The government has sent the bill to the Riigikogu. If it enters into law, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) would also be given the right to confiscate e-scooters in cases where the rider lacked a license.

Children under 10 would be banned from riding e-scooters anywhere, under the bill.

The development follows a Ministry of Climate review of e-scooter and light vehicle regulations announced in March, with the aims of improving safety, especially for children and young riders.

While current law requires teenage cyclists to complete training and pass a cycling proficiency test, any youngster can at present ride an e-scooter on the streets, at legal speeds of up to 25 km/h and without having even the slightest knowledge of traffic rules.

This week, the government is to submit the bill to the Riigikogu. If it passes a vote, then from next March, e-scooter riders aged 10-15 will be required to hold a cyclist's license.

"One of the key points is that children under the age of 10 should not be allowed to ride scooters or other light personal mobility vehicles in public traffic," Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis (Reform) told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

Alternatively, an AM-category moped license, which can be obtained from the age of 14, will constitute permission to ride an e-scooter.

The new bill would also give the PPA the authority to impose fines of up to €160 on parents who have purchased an electric scooter for a minor who does not have permission to ride, i.e. does not hold a cyclist's license.

If a minor who has permission to ride an e-scooter lends it to another youngster who does not have permission, the parents of the first child will also be liable to a fine, under the terms of the bill.

"The parent who owns or possesses the vehicle can still be penalized. And they must make it clear to their child that they are not allowed to pass the vehicle on to another child," Leis said.

The bill would also empower the PPA to confiscate e-scooters from those not permitted to ride them. Leis said the authority may in any case gain this right through precedent rather than statute.

"The police may also gain the right to confiscate the scooter. There are currently two court cases underway, and if those rulings grant the police the authority to confiscate them, no legislative amendment will even be necessary," the minister added.

Cycling proficiency teacher Eve Tellissaar told "Aktuaalne kaamera" she found the introduction of a licensing requirement entirely reasonable. Children's traffic knowledge has been declining year by year, Tellissaar, who has been a cycling trainer for 20 years, noted. However, existing cyclist training cannot be transferred directly, like-for-like, on to e-scooter riding, and the tuition must also reflect this, Tellissaar went on.

"The riding component should be adapted somewhat or made more specific. But the basic cyclist training, especially the theoretical part, should be exactly the same for scooter riders. We still need to emphasize attitudes, traffic awareness, and — most importantly — consideration for one another. The practical component, however, differs because the riding dynamics are different," Tellissaar continued.

Companies, too, could be fined, up to €6,400 if a teenager without a cyclist's license is caught riding one of their scooters. Market leader Bolt's platform already forbids e-scooter rental to under 16s, though the company says it nevertheless plans to introduce stricter identity verification procedures similar to that used by its car rental platform.

"Under the current plan, it would work very similarly to the Bolt Drive platform, where users must upload a photo of an identity document, which is then compared in real time with a selfie," said Bolt spokesperson Kaarel Kook.

If the company gets fined for misuse, for instance by teens finding a way to bypass the ID checks, Bolt noted it intends to be reimbursed in full from the rider, for those fines. As noted the penalties could stretch into thousands of euros.

Last month a 12-year-old girl was seriously injured and fell into a coma after crashing an electric scooter while traveling at over 50 km/h. The girl has since been discharged from intensive care, but as of last week she remained under medical observation with a fractured skull.

Under current law, children under 10 cannot independently operate light vehicles on roads, but restrictions off road, for instance on paths, are less strict. When the ministry started reviewing e-scooter safety earlier this year, Leis noted that some rental providers set a minimum age of 18 but do not effectively verify users' ages. ID verification tools such as Mobile-ID and Smart-ID, could support stricter enforcement.

Rental e-scooters' speed is capped at 25 km/h, and lower speeds in specific zones such as close to schools. However, e-scooters on sale to private consumers often have much higher top speeds.

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