Estonian police to be able to confiscate illegal e-scooters under new law
A bill in Estonia would give police the power to confiscate rule-breaking electric scooters without going to court. If parliament passes the Traffic Act amendment, it will take effect in March 2027.
Police in Estonia are set to gain the power to confiscate electric scooters that break the rules without going through the courts. An amendment to the Traffic Act, currently under discussion, is intended to improve safety for both scooter riders and pedestrians. The bill is awaiting its second reading in the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament.
The current situation
Under the existing rules, police can take a scooter off the road only by applying to a court. According to the report, the court has so far not granted a single such request.
Taavi Kirss, head of traffic supervision at the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, told broadcaster ERR that officers can already remove a rule-breaking vehicle from the street for safety reasons, but cannot take it away from the owner entirely. An offending scooter can be held at a police station until a procedural decision is made either to return it or to go to court.
What the amendment provides
Margus Tähepõld, head of transport and traffic at the Ministry of Climate, said police will be able to confiscate a scooter that can exceed 25 km/h or has an engine power above 1 kW. Owners will lose the right to get the vehicle back.
"This should prevent the violation from continuing in the future, where you pay the fine, and soon the vehicle is back on the road," Tähepõld said.
If MPs approve the legislation, it will come into force in March 2027. The same bill would also require people aged 10–15 to hold at least a bicycle licence in order to ride an electric scooter on any road.
