Electric scooter accident in Glendale, Arizona: the city's rules and who pays

Since January 9, 2026, Glendale bans e-scooters on roadways posted over 25 mph but allows them on sidewalks unless posted otherwise. If a car hits you, the driver's insurer pays first. Arizona scooters are not under vehicle insurance laws, so your own policy matters. You generally have 2 years to sue.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (49)

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Road map of downtown Glendale, Arizona, where the city's Central Core project is filling sidewalk gaps
Glendale bans e-scooters on roads posted over 25 mph. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What are Glendale's e-scooter rules?

They are newer than most riders know. The City Council adopted Ordinance O25-50 in December 2025, and police began enforcing it on January 9, 2026. Here is what it says about where you can ride.

WhereThe rule in Glendale
Street with a bike laneUse the bike lane, not the roadway. You may leave it if glass, water or dirt makes it unsafe.
Street with no bike laneNot allowed if the posted limit is over 25 mph.
Sidewalk or crosswalkAllowed unless signs say no or it is not safe. Yield to walkers and warn before passing.
Unpaved hiking, horse or walking trailCounts as unsafe riding.
At nightWhite front light, red rear light and reflectors.
Impaired or on a sped-up scooterCounts as unsafe riding.

Fines start at $50 and reach $500 for repeat violations within 12 months. State law also lets riders use bicycle and multiuse paths unless banned. Glendale gives scooter riders the rights and duties of bicyclists, which matches Arizona law.

Are there rental scooters in Glendale?

We could not find any. A search of the city's website turned up the ordinance, but no page for a Lime, Bird or other shared scooter program in Glendale. That means most scooter crashes here likely involve a privately owned scooter, or a rental that came from another city. If you rented from an app, keep reading, because the contract matters a lot.

Rental apps put terms between you and a court. Lime uses final and binding arbitration. Bird lets you opt out of arbitration within 30 days of first use. Its release does not cover gross negligence or willful misconduct, but it does waive claims against cities.

Lime has a clause saying riders without helmets waive claims. Arizona has a helpful answer to some of this: its constitution makes assumption of risk a question for the jury, and that reaches signed releases. Federal law generally enforces written arbitration clauses, though. Have a lawyer read what you clicked.

Rental deadlines are short too. Lime asks for a report within 2 hours, or as soon as you can if hurt. Bird asks for a police report within 24 hours when someone is hurt.

Who pays after a scooter crash in Glendale?

  • A driver who hit you: that driver's liability policy, with a $25,000 per-person minimum.
  • Your own uninsured motorist coverage, which protects the persons insured on your auto policy.
  • Your health insurance, for treatment.
  • A rental company, only in some cases. Lime says it may provide coverage in certain locations, and it says your own auto insurance comes first.
  • The maker or seller, if a brake, battery or stem failed. Keep the scooter just as it was.

Scooters are not treated like cars. Arizona's motor vehicle definition leaves out electric standup scooters, and riders need no vehicle insurance. That also means an at-fault scooter rider who hits a walker may have no policy at all. Check homeowners or renters coverage. If it was a rental, photograph its unique ID number, which Arizona law calls for.

What should I do after an e-scooter accident in Glendale?

  1. Get checked, even if you feel okay. Federal safety data counts about 380,000 e-scooter ER visits from 2017 through 2024.
  2. Call Glendale Police at (623) 930-3000 for a crash with a car. Do not use online reporting if you are hurt.
  3. Photograph the street's speed limit sign, the bike lane and the surface.
  4. Save the scooter, your helmet and your phone's ride history.
  5. If the road or sidewalk caused it, report it in GlendaleOne and send a claim to the City Clerk within 180 days. A later suit against a public body has a 1-year limit.

Bad pavement is a real hazard. Motor vehicles and loss of control are the top hazards in scooter deaths. Glendale's Central Core project is filling missing sidewalk on 11 streets near downtown, and between Maryland Avenue and Bethany Home Road the city counts more than three miles of missing sidewalk. Those gaps can push a rider into traffic.

Can I still claim if I broke a Glendale scooter rule?

Often yes. Arizona reduces your award by your share of fault and does not bar it. A rider on a 40 mph road may get blamed for being there, but a driver who ran a red light is still responsible for that. A child rider is judged differently, and a minor gets more time to file.

What should I ask a scooter accident lawyer in Glendale?

  • Does the Glendale ordinance help or hurt my case?
  • Did I agree to arbitration, and can I still opt out?
  • Whose policy could cover me if the rider or driver has none?
  • Could this be a product defect claim?

Questions

Do I need a helmet on an e-scooter in Glendale?

Riders under 18 do. Adults are not required to under the city rule, though a rental contract may say otherwise.

Can I ride an e-scooter on the sidewalk in Glendale?

Yes, unless signs prohibit it or it is unsafe. You must yield to pedestrians.

How long do I have to sue after a scooter crash in Glendale?

Generally 2 years. Against the city, your claim is due in 180 days.

Where can I get the police report?

Use Glendale's records form or BuyCrash.

Electric scooter accident in Glendale? See if you are owed money.

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Sources (49)

  1. City of Glendale, E-bike and e-scooter ordinance notice, checked 2026-11-09. “New rules for electric bicycles and scooters go into effect in Glendale on January 9, 2026.”
  2. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “No person shall operate an E-Scooter on the roadway if the posted speed limit is greater than 25 miles per hour.”
  3. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “An E-Bike or E-Scooter may be operated upon a Sidewalk and upon and within a crosswalk”
  4. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-819, checked 2026-11-09. “is not subject to the provisions of this title relating to certificates of title, registration, vehicle license tax, driver licenses or vehicle insurance”
  5. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  6. City of Glendale, E-bike and e-scooter ordinance notice, checked 2026-11-09. “E-scooter riders must be at least 12 years old.”
  7. City of Glendale news, e-bike and e-scooter enforcement, checked 2026-11-09. “Helmets are required for anyone under the age of 18.”
  8. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “Wherever a Bike Lane is present upon a roadway, the operator of an E-Bike or E-Scooter shall use that Bike Lane and shall not use the roadway”
  9. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  10. A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  11. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “the presence of water, dirt, glass or other foreign objects in the Bike Lane prevents safe”
  12. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible warning”
  13. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “Operating upon any unpaved hiking, equestrian, or walking trail.”
  14. City of Glendale news, e-bike and e-scooter enforcement, checked 2026-11-09. “must be equipped with a white front light, red rear light and reflectors”
  15. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “Operating an E-Bike or E-Scooter while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicating substance.”
  16. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “Operating an E-Bike or E-Scooter that has been tampered with or modified to increase the speed capability”
  17. City of Glendale, E-bike and e-scooter ordinance notice, checked 2026-11-09. “Fines start at $50 and may increase up to $500 for repeated violations within a 12-month period.”
  18. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-819, checked 2026-11-09. “an electric standup scooter may be used on bicycle and multiuse paths”
  19. Glendale Ordinance O25-50, City Code Chapter 8, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be granted all the rights and privileges and shall be subject to all of the duties of a person riding a bicycle”
  20. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-819, checked 2026-11-09. “is granted all the rights and privileges and is subject to all of the duties of a person riding a bicycle”
  21. Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “exclusively through final and binding arbitration instead of filing a lawsuit in court”
  22. Bird Rental Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “The notice must be sent within 30 days of your first use of the Service”
  23. Bird Rental Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “except for Claims based on Released Persons' gross negligence or willful misconduct”
  24. Bird Rental Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “RIDER EXPRESSLY WAIVES ALL CLAIMS AGAINST CITY FOR HARM CAUSED BY CITY NEGLIGENCE OR DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.”
  25. Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “If you ride without a helmet and are injured as a result, you waive any and all claims against the Released Parties”
  26. Arizona Constitution, article 18, section 5, checked 2026-11-09. “The defense of contributory negligence or of assumption of risk shall, in all cases whatsoever, be a question of fact and shall, at all times, be left to the jury.”
  27. Phelps v. Firebird Raceway (Ariz. 2005), checked 2026-11-09. “applies to an express contractual assumption of risk. We hold that it does.”
  28. 9 U.S.C. 2, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be valid, irrevocable, and enforceable”
  29. Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “to us within two (2) hours of the accident or incident via the Lime App”
  30. Bird Rental Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “Rider shall file a report with the local police department within 24 hours.”
  31. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-4009, checked 2026-11-09. “$25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident”
  32. Arizona Revised Statutes 20-259.01, checked 2026-11-09. “uninsured motorist coverage that extends to and covers all persons insured under the policy”
  33. Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “we may provide personal accident coverage and/or rider liability coverage”
  34. Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “You agree to use your own motor vehicle insurance as the primary insurance.”
  35. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-101, checked 2026-11-09. “an electric bicycle, an electric miniature scooter, an electric standup scooter or a motorized skateboard”
  36. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-819, checked 2026-11-09. “must have a unique identification that consists of letters or numbers, or both”
  37. CPSC, checked 2026-11-09. “E-Scooters: There were an estimated total of 380,000 ED visits from 2017 through 2024”
  38. Glendale Police, Phone Directory, checked 2026-11-08. “Non-Emergency | (623) 930-3000”
  39. Glendale Police, File a Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Was someone injured as a result of this incident?”
  40. City of Glendale, Street Maintenance Services, checked 2026-11-08. “When prompted for the issue type, look for Streets/Sidewalks/Medians or simply start typing the issue.”
  41. City of Glendale, City Clerk, checked 2026-11-08. “623-930-2252, Option 1”
  42. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  43. CPSC, checked 2026-11-09. “Motor vehicle accidents and control issues were the top hazards associated with e- scooter fatalities.”
  44. City of Glendale, Transportation Projects, checked 2026-11-08. “are located on 11 streets within a 1.4 square mile area.”
  45. City of Glendale, Transportation Projects, checked 2026-11-08. “The project area includes more than three total linear miles of missing sidewalk.”
  46. A.R.S. § 12-502, checked 2026-11-08. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”
  47. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  48. Glendale Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “To obtain a copy of a Traffic Accident or Incident Report fill out an online records request form”
  49. Glendale Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “if requesting a Traffic Accident you may also obtain a copy online at www.buycrash.com”

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