Do you need a license to ride a scooter in California?

Answer 1

wow what kind of question is that you dont need a license to ride a scooter on the highway.

The previous answer is not only rude, but wrong. The answer is yes.

California requires a motorcycle "endorsement" on a regular driver's license to operate any motorized two wheel bike on a public roadway. Until a few years ago, riders could operate a bike of 50cc or less without a license. Then along came those tiny little bikes that parents were buying for children with 49cc engines. Kids (and the occasional adult who should have known better) were riding them on busy streets creating a hazard so the law was changed.

The good news is, a motorcycle endorsement isn't difficult to get. Take a written test and ride a motorcycle through a prescribed course (way simple on a scooter, not so much on a larger bike) and you're good to go.

Cheers