TL;DR: Leave the e-motorcycles, fat-tire scooters, and seated electric scooters at home; they are strictly disallowed in Black Rock City. If you attempt to bring a disallowed vehicle through the Gate, it will be turned away. Any disallowed vehicle caught operating inside the city will be promptly ejected. Before you pack your ride, double-check the official vehicle rules webpage to make sure it’s actually allowed. Don’t buy into those flashy social media ads or “camp delivery” scams claiming a vehicle is “perfect for Burning Man.” Those companies are trying to profit off Burning Man and sell you gear you can’t even use.
Pack all the things! Naturally you’re excited to get out into the dust, to unplug and then connect in so many unique and meaningful ways. A vast playground awaits, one where you can roll up your sleeves, find your humans, and find joy and purpose through participatory creativity.
But wait! Before you figure out your trusty playa bike, please do read this important message from your friendly Black Rock City Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV). It could mean the difference between blissfully enjoying your bike or e-bike all week, or wandering the city on foot because your vehicle was turned away when you arrived at the Gate.
BRC has always been — and will always be — primarily a pedestrian and bicycle city. Its streets are designed for walking, pedaling, and catching a serendipitous ride on a mutant vehicle.
Over the past few years, the DMV and event operations have encountered a growing problem with participants bringing disallowed Personal Transportation Vehicles (PTVs) — particularly seated electric scooters, fat-tire scooters, and e-motorcycles — to the playa.
Burning Man is Not a Showroom
This problem is being fueled by certain scooter and e-motorcycle manufacturers and vendors using social media to aggressively advertise their products as “perfect for Burning Man.” Not only do these promotions blatantly conflict with Decommodification (don’t use the culture to sell your stuff!), they also spread false information. Just because a targeted ad implies a vehicle belongs on the playa doesn’t mean it actually is allowed in Black Rock City.
To make matters worse, some of these companies are offering “concierge” services to deliver unpermitted vehicles directly to theme camps in Black Rock City. Let’s be crystal clear: Black Rock City is a decommodified space, not a commercial fulfillment zone. Third-party businesses setting up delivery operations inside the city undermines the spirit of the community. They’re also in violation of federal regulations; in other words, what they’re doing is illegal.
When businesses use Burning Man imagery or promise “turnkey” playa transportation, they are exploiting the culture for profit. Worse, they leave you holding the bag (and a very expensive receipt) when the Gate turns your new ride away. Please do not support vendors that are trying to commodify the dust, and don’t get scammed into buying or renting gear that isn’t allowed in the city.
So, What Is Allowed?
Human-powered bikes, Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, Onewheels, hoverboards, and true stand-up scooters (meaning strictly NO SEAT, a motor under 800 watts, wheels 10″ or smaller, and weighing under 40 lbs)
What is Absolutely Not Allowed?
Larger stand-up scooters, fat-tire scooters, seated scooters, gas-powered bicycles, ATVs, mopeds, and e-motorcycles, in fact, any bike with no pedals (except as a pre-registered Accessibility Vehicle).
If you are found trying to bring a disallowed vehicle into Black Rock City, the Gate will not allow the vehicle into the event. Your options will be to either: take the vehicle off playa, or to leave it in the unsecured D-lot just outside the event while you’re in Black Rock City. If a disallowed PTV is found being driven inside the city, the vehicle (and potentially the driver) will be ejected from the event.
Why Slower Is Better
Why does the DMV and Law Enforcement heavily restrict driving and strictly enforce a 5 mph speed limit everywhere in BRC? Because slower is safer… and better. In recent years, Emergency Medical Services have dealt with a growing number of injuries caused by e-bikes traveling faster than 5 mph. Participants are sustaining serious injuries, all because a cyclist decided to ride at an unsafe speed.
Immediacy is often better served by taking it slow. If you go too fast, you miss many of Black Rock City’s hidden wonders: the whimsical treasures of the backstreets, understated art, spontaneous new friendships, and things too small to see when going fast.
Please leave the disallowed scooters and e-motorcycles at home. Embrace the pedal, appreciate the stroll, and remember to stop, get off, and explore. Slowing down isn’t only about safety; it’s about cultivating the very magic that makes Black Rock City so special. Let’s enjoy Black Rock City at the speed of connection.
For a comprehensive list of exactly what you can and cannot bring, please study the vehicle rules webpage before you pack.
Now get back to your Black Rock City planning and dreaming, whatever that means for you. The magic won’t find you on a speeding e-bike, but it will make its presence known when you embrace the levity and Immediacy of unanticipated moments, challenges, and spontaneous encounters.
Cover image: Photo by Espressobuzz
“disallow” is doublespeak, just say “banned” to be honest and forthright about what you are doing.
Report comment
Thanks for the feedback!
I appreciate your perspective, but “disallowed” literally just means “not allowed”—there was no intention to obscure or soften the point. As a big fan of William Lutz’s work on doublespeak, I definitely strive for clear, transparent language. While “banned” is certainly a valid synonym, “disallowed” was meant in the exact same literal spirit.
-Chef Juke
Report comment
So I guess this crazy fun Antic bike with all the crazy LED and the small Cooler for free gifting ice cream bar will have to stay home…
Report comment
You can always try to register as a Mutant Vehicle.
Report comment
If it doesn’t have pedals, don’t bring it.
Report comment
It’s cool to follow the rules.
Report comment
Good. The E-bike challenge is not just on Playa. Many communities have found themselves cursed by mostly young people who seem to believe there are no rules to how and where E-bikes and E-cycles may be ridden. They are not an exception to the rule of being careful and using common sense. Why race through Burning Man? Would you race through the Louvre? Go slow and enjoy the ride.
Report comment
We are an art support camp and we have electrical tricycles, like a small electrical rickshaw.
With the art support pass, is it allowed to be on playa with that electrical rickshaw? Goes without saying that we stay under the allowed speed limit.
Thank you
Report comment
Hi there,
You may have unique situation please email dmv@burningman.org to discuss.
Report comment
Regular bikes can’t be beat. They hold up much better, are more reliable, give you some movement in your body, and are powered by weed and pancakes.
Report comment
Let’s not forget about the now infamous “zipper” crew that has over 500 members placed in camps throughout the city. They are actively tracking speeding ebikes and disabling them one way or another.
Report comment
How to align with them, or might I already be a member?
Report comment
Why not just ban all e-bikes of any kind? Only pedal bikes should be allowed. Can’t tell you how many times I almost got ran over by e-bike gangs last year! Scary!
Report comment
Hi Carla,
thanks for jumping in with your thoughts! E-bike safety is definitely a huge concern, and the Event Operations team keeps a close eye on all the complaints and injury reports coming in off the playa each year.
It’s a tricky balance with a lot of nuance. While fast, reckless riding is genuinely scary, e-bikes are also a total lifesaver for a lot of Burners—especially folks who are starting to deal with mobility challenges but aren’t quite at the point of requiring a DMV accessibility license.
Rather than slapping on another rule or a blanket ban, we’re really hoping we can lean into community accountability—keeping speeds down and riding responsibly so the playa stays safe and accessible for everyone.
-Chef Juke
Report comment
Hey Carla!
e-bike rider here – I’m a 12 year burner and Burning Man artist who used to ride a regular cruiser… unfortunately I ended up with long covid during the pandemic, which almost prevented me from being able to go to BRC due to my symptoms. I suffer from chronic pain and this really “fun” illness that if I accidentally over-exert myself, I’ll be physically unable to move for anywhere from a few hours to a few days. I have to be careful not to overexert myself on playa and in 2022 I got myself an e-bike. I am one of hundreds of people who use an e-bike for accessibility. I’m able to experience BRC like I used to before covid, and that has been an amazing thing. “Why don’t you just get it registered as an accessibility vehicle?” unfortunately a lot of chronic illnesses don’t qualify for accessibility placards (at BRC or in the default world). Yes, there are problems with people abusing the ebike rules, but we don’t have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. If you see something, say something. Let’s hold each other accountable for our actions.. peer pressure goes a long way!
Report comment
I would have agreed with you until I was treated for cancer last year. I’ve seen many idiots on ebikes trying to win a Darwin Award in BRC and take innocent bystander with them.
From the beginning, my radiation oncologist encouraged me to fulfill my goal of hanging the immobilization mask- that kept me bolted to the table through 33 high intensity treatments – in the Temple to mark the end of treatment. Treatment for head & neck cancer is some of the worst, and recovery can take months or years. I wouldn’t have made it to the Temple without my ebike.
She framed the picture of me with my mask in the Temple and has it on the wall of her office along with other patients trying to make the best of life as cancer survivors.
Report comment
While I am as concerned about unsafe speeds as the vast majority of burners, I have needed my e bike with pedals and some power boost, to get around at all. At my age, the broken bits are getting louder. It’s the mini motorcycles that really intimidate me.
Report comment
While they are permitted, please keep in mind onewheels at dangerous! Ride them with caution. Been there done that.
Report comment
I support this policy. It was out of hand last year. Some of these vehicles can reach speeds which can be deadly. The impulse to drive fast on open playa, coupled with impaired driving (let’s be honest) is a disaster waiting to happen. I love the freedom of Burning Man, but unfortunately some people make poor decisions and mess it up for everyone.
Report comment
Good call. See you all when we are dusty
Report comment
In 2021, at the “renegade burn”, a young fellow probably high on something ran his small motorcycle into the side of my pickup. $7000 damage. He hurt his leg pretty badly and was taken to Reno for medical attention. He very nearly ran into my friend who was sleeping in her tent. This made me appreciate the rules and regulations of a normal burn. Without that accidents are a certainty.
Report comment
And there is walking. Around 2015 I decided to no longer bring a bike to Burning Man. I got tired of navigating the hordes of then pedal power only bikes, what the playa dust did to my bike, and the hazards of hitting ruts or dust wallows in the dark. In my seventies with an artificial knee, hopping the occasional art car, walking is just fine. I usually log three to seven miles each day. I stop and visit with a lot of folks, sit under shade when I need it, and enjoy the small moments. A gallon of water, dust gear, electrolytes, sun umbrella all fit in my day pack. Highly recommended.
Report comment
Hi! This is our first time going to Burning Man, so we’re a little confused about the new e-bike rules. We have a TST R9 with fully functional pedals, and several people who have been to Burning Man before told us it should be okay to bring. We’re also bringing a regular bicycle, so we’ll still have transportation if the e-bike isn’t allowed. Has anyone confirmed whether this specific bike is permitted under the 2026 rules? We’d really appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Report comment
Hello,
Please review the information on the vehicle rules and protocols page:
https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/bring-your-mutant-vehicle/vehicle-rules-and-protocols/
If you still have questions please email dmv@burningman.org
Report comment
Why do you insist on peddling this 5 mph BS for bikes? Is it for the orgs insurance policy? Literally everyone on two wheelers is riding at least 8-10mph.
Report comment
Js
First off, I see what you did there: “peddling this 5 mph bs”.
So, The 5 mph speed limit applies to all vehicles in Black Rock City—whether it’s a mutant vehicle, an e-bike, or a traditional pedal bike—for a simple reason: Black Rock City is fundamentally a pedestrian city.
At its core, the universal speed limit is about safety, visibility, and shared space. When tens of thousands of people are walking, exploring, and gathering—often in thick dust, total darkness at night, or around unpredictable art installations—5 mph ensures everyone has the necessary reaction time to stop safely and avoid collisions. High speeds also kick up severe dust clouds, destroying visibility for everyone sharing the street.
We certainly understand that people on manual pedal bikes occasionally coast or pedal faster than 5 mph down an open street. The difference is that maintaining high speeds on a standard bicycle across the rough playa surface requires constant physical exertion, making it difficult to sustain for long stretches. Motorized vehicles and e-bikes, by contrast, can effortlessly maintain dangerous speeds indefinitely with zero physical effort.
Having a single, universal speed limit establishes a simple rule for the entire community: no matter how you choose to move across the dust, pedestrian safety always comes first.
I should note (at the risk of undermining the speed limit)that as far as I’m aware nobody’s ever been cited or otherwise reprimanded (beyond somebody maybe yelling “ slow down!“ at them) for momentarily or occasionally exceeding the 5 mile an hour speed limit on a pedal bike.
Report comment
An ebike is an ebike. Why care about fully functional pedals or what it looks like. Radical inclusion? If it’s within the 750w / 20mph max why do they care about what it looks like or if it has fully functional petals? Does having fully functional somehow make an ebike safer? I pretty sure the answer is no. So again, radical inclusion, all ebikes regardless of what they look like, if they’re 750w / 20mph max should be included on the Playa or just “unincluded” ebikes all together, speed problem solved.
P.S. people ride their pedal bikes well over 5mph.
Report comment
Hi there, thanks for sharing your thoughts. To address your point that “an e-bike is an e-bike”—they actually aren’t all the same, and that distinction is a big part of why we published this article. Every year, the DMV gets flooded with emails from participants confused about what is and isn’t allowed. Today, many vehicles marketed as “e-bikes” are essentially electric motorcycles that can go 30 mph or faster. That speed and power put them squarely in the category of motor vehicles, which are legally and practically very different from standard bicycles.
To clarify the rest of the rules and the legal constraints we operate under in Black Rock City:
First, regarding the 750W / 20mph max limit: the reason we reference specific standard E-bike classes is exactly because those legal classes already specify the exact limits you mentioned. Using the standardized class system makes it easier for people to look at a manufacturer’s specs and immediately know what is allowed without guessing.
As for why fully functional pedals matter:
This isn’t about judging how a bike looks or ignoring Radical Inclusion (which was never about bicycles or devices). The requirement for pedals legally differentiates an electric bicycle from a motorized scooter. A vehicle that allows someone to simply twist a throttle and drive around without the ability to pedal is classified by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a motor vehicle. Our use permit with the BLM strictly limits motor vehicles in Black Rock City, so enforcing the pedal requirement is necessary to stay in compliance with our permit (we are required to license and sticker any motor vehicle used at the event)
Finally, you are completely right that people can ride non-motorized pedal bikes well over 5 mph. However, maintaining those speeds on the playa under your own physical power is exhausting, and it isn’t something most people can sustain for extended periods. There is a fundamental difference in behavior and safety between someone riding under human power versus someone who can effortlessly cruise around at high speeds for miles just by pulling a throttle. We simply do not have the same widespread speed and safety issues with manual pedal bicycles as we do with high-powered E-bikes.
Hope this helps explain the “why” behind the guidelines!
-Chef Juke
Report comment
E-Bike headlights should be disabled at night. It is incredibly difficult to see past them when they are part of on coming traffic. I have almost gotten in several accidents because I was blinded by a bright headlight.
Report comment
A couple years ago was told that Ebike’s with pedals still had to be under 500 watts, does that rule still apply?
Report comment
Hi there,
Not sure where are the 500 W came from since the only specific wattage limit we’ve ever had has been 750W.
All of the specifics are available on this webpage:
https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/bring-your-mutant-vehicle/accessibility-vehicles/
Report comment
ayy my scoot is pictured under the ‘absolutely not allowed’ section. to offer a mild defense, it was a registered art support vehicle and was used for that purpose and replaced the presence of an entire truck on playa for build, maintenance, operation, and strike of a large installation. This picture was taken within a few hundred yards of the install after verifying the solar panels were operating/charging at sunrise. I rode incredibly slowly and nobody even asked to see the permit which was stickered low on one side.
regardless, I’m happy for the increased enforcement on ebikes and fully support this policy. it felt crazy that two person ebikes were unchecked at 30mph. it also feels crazy how widely the mobility assistance vehicle badges are provided – there were a truly ridiculous amount of UTVs, golf carts, half-ass art cars, and sometimes just cars roaming around
Report comment
Hi there,
We certainly did not mean to indicate that you, personally we’re doing anything wrong. The key here is what is allowed “without licensing”. The intent here is to help people understand what vehicles they should assume they can bring to Burning Man outside of special circumstances. We do licensed scooters and motorcycles for accessibility vehicles or, as in your case has art support vehicle vehicles but that is a different case than the most participants.
Sorry you got concerned and we certainly didn’t mean to indict you in any way.
Report comment
I don’t have a fat tire bike but I’ve always wanted one out there because it’s much easier to maneuver. This post reads as if that’s also not allowed? I’m curious the reason for that?
Report comment
The reference to fat tire scooters means ones without pedals that are motorized. If you are intending on bringing a bicycle with fat tires that is fine as long as it is either a pedal only bicycle or meets the specifications noted in the article.
If you have questions about a specific vehicle you can email dmv@burningman.org.
Report comment
The top right right pic from “What is Absolutely Not Allowed?” section is Aron Lobdell and his default world licensed e-motorcycle AND was licensed by the burning man art depart as an art support vehicle for EyeToTheSky, an honoria artwork. Aron was the power lead and had to check on the artwork multiple times a day to ensure the power system was running correctly and thus his need for an art support vehicle. Please remove him and his amazing bike as it was all done by the book.
Report comment
Michael,
Thanks for bringing this to our attention!
To clarify, the images used in the article were never intended to call out individuals or suggest anyone was doing something wrong.
The article specifically addresses types of vehicles that are disallowed without licensing. Burning Man regularly licenses motor vehicles for art support, work, annd accessibility vehicles and other official needs—which is exactly why Aron’s bike was permitted. Vehicles like these are allowed on the playa for these purposes if they are registered through the DMV.
-Chef Juke.
Report comment
All good – I see the pic has been taken down. Thanks for understanding!
Report comment