Helmets are gradually becoming mandatory for electric scooter users across France. Since the start of 2026, a series of decrees from local prefectures has required riders to protect their heads before taking the handlebars of an electric scooter or any type of motorized personal transport device. Such is now the case in Paris and its surroundings, as well as in the Alpes-Maritimes, Yonne and Manche administrative departments. The Yvelines department south of the capital will be next, on September 15.
Prefects who have not yet taken this step have been encouraged to do so to ensure the rule is consistent nationwide. Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, the junior minister for citizenship, told Le Monde that the government was currently drafting and legally securing its own national decree. She made no secret of her desire to see the measure extended to cyclists, making helmets mandatory in all circumstances across the country. Currently, helmets are only required for cyclists under 12 and for electric scooters outside urban areas.
However, both the room for maneuver and political will are lacking. "It is out of the question to push this measure through a legislative vote: Parliament neither has the time nor a particular interest in road safety," a government source said. "And let's be realistic: The timeline is too tight to pass a decree before the elections," a reference to the first round of the presidential election on April 18, 2027.
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