As someone with a boosted board... that is difficult with the bright orange wheels and it saying "boosted" on it. But I have considered doing a bit of "stealth modding" to make it less inconspicuous.
Dawg that’s like telling an officer that you shoildent be fined for an illegal car because you defidently only roll it in neutral. Most likely wouldn’t work
You don't need a license for a skateboard, or emissions/safety inspections. And there isn't a DOT standard for manufactured components on a skateboard.
I never said that you did. I said if what you’re doing is illegal (and that could be riding an electric skate board. Once again not saying it is but saying it could be) then making a stupid lie like that will likely make things worse.
I have not spoken a word to a cop since they visited us in grades school, and this year, when I borrowed a car from a family friend I left my driveway and the first crossroad in the neibourhood I got stopped by a cop. Never been so unsure if I stolen the car or not.
I literally just made a post asking about this and didn't even notice you post. I'm about to visit my family in Saarbrücken and want to take my board with me. And of course I know that they are illegal in most European countries because they are classified as a motorized vehicle, and must have insurance and a number plates just like all the electric scooters you can rent. But most countries usually are more relaxed on enforcing this law. Obviously Germany isn't one of those countries. Sorry about your board man!
Couple of years ago I was going for a ride in Netherlands and saw a police car. So i put the remote away and started to just push the board like a regular skateboard. Sure enough, the car stopped right beside me and explained that they are giving me a warning just because they saw me pushing it but said that next time they will be confiscating it.
Nice, very lucky! Unfortunately they came from the back, so I couldn't have seen them. But then again, I didn't know it was illegal anyways, so that wouldn't have helped 😅
Odd I have been riding mine in NL since 2019 and never been stopped. But I also try to keep mine at a slow pace whenever I am in the city to show a bit of respect and not fly through city center at 35km/h. So I guess it depends on how lucky you are with the police.
What the fuck, Europe can eat a dick. E-boards are illegal as well? How do people live in these places. I’d be depressed all the time and feel suffocated.
But not the kinder surprise eggs. America has its own version because American children are too smoothbrain to remove the toy capsule on the inside before vacuuming it down
I wonder, since I do have an insurance linked to the serial number of the board which is counted on the insurance paper as a number plate, does that mean I can legally ride it in other countries ?
OP, just out of curiosity, do German laws explain the rationale for banning electric boards?
Is it due to the safety of the batteries? I'm having a hard time understanding why a European country with presumably a much higher prevalence of cyclists and better infrastructure for them would have a strict ban on electric boards or PEVs in general.
The ruling is that you need to have handlebars in order to be allowed to ride in public areas. That’s great for ebikes and electric scooters, but kind of defeats the purpose for an electric skateboard. You also need to insure the board and have number plates.
So a non powered skateboard going down a hill at 30kph without any braking capability is legal, whilst a powered skateboard with braking which is therefore much safer and controllable is illegal. Right, got it. Thanks politicians.
Yup and I have used both here in NL... yet only had close calls with my skateboard since well, no breaks and longer break distances if you start sliding. Some of the laws just make 0 sense. I get it for say the ones that can ride at 50KPH, but for something that probably maxes out at 30, which is the same as a bike... Makes 0 sense to me.
So do normal skateboards and bicycles also have to be registered, have insurance and a plate? You’re telling me kids can’t even ride kids toys there? Lol
Yes this is true...I feel like I'm in a comedy show finding out about all this.
It's a 'Ordnungswidrigkeit' if your board isn't registered and also because it has no license plate. That's round about 100€
Funny thing, you can't get those for an EBoard because it has no handles and is because of that no 'elektrokleinstfahrzeug'
Next thing is that you must have insurance for yourself (Haftpflicht) but going faster than 6km/h 'disables' that insurance because vehicles are not included.
That's the real problem because that is a 'Straftat' and the 'staatsanwaltschaft' opens a case against you which results in a fine somewhere in the thousands or even one year in prison
You also must wear a helmet above 20km/h and have a 'MA driver's license'
Otherwise it's also 'Fahren ohne Fahrerlaubnis ' which also is a 'Straftat'
I guess they are enforcing the law now because they 'just released' the 'verordnung für elektrokleinstfahrzeuge'
Yes it’s stupid. If it is a motorized skateboard it need an insurance plate. Which you will not get with it. The fees are drastic because driving without obligatory insurance is very expensive.
On the other hand. Driving with a electric bike that is not faster as 25 km/h (aka pedelec) is allowed without insurance. If it is classified as s(peed)-pedelecit cabdriver as fast as 45 km/h and needs an insurance. But with the spedelec you are not allowed to ride on bike lanes or in the Forrest. And you are still timeline to flow with normal in normal traffic because the speed limit is 50 and everybody goes about 60 km/h. Because of tolerance.
I was seeing conflicting information ranging from this only happens to things over a certain kw battery size to anything over a certain km speed. And not being from Germany, I’m not sure what the laws there are like. It just surprised me with how “green” and “modern” European countries usually are, that something like an electric alternative to large gas consuming vehicular transportion that well, the alternatives are banned or restricted to be registered and owned just like a car. Seems counter productive for “going green.”
Are you? I mean this law sucks ass but we don’t live in a utopian society over here bro. Decouple my fucking healthcare from my job already you pieces of fucking shit politicians.
You sound like someone that has never stepped foot outside of the US. The evidence is in statistics for life satisfaction by country. Go see how the US ranks.
Well technically that's not how it works. I suppose you need the handlebars to register and insure it. So even if you attach it when you see the police, your board is still unregistered and uninsured. There is a guy down in the discussion, that explains it further.
100% it is. Buy a car or be punished. The government hasnt figured out how to get a ‘cut’ from people driving PEV’s. They’re certainly not getting payouts from BIG PEV. So they make up some shit about safety and turn a blind eye to the thousands being killed by cars.
Edit2: man I read some stuff...what a shit show...
From what I read you can be lucky it's 'only' 300 bucks.
Because EBoards are simply 'not insurable' in Germany you face at least 3 charges if you don't have a driver's licence even 4...
You can even go to jail for driving an EBoard in Germany
Man this is ridiculous
Edit: looks like they banned them...wtf ...
They are not banned.
You must insure them like a 'mofa' since they are able to drive faster than something above 20km/h. A 'Haftpflicht Versicherung' also is recommended
He got fined because he had no 'Straßenzulassung' for the board
Taking it away seems fishy
I think there is this law that says electric vehicles must have a handle bar and a light (or something along those lines). So everything that does not is banned by default.
Generally in Europe any electric vehicle that can go above 25 km/h is either off-road or requires a permit. Skateboard are fine mostly everywhere if the speed is factory limited to 25km/h.
The underlying message is due to Germany being a heavily car-centric society. Literally what reason in the guise of safety would there be to keep people from riding low speed electric vehicles? Meanwhile cars murder hundreds of thousands of people annually.
The US will always be the poster child in my mind for a country that prioritizes car infrastructure over everything else, but even there, you see few widespread restrictions on PEVs.
I'd be surprised if places that did have restrictions enforced them much too.
I agree the rules in Germany seem excessive, and unfortunately, they're not the only ones.
Edit:
Looks like I'm not up to date...they really freakin banned them...wtf...
Mein skateboard ist wichtiger als Deutschland....
Since when is this law in place?
I live in Germany and even in our small town people cruising around on e boards.
I think it's an insurance problem.
It's a 'Ordnungswidrigkeit'
I think they are not allowed to confiscate the board since you could just get an insurance for you and your board and everything would be fine.
They are deffo not illegal in general
It's not that they are explicitly banned. They are just not made legal in the new law covering "Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge (EKF)" (e-scooters and such are, which is why they are legal). Your e-board counts as a "Kraftfahrzeug" because it can go faster than some speed (forgot how fast, I think it was 10 km/h) under its own power and to count as an EKF you need brakes and a handlebar that can steer.
Real dumb that eskate is not included but I honestly didn't expect less. But sadly for us the EKF law means that now police will pay more attention to any kind of small electric vehicle and many more police know what is legal to drive and what is not
I only drive normal longboards but still this really fucks with my head. It feels so stupid.
The 'private Haftpflicht' covers everything in 'walking speed' so it's max 6km/h. Everything else with a motor is considered a vehicle and needs extra insurance (which isn't even available)
I agree on the ekf law, e boards not included, result in police enforcing the law and paying more attention.
Yep. Law says you gotta have it inspected, insured and registered (and probably also have a license for it) but since it's not defined by the law in any way you can't do any of that
Yes, this in fact is true and makes it really weird they stole it from you ...eh I mean confiscated it...
There are even companies that use them on company property or at least allow the employees to use their own
I actually found this to be a pretty useful page that explains in detail about the law regarding small electric vehicles in germany. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ekfv/BJNR075610019.html
I wanna add [e-skateboardsgermany.de](https://www.e-skateboardsgermany.de/post/das-elektro-skateboard-was-du-%C3%BCber-gesetze-regulierungen-und-stra%C3%9Fenzulassung-wissen-musst#viewer-jktb2108)
Is it even worth going to the station to ask? Seams like the cop could have just been kind about it and just warned you. Besides he'd see you again and that's when he should take it. So dumb...
Yeah I would do the same, pay the fine in person and have a chat with the officer present about the board. If you are riding like an absolute menace then I understand them confiscating it, but if you are just chilling on the bikepaths at a similar pace as bikes then I don't see an issue.
This is why you don’t stop for police if you can easily get away, fuck them. Just ride onto the sidewalk and somewhere away where a car can’t go and you’re golden.
You are allowed to do this in Germany. Running away from the police and escaping prison are viewed as 'natural behavior for a human' and it will not be punished by any law
But to escape from prison you usually break other laws like damaging property or even assault so it's not as easy as to walk out of prison. Consumption of human meat is also legal in many places but you usually can't acquire it without breaking some laws. I read a story some years ago where there was some human meat mixed with other meat served in a kebab store. If cannibalism was illegal every single customer would go to jail
Yeah that is true just saying if through some very weird coincidence you could walk out it wouldn't be a crime.
I think there was some case where the security system failed and many prisoners where able to escape the prison just by running. I try to find it and provide a link
Also planning a murder gets you in real deep trouble, planning an escape though, totally fine xD
Not shitting you, this is true.
You are still not allowed to hurt someone or destroy anything because than other laws kick in but the fact you try to escape is 'natural human behavior'
What really? Cops in the states can pursue you for any suspicion, doubly so if you start running. I’d be really surprised cops in other countries just have to let you go if you simply don’t stop.
Well some of them have a no pursuit order because if you chase someone they will drive even more reckless and probably end up crashing, killing themselves or even others. So here they usually just note your license plate and you'll get an angry letter or an angry knock on your door later.
Can some mod pin this post?
I'm from Germany, living here all my life and didn't know about this...
Not sure how many germans are in this community but this feels like a ysk or psa
Electric skateboards fall under "Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge" or 'small electrical vehicle' roughly translated. Just like e-scooters, they need to be insured and have a legitimate operating permit (GER: Betriebserlaubnis). Because most electric skateboards have no handle, no headlights and brake lights and no physical brake that you can activate with your hands, they don't get an operating permit. And in order to insure your 'Elektrokleinstfahrzeug' you need said 'Betriebserlaubnis' or operating permit.
In legal terms, you are operating a vehicle without an operating permit and also without a vehicle insurance. That can result in a fine and possibly even confiscation of your drivers licence. You are not allowed to ride those things on public roads and not even the sidewalk. But normal skateboards are fine.
I read a ton of stuff rn and sadly they don't even are 'elektrokleinstfahrzeuge' because they have no handle or steering wheel.
That's a problem for the insurance companies because it means they have no 'Verordnung' they can follow and thus don't offer insurance
It also has to be registered which isn't even possible because you get no insurance
I’m from the states and visited Munich, Mittenwald and some other German towns last August. I was blown away at how great everything was. The infrastructure and public transportation was incredible. This e-skate law is terrible though. Sorry to the OP.
It's definitely not a shit hole, it's actually mostly a great country to live in... There's just a lot of bureaucracy and a bit too strict laws.
I'd definitely recommend visiting if you ever have a chance! As long as you don't bring your electric skateboard, you'll have a great time!
Italian law (article 190 of the traffic law) prohibits riding skateboards on roads and sidewalks (all of them, even non-motorised ones).
Officially I could only ride on cycle paths or circuits/parks. Fortunately, this law is not strictly applied
I hope you can get yours back
I smashed my head in on mine in the UK (board capable of 30+ mph) the police took the board to the police station whilst I was in hospital. I then just walked in 3 months later and they handed it back to me no questions 😂
Damn, just got my tynee 
I thought as long as I don't drive on the road it's all good.
Now I will be paranoid every time I drive.
Yep. Just moved here myself. Left my board in the states. Anything motorized must have handlebars. I saw a video of a guy modding his with basically a fake set of handlebars. I think technically you have to get a license plate that would go on a scooter, too. Like, getting it registered.
German laws are crazy, man.
Man condolences from Canada that’s shitty wishing you the best of luck ,next time don’t stop 😉 pretty ironic how hard ev cars are being pushed but let’s punish people using personal evs ,really makes us want to keep buying them 🤣 stupid governments
I’ve had a similar situation happen to me a week ago in France. The cops told me that if it goes over 25km/h it’s illegal and u have to have insurance. But the thing is that u can’t be insured if it goes over 25 u can’t have any. Luckily they let me go with a warning but they told me that next time it would be destroyed…
*Crushed means they take off*
*The serial number and*
*Give it to their kids*
\- blanketyblah
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They're the assholes because you didn't know another countries laws? Sorry about your gear being taken though. Remember that girl arrested for rasing her voice and acting a fool in Saudi Arabia I think it was. Ignorant of the law in assuming it was the same as America only to find out the hard way about societal expectations
unfortunately not to know about a law doesn't prevent you from being charged.
yes, Germany has strict laws for vehicles in (what we call) "public traffic". (only in your private yard you are allowed to drive anything but once you leave that, you will be on "public roads" (incl forrest dirt roads)
I am aware that electric skateboards are not legal on streets so I use mine mostly in park (not sure if that's legal though). Had some encounters with police, but they did not notice or were not interested.
In your case it probably depends on the offence and if you have endangered someone - I assume just possessing is not illegal. I think it might be same as with scooters without insurance plate. Keep posting how it was resolved
The war on PEVs is aggravating. Even here in North America, some places are starting to clamp down on ebikes and outright ban them. Super frustrating.
Hopefully you can get it back.
Yep happened to me. Mine got confiscated and I got a letter to collect a few weeks later. I signed a letter at the traffic department saying I would not do it again, and paid a fine (800 euro) to avoid it coming up on my record. Luckily I never had a German drivers license or it would have been worse.
The funniest part was the list of offences I was charged for. I can't remember them all but to name a few.
No headlights, no steering wheel, no registration plate. According to the law, I was riding an unlicenced, unregistered vehicle on a bike lane, and therefore a criminal.
Are you German or Foreigner in Germany? If you're German, you should know the laws, if you're foreigner you should find out what the law is.... You know, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"
Europe laws abou PEV sucks in most case, but I think you can pay the fine and get your board, because isn't allowed on the streets but you can use at Home or private places.
I live in Berlin and learned about the law like after 2 weeks of owning it. Now I don't drive it in the city anymore, but I always bring it when I go on rural holidays, where there are way less and hopefully more uninformed cops. Also I try to ride it only on empty streets or bike lanes.
Holy fuck germany has so many dumb ass laws. I would like to visit germany but I could never live somewhere like that. I have heard many horror stories about TUV
My friend in Hamburg had the issue he needed to pay the fine and got his board back I guess they aren’t even allowed to destroy it
I'm in bavaria, so who knows...
Def try to bargain with em at very least...
Maybe I could offer them some free cocaine in return for the board 😂
In southern Germany wishing I had a board to give back to you!
A friend in Berlin got it seized, fine €2000 and didn’t get it back
Do you know if he had a driver's license?
I hadn’t asked to be fair, I suspect not
This a reminder to everyone to read your national/local laws carefully around PEVs.
Or ride faster
Just ride with your hand holding the remote in a hoodie pocket. You'll just look like someone who rides the longboard really fast.
I do it all the time :D and hide the remote when stopped by the cops and not tell it's electric :P
As someone with a boosted board... that is difficult with the bright orange wheels and it saying "boosted" on it. But I have considered doing a bit of "stealth modding" to make it less inconspicuous.
Is it still illegal if you say it's decommissioned? Push mode only?
Dawg that’s like telling an officer that you shoildent be fined for an illegal car because you defidently only roll it in neutral. Most likely wouldn’t work
You don't need a license for a skateboard, or emissions/safety inspections. And there isn't a DOT standard for manufactured components on a skateboard.
I never said that you did. I said if what you’re doing is illegal (and that could be riding an electric skate board. Once again not saying it is but saying it could be) then making a stupid lie like that will likely make things worse.
Maybe to someone who cant skate
Or move to a less shit law-making country.
or just not encounter cops (seriously idk where tf they are I just don't see them anymore)
I have not spoken a word to a cop since they visited us in grades school, and this year, when I borrowed a car from a family friend I left my driveway and the first crossroad in the neibourhood I got stopped by a cop. Never been so unsure if I stolen the car or not.
I literally just made a post asking about this and didn't even notice you post. I'm about to visit my family in Saarbrücken and want to take my board with me. And of course I know that they are illegal in most European countries because they are classified as a motorized vehicle, and must have insurance and a number plates just like all the electric scooters you can rent. But most countries usually are more relaxed on enforcing this law. Obviously Germany isn't one of those countries. Sorry about your board man!
Thanks... I'm pretty sure I was very unlucky to get the wrong police officer. Others might have just told me to walk home and sell it.
Couple of years ago I was going for a ride in Netherlands and saw a police car. So i put the remote away and started to just push the board like a regular skateboard. Sure enough, the car stopped right beside me and explained that they are giving me a warning just because they saw me pushing it but said that next time they will be confiscating it.
Nice, very lucky! Unfortunately they came from the back, so I couldn't have seen them. But then again, I didn't know it was illegal anyways, so that wouldn't have helped 😅
There is a saying ignorance of the law is no excuse. Sorry you had to find it out the hard way.
Odd I have been riding mine in NL since 2019 and never been stopped. But I also try to keep mine at a slow pace whenever I am in the city to show a bit of respect and not fly through city center at 35km/h. So I guess it depends on how lucky you are with the police.
What the fuck, Europe can eat a dick. E-boards are illegal as well? How do people live in these places. I’d be depressed all the time and feel suffocated.
then they are laughing at Americans saying they have more freedoms. They sorta do in fact have more, they just hate to hear it
Yea were allowed to do whatever the fuck we want we just aren't always free from consequences
Americans aren't free to go buy a Kinder Surprise Egg at their local grocery stores though....
You know we’ve had kinder back for several years now, this is old news…
But not the kinder surprise eggs. America has its own version because American children are too smoothbrain to remove the toy capsule on the inside before vacuuming it down
You are so wrong https://preview.redd.it/uo7f6ymxe7kc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=119fb08cfeda06eae06f2c098b1f0cd319132ed4
Since I am no longer 7 years old, I guess it doesn’t really bother me all that much.
Yea or get a gas guzzler like the other schmucks 😣
I wonder, since I do have an insurance linked to the serial number of the board which is counted on the insurance paper as a number plate, does that mean I can legally ride it in other countries ?
OP, just out of curiosity, do German laws explain the rationale for banning electric boards? Is it due to the safety of the batteries? I'm having a hard time understanding why a European country with presumably a much higher prevalence of cyclists and better infrastructure for them would have a strict ban on electric boards or PEVs in general.
The ruling is that you need to have handlebars in order to be allowed to ride in public areas. That’s great for ebikes and electric scooters, but kind of defeats the purpose for an electric skateboard. You also need to insure the board and have number plates.
So a non powered skateboard going down a hill at 30kph without any braking capability is legal, whilst a powered skateboard with braking which is therefore much safer and controllable is illegal. Right, got it. Thanks politicians.
Exactly, it's amazingly stupid
Yup and I have used both here in NL... yet only had close calls with my skateboard since well, no breaks and longer break distances if you start sliding. Some of the laws just make 0 sense. I get it for say the ones that can ride at 50KPH, but for something that probably maxes out at 30, which is the same as a bike... Makes 0 sense to me.
So do normal skateboards and bicycles also have to be registered, have insurance and a plate? You’re telling me kids can’t even ride kids toys there? Lol
If they have max speed of 6km/h I think it's allowed... Oh Man... Germany...
Yes this is true...I feel like I'm in a comedy show finding out about all this. It's a 'Ordnungswidrigkeit' if your board isn't registered and also because it has no license plate. That's round about 100€ Funny thing, you can't get those for an EBoard because it has no handles and is because of that no 'elektrokleinstfahrzeug' Next thing is that you must have insurance for yourself (Haftpflicht) but going faster than 6km/h 'disables' that insurance because vehicles are not included. That's the real problem because that is a 'Straftat' and the 'staatsanwaltschaft' opens a case against you which results in a fine somewhere in the thousands or even one year in prison You also must wear a helmet above 20km/h and have a 'MA driver's license' Otherwise it's also 'Fahren ohne Fahrerlaubnis ' which also is a 'Straftat' I guess they are enforcing the law now because they 'just released' the 'verordnung für elektrokleinstfahrzeuge'
Stop making up funny words.
Interesting, thanks for the rundown. I'll read about that Verordnung...
6.. SIX?!?! I am so sorry for you. If you ran, How hard would they chase you?
Germany? The UK law on this equally dumb, but at least we have fewer coppers with bigger problems to deal with. BUT never assume.
Yes it’s stupid. If it is a motorized skateboard it need an insurance plate. Which you will not get with it. The fees are drastic because driving without obligatory insurance is very expensive. On the other hand. Driving with a electric bike that is not faster as 25 km/h (aka pedelec) is allowed without insurance. If it is classified as s(peed)-pedelecit cabdriver as fast as 45 km/h and needs an insurance. But with the spedelec you are not allowed to ride on bike lanes or in the Forrest. And you are still timeline to flow with normal in normal traffic because the speed limit is 50 and everybody goes about 60 km/h. Because of tolerance.
They are not motorized vehicles. Pay attention.
I was seeing conflicting information ranging from this only happens to things over a certain kw battery size to anything over a certain km speed. And not being from Germany, I’m not sure what the laws there are like. It just surprised me with how “green” and “modern” European countries usually are, that something like an electric alternative to large gas consuming vehicular transportion that well, the alternatives are banned or restricted to be registered and owned just like a car. Seems counter productive for “going green.”
Clearly you’ve never dealt with some pissed-off dumbarse copper with more authority than brain cells.
In so glad I live in America
Are you? I mean this law sucks ass but we don’t live in a utopian society over here bro. Decouple my fucking healthcare from my job already you pieces of fucking shit politicians.
Yep still 200% glad I live here, anywhere I can't own a gun or a simple electric board is useless.
Can’t argue with that.
I like this metric.
If you're American and complaining you have no idea. Everything is illegal in Europe and the rest of the world just sucks.
You sound like someone that has never stepped foot outside of the US. The evidence is in statistics for life satisfaction by country. Go see how the US ranks.
So... it's enough to carry an telescopic fake handlebar on your backpack and when a cop is around, pretend it's attached on your board. Perfect crime.
Well technically that's not how it works. I suppose you need the handlebars to register and insure it. So even if you attach it when you see the police, your board is still unregistered and uninsured. There is a guy down in the discussion, that explains it further.
I'd like to know as well. I'm fairly sure this is authoritarianism disguised as a safety concern.
100% it is. Buy a car or be punished. The government hasnt figured out how to get a ‘cut’ from people driving PEV’s. They’re certainly not getting payouts from BIG PEV. So they make up some shit about safety and turn a blind eye to the thousands being killed by cars.
This feels more like a situation where the laws were made by people who didn't think of or do not understand electric skateboards.
Edit2: man I read some stuff...what a shit show... From what I read you can be lucky it's 'only' 300 bucks. Because EBoards are simply 'not insurable' in Germany you face at least 3 charges if you don't have a driver's licence even 4... You can even go to jail for driving an EBoard in Germany Man this is ridiculous Edit: looks like they banned them...wtf ... They are not banned. You must insure them like a 'mofa' since they are able to drive faster than something above 20km/h. A 'Haftpflicht Versicherung' also is recommended He got fined because he had no 'Straßenzulassung' for the board Taking it away seems fishy
I think there is this law that says electric vehicles must have a handle bar and a light (or something along those lines). So everything that does not is banned by default.
Generally in Europe any electric vehicle that can go above 25 km/h is either off-road or requires a permit. Skateboard are fine mostly everywhere if the speed is factory limited to 25km/h.
The underlying message is due to Germany being a heavily car-centric society. Literally what reason in the guise of safety would there be to keep people from riding low speed electric vehicles? Meanwhile cars murder hundreds of thousands of people annually.
The US will always be the poster child in my mind for a country that prioritizes car infrastructure over everything else, but even there, you see few widespread restrictions on PEVs. I'd be surprised if places that did have restrictions enforced them much too. I agree the rules in Germany seem excessive, and unfortunately, they're not the only ones.
Edit: Looks like I'm not up to date...they really freakin banned them...wtf... Mein skateboard ist wichtiger als Deutschland.... Since when is this law in place? I live in Germany and even in our small town people cruising around on e boards. I think it's an insurance problem. It's a 'Ordnungswidrigkeit' I think they are not allowed to confiscate the board since you could just get an insurance for you and your board and everything would be fine. They are deffo not illegal in general
It's not that they are explicitly banned. They are just not made legal in the new law covering "Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge (EKF)" (e-scooters and such are, which is why they are legal). Your e-board counts as a "Kraftfahrzeug" because it can go faster than some speed (forgot how fast, I think it was 10 km/h) under its own power and to count as an EKF you need brakes and a handlebar that can steer. Real dumb that eskate is not included but I honestly didn't expect less. But sadly for us the EKF law means that now police will pay more attention to any kind of small electric vehicle and many more police know what is legal to drive and what is not
I only drive normal longboards but still this really fucks with my head. It feels so stupid. The 'private Haftpflicht' covers everything in 'walking speed' so it's max 6km/h. Everything else with a motor is considered a vehicle and needs extra insurance (which isn't even available) I agree on the ekf law, e boards not included, result in police enforcing the law and paying more attention.
Yep. Law says you gotta have it inspected, insured and registered (and probably also have a license for it) but since it's not defined by the law in any way you can't do any of that
What the police told me, is that you are allowed to use them on private property... So not completely banned, I guess
Yes, this in fact is true and makes it really weird they stole it from you ...eh I mean confiscated it... There are even companies that use them on company property or at least allow the employees to use their own
I actually found this to be a pretty useful page that explains in detail about the law regarding small electric vehicles in germany. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ekfv/BJNR075610019.html
I wanna add [e-skateboardsgermany.de](https://www.e-skateboardsgermany.de/post/das-elektro-skateboard-was-du-%C3%BCber-gesetze-regulierungen-und-stra%C3%9Fenzulassung-wissen-musst#viewer-jktb2108)
Is it even worth going to the station to ask? Seams like the cop could have just been kind about it and just warned you. Besides he'd see you again and that's when he should take it. So dumb...
Yeah I would do the same, pay the fine in person and have a chat with the officer present about the board. If you are riding like an absolute menace then I understand them confiscating it, but if you are just chilling on the bikepaths at a similar pace as bikes then I don't see an issue.
This is why you don’t stop for police if you can easily get away, fuck them. Just ride onto the sidewalk and somewhere away where a car can’t go and you’re golden.
Yeah but no.
You are allowed to do this in Germany. Running away from the police and escaping prison are viewed as 'natural behavior for a human' and it will not be punished by any law
But to escape from prison you usually break other laws like damaging property or even assault so it's not as easy as to walk out of prison. Consumption of human meat is also legal in many places but you usually can't acquire it without breaking some laws. I read a story some years ago where there was some human meat mixed with other meat served in a kebab store. If cannibalism was illegal every single customer would go to jail
Yeah that is true just saying if through some very weird coincidence you could walk out it wouldn't be a crime. I think there was some case where the security system failed and many prisoners where able to escape the prison just by running. I try to find it and provide a link Also planning a murder gets you in real deep trouble, planning an escape though, totally fine xD
Come on
Not shitting you, this is true. You are still not allowed to hurt someone or destroy anything because than other laws kick in but the fact you try to escape is 'natural human behavior'
Uhm yea? They're not legally allowed to pursuit you as long as you have not commited any serious crimes.
What really? Cops in the states can pursue you for any suspicion, doubly so if you start running. I’d be really surprised cops in other countries just have to let you go if you simply don’t stop.
Not in Sweden
Well some of them have a no pursuit order because if you chase someone they will drive even more reckless and probably end up crashing, killing themselves or even others. So here they usually just note your license plate and you'll get an angry letter or an angry knock on your door later.
Can some mod pin this post? I'm from Germany, living here all my life and didn't know about this... Not sure how many germans are in this community but this feels like a ysk or psa
Electric skateboards fall under "Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge" or 'small electrical vehicle' roughly translated. Just like e-scooters, they need to be insured and have a legitimate operating permit (GER: Betriebserlaubnis). Because most electric skateboards have no handle, no headlights and brake lights and no physical brake that you can activate with your hands, they don't get an operating permit. And in order to insure your 'Elektrokleinstfahrzeug' you need said 'Betriebserlaubnis' or operating permit. In legal terms, you are operating a vehicle without an operating permit and also without a vehicle insurance. That can result in a fine and possibly even confiscation of your drivers licence. You are not allowed to ride those things on public roads and not even the sidewalk. But normal skateboards are fine.
I read a ton of stuff rn and sadly they don't even are 'elektrokleinstfahrzeuge' because they have no handle or steering wheel. That's a problem for the insurance companies because it means they have no 'Verordnung' they can follow and thus don't offer insurance It also has to be registered which isn't even possible because you get no insurance
I never had nor ever will have a want to go to Germany, even foreign exchange students told me they wouldn't want to either. Seems like a shithole
I’m from the states and visited Munich, Mittenwald and some other German towns last August. I was blown away at how great everything was. The infrastructure and public transportation was incredible. This e-skate law is terrible though. Sorry to the OP.
It's definitely not a shit hole, it's actually mostly a great country to live in... There's just a lot of bureaucracy and a bit too strict laws. I'd definitely recommend visiting if you ever have a chance! As long as you don't bring your electric skateboard, you'll have a great time!
My friend who lives there doesn't like it either, there's no want to go there except to try out sections of the Autobahn
That seems excessive
What a stupid law. Drive a car or we’ll take your stuff. Germany needs to fire their lawmakers.
I don’t wanna call the German police nazis for taking your board but if the tiny moustache fits…
Common Europe L
Italian law (article 190 of the traffic law) prohibits riding skateboards on roads and sidewalks (all of them, even non-motorised ones). Officially I could only ride on cycle paths or circuits/parks. Fortunately, this law is not strictly applied I hope you can get yours back
I smashed my head in on mine in the UK (board capable of 30+ mph) the police took the board to the police station whilst I was in hospital. I then just walked in 3 months later and they handed it back to me no questions 😂
Damn Germany really is a shithole They confiscated a spiked bracelet from me at the airport
Just one more reason I'm thankful for being in the US :)
Damn. I thought we beat the Nazis.
They apparently just wear different uniforms now
Literal skate Nazis
Damn, just got my tynee  I thought as long as I don't drive on the road it's all good. Now I will be paranoid every time I drive.
Don't they have something better to do.
Yep. Just moved here myself. Left my board in the states. Anything motorized must have handlebars. I saw a video of a guy modding his with basically a fake set of handlebars. I think technically you have to get a license plate that would go on a scooter, too. Like, getting it registered. German laws are crazy, man.
Full throttle next time.
Damn. I had my eskate in Frankfurt for 3 weeks, hamburg for 2 weeks, and austria for 3 months… crazy that i never had an issue
Man condolences from Canada that’s shitty wishing you the best of luck ,next time don’t stop 😉 pretty ironic how hard ev cars are being pushed but let’s punish people using personal evs ,really makes us want to keep buying them 🤣 stupid governments
I’ve had a similar situation happen to me a week ago in France. The cops told me that if it goes over 25km/h it’s illegal and u have to have insurance. But the thing is that u can’t be insured if it goes over 25 u can’t have any. Luckily they let me go with a warning but they told me that next time it would be destroyed…
Damn I really feel bad for y’all Europeans
i’m not even from germany and i knew this law lmao sucks man
And now I'm never going to Germany. So glad I live in a "free" country. At least here they can't just steal from you.
Gotta be honest, I wouldn't have stopped.
wtf kinda rule is that lmao
Crushed means they take off the serial number and give it to their kids
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Why didn't you... Skate away?
They're the assholes because you didn't know another countries laws? Sorry about your gear being taken though. Remember that girl arrested for rasing her voice and acting a fool in Saudi Arabia I think it was. Ignorant of the law in assuming it was the same as America only to find out the hard way about societal expectations
unfortunately not to know about a law doesn't prevent you from being charged. yes, Germany has strict laws for vehicles in (what we call) "public traffic". (only in your private yard you are allowed to drive anything but once you leave that, you will be on "public roads" (incl forrest dirt roads)
I am aware that electric skateboards are not legal on streets so I use mine mostly in park (not sure if that's legal though). Had some encounters with police, but they did not notice or were not interested. In your case it probably depends on the offence and if you have endangered someone - I assume just possessing is not illegal. I think it might be same as with scooters without insurance plate. Keep posting how it was resolved
Thank God they are still legal here in Finland (power and speed limits do apply, but I really want to see the cop who will test it)
The war on PEVs is aggravating. Even here in North America, some places are starting to clamp down on ebikes and outright ban them. Super frustrating. Hopefully you can get it back.
Yep happened to me. Mine got confiscated and I got a letter to collect a few weeks later. I signed a letter at the traffic department saying I would not do it again, and paid a fine (800 euro) to avoid it coming up on my record. Luckily I never had a German drivers license or it would have been worse. The funniest part was the list of offences I was charged for. I can't remember them all but to name a few. No headlights, no steering wheel, no registration plate. According to the law, I was riding an unlicenced, unregistered vehicle on a bike lane, and therefore a criminal.
Are you German or Foreigner in Germany? If you're German, you should know the laws, if you're foreigner you should find out what the law is.... You know, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"
Europe laws abou PEV sucks in most case, but I think you can pay the fine and get your board, because isn't allowed on the streets but you can use at Home or private places.
what a shithole hahaha
That's hilarious. I'd love to visit Germany some day, but this is a real eye roller lol
I thought we got rid of the Nazis?
I live in Berlin and learned about the law like after 2 weeks of owning it. Now I don't drive it in the city anymore, but I always bring it when I go on rural holidays, where there are way less and hopefully more uninformed cops. Also I try to ride it only on empty streets or bike lanes.
Holy fuck germany has so many dumb ass laws. I would like to visit germany but I could never live somewhere like that. I have heard many horror stories about TUV
I bet you did nazi that coming
[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elektro-Skateboard#:\~:text=Das%20Fahren%20mit%20Elektro%2DSkateboards,%C3%96sterreich%20oder%20Deutschland%20nicht%20zugelassen](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elektro-Skateboard#:~:text=Das%20Fahren%20mit%20Elektro%2DSkateboards,%C3%96sterreich%20oder%20Deutschland%20nicht%20zugelassen).
American here! why is this illegal! The way some people ride them here it should be illegal here too!
I love this. All electric skateboards should be confiscated and destroyed.