/h. Slovakia, along with 14 other EU countries, supported an initiative to create a unified certification system for such vehicles, so rules may be harmonized in the future.
What you should do
Check your scooter’s (koloběžka) specifications before September. The key parameter is the design speed in the documents, not the speed you actually ride.
- Up to 25 km/h without a seat. Everything stays as before, except no sidewalks: bike lanes, minimum age 15, alcohol limit 0.5 per mille only in the city.
- Faster than 25 km/h or heavier than 25 kg. You already need PZP insurance, and from September such a device will be legally equated to a moped with all consequences.
- For couriers and renters. Sharing scooter services must remove models that do not comply with the law from the streets. If you work in delivery with your own scooter, check with your employer if your equipment meets the new requirements, because you will pay the fine.
If you have not chosen a scooter (koloběžka) yet and plan to buy one, choose a model limited to 25 km/h from the factory. Modified or “unlocked” limiters will be grounds for fines from September, and in case of an accident, for insurance claims.
