Raleigh is a big city to cover on foot. A day downtown can mean blocks of sidewalk, a museum with two buildings and a long walk back to the car. For someone who tires on long walks, that adds up fast.
A rented mobility scooter can help. It lets the rider set their own pace and stay with the group. This guide covers how renting a scooter in Raleigh works with us, what to know before you rent and how to get around town once you have one.
A note first. We rent equipment. We are not doctors or therapists. If you are unsure whether a scooter is safe for you or the person you are planning for, ask their doctor or therapist before you rent.
When a scooter helps
A scooter rental fits days like these:
- A family visit. A parent or grandparent comes to town and the plans include long days out. Our guide to a family visit to Raleigh covers that trip in detail.
- A trip or a long day out. A museum day, a game, a show or a walk through a park.
- An event. A fair, a festival or a market where the walking is long and the day is longer.
If a companion will push the rider, a wheelchair may fit better. Our guide on scooter or wheelchair walks through the choice.
How a quote works
Personal rentals in Raleigh are set up with a real person. There is no account and no online checkout. We do not list prices on the site, because every rental is quoted for your dates, the equipment and pickup or delivery.
- Ask for a quote. Use the form on our Raleigh rentals page or call. Tell us the dates, the equipment and your ZIP code.
- A person calls you back. We get back to you within 24 hours. We confirm the dates, the equipment and whether you pick up or we deliver. Delivery is confirmed for each request.
- Pick up or take delivery. Pick up where we confirm, or take delivery where delivery is confirmed. Questions during the rental? Call the same number.
What is free on your dates is confirmed when we call back.
What to know before you rent
A few rules and facts about our scooters, so you can plan the day.
- Weight limit. The maximum passenger weight is 400 lbs.
- One rider. Only the person named on the rental may ride. Booking for a parent? Put their name on the rental. One person per scooter, and no standing on the back.
- Controls. Our staff show you the controls before you go. You can sit on a scooter first to make sure it fits.
- Lifting. Our staff do not lift or transfer riders. If the rider needs help getting on and off, plan for a family member to help.
- Baskets. Baskets are for lightweight items. Keep valuables secured to yourself.
- Distance. Tell us how far you expect to go. We go over the options on the call.
- Transport. If you plan to drive between stops, decide ahead of time how the scooter gets from place to place and who loads it.
Our full checklist is in before you rent a mobility scooter. You can also see the scooters on our mobility scooters page.
Getting around Raleigh on a scooter
Your rights at public places. ADA.gov says businesses and nonprofits that serve the public, and state and local governments, must allow people with disabilities who use manual or power wheelchairs or scooters into all areas where the public is allowed to go.
Sidewalks. Plan routes with curb ramps and step-free entrances. Do not count on a scooter to climb a curb. If you find a damaged or broken sidewalk on City right of way, the City of Raleigh asks you to report it to its Transportation Maintenance Service Unit at sidewalk@raleighnc.gov or 919-996-6446.
GoRaleigh buses. GoRaleigh lists wheelchairs, walkers and personal accessibility devices as allowed onboard. It says all electric mobility devices must have undamaged, UL-certified batteries, and that charging batteries on buses or station platforms is not allowed. The page does not name mobility scooters. It does say personal electric scooters may come onboard only when folded. Ask GoRaleigh before you rely on a bus trip.
GoRaleigh Access. This is the City's paratransit service for riders who qualify under the ADA. Trips must begin and end within 3/4 mile of a GoRaleigh bus stop. Out-of-town visitors who are ADA eligible can use it for 21 days within a 365-day period. Visitors contact the Paratransit Services Certification Office first, at 919-996-3459. Trips must be booked at least one day ahead.
Museums and parks in Raleigh
These details come from each place's own accessibility page. Check again before you go, since details change.
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Elevators run between each level of both buildings. The museum says it has accessible seating for guests using scooters or wheelchairs in the SECU Daily Planet Theater and the WRAL 3D Theater. It also notes there are no automatic doors on the third-floor bridge between the buildings. Its loaner chairs are manual only, with no electric or scooter options.
- North Carolina Museum of Art. The museum offers free parking that meets the ADA. It says the paved trails in the Museum Park follow the natural landscape, so some slopes are steeper than the ADA recommends. It names the shorter Eco Trail route as wheelchair accessible.
- Dorothea Dix Park. The park says accessible parking spaces are in all paved lots. Improved sidewalks with curb cuts are generally around completed areas such as the Stone Houses, Gipson Play Plaza and The Chapel. Some parts of the park have uneven surfaces and are not fully accessible.
Scooters at events
We also rent scooters on site at fairs, markets and festivals, from a rental tent, booth or kiosk. Pickup locations are inside or right at the gates of participating events. Each event guide lists the exact spot.
At an event, bring the ID and the payment or collateral listed for that event. Reservations work differently at each event, and each event page says how it works there. For the 2027 NC State Fair, reservations are not open yet. Sign up on our NC State Fair page and we tell you first when they open.
See where we will be on our events page.
Next step
Ask for a quote on our Raleigh rentals page with your dates and ZIP code, or call (919) 533-8846 and talk it through with a person.
