New ordinance in São Paulo: what changed for electric scooters?
The City of São Paulo published on August 14, 2026, an ordinance that regulates the circulation of electric bicycles and self-propelled equipment (scooters, skateboards, and unicycles) on city roads. It takes effect on August 28, 2026. The text sets speed limits and circulation areas based on CONTRAN Resolution 996/2023 (Brazil's National Traffic Council).
The rules apply to those using standing electric scooters (most urban models) and also to equipment ridden seated. If you use a scooter in Maringá, it's important to understand this trend — municipalities across Brazil are creating their own rules, and Paraná could follow the same path.
Speed limits in SP: 20 km/h on bike lanes, 6 km/h with pedestrians
Standing scooters (self-propelled) in São Paulo may operate on bike lanes, bike paths, and bike routes at a maximum of 20 km/h. When a bike lane is shared with pedestrians, the limit drops to 6 km/h. On streets and avenues with a regulated limit of up to 40 km/h, scooters can circulate as long as the equipment does not exceed 20 km/h.
They are banned on sidewalks, exclusive pedestrian areas, shared spaces between pedestrians and bicycles, and roads with speed limits above 40 km/h. In practice, São Paulo adopts the same limits that Maringá has already used since Municipal Law 11.981/2025: 20 km/h on bike lanes and 6 km/h in pedestrian areas.
Electric bicycles and seated equipment: different rules
Electric bicycles in SP will have a 20 km/h limit on bike lanes and 6 km/h in pedestrian-shared areas. As for seated self-propelled equipment (some electric scooters that do not fall under mopeds), they can circulate at 20 km/h on bike lanes and on streets with speed limits up to 50 km/h.
These seated devices are banned from pedestrian areas and roads with speed limits above 50 km/h. Mopeds (electric motors up to 4 kW or 50 cc, up to 50 km/h) follow national legislation, requiring registration, license plates, helmets, and a driver's license.
In Maringá, the municipal rule is already similar for scooters: they can only circulate on shared traffic roads with a limit of up to 40 km/h. Helmets and equipment such as bells and night signaling have been mandatory here since 2025.
WHY DID SP CREATE THESE RULES? THE NATIONAL CONTEXT
São Paulo's ordinance went through a public consultation on the Participe+ Platform between May and June 2026. The context is the growth of the fleet: shared scooters in the capital jumped from 2,000 to 7,100 units between late 2024 and August 2025. With more vehicles on the streets, the need for clear rules increased.
Nationally, each city is setting its own limits under the same CONTRAN 996/2023 framework. São Paulo and Curitiba adopted 20 km/h on bike lanes; Rio set 25 km/h. This lack of a single mandatory standard means riders must know each municipality's rules — and it's a clear sign that enforcement in Paraná may intensify.
WHAT HASN'T CHANGED: FEDERAL RULES FOR SCOOTERS
CONTRAN Resolution 996/2023 remains in effect across Brazil, including Maringá. It defines electric scooters as low-speed mobility devices with a technical maximum speed of 32 km/h. No driver's license is required for electric scooters up to 32 km/h, and the minimum age is 16.
If the equipment is a motorized scooter above 50 cc, then a Category A driver's license is required. These federal rules haven't changed with SP's ordinance — what changed are the circulation limits within the São Paulo municipality, which are more restrictive than the technical limit of the equipment.
How to prepare: what SP's rule teaches those riding in Maringá
The trend is for more cities to create specific scooter rules, always with speed limits.