Getting around Seattle
Lime scooters and e-bikes in Seattle
Lime runs Seattle's shared scooters and e-bikes: standing scooters, e-bikes and sit-down scooters you unlock with the Lime app and leave at the curb when you're done. You pay to unlock plus a per-minute rate, shown in the app before you start. Ride in bike lanes and on paved trails, keep off sidewalks, and park upright out of the way of people walking. Bellevue joined in August 2026, so you can ride there and on to Redmond too.
- Operator
- Lime
- Vehicles
- Scooters, e-bikes, sit-down scooters
- Top speed
- 15 mph (8 on your first ride)
- Where
- Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond
Step by step
How to take your first ride
- 01
Get the Lime app
Download Lime, add a payment method and find a scooter or bike on the map. Riders must be 18 or older under Lime's user agreement.
- 02
Scan and go
Scan the QR code on the handlebar to unlock it. The app shows the unlock fee and per-minute rate before you start. Seattle caps your very first ride at 8 mph, then 15 mph after that.
- 03
Park it right and end the ride
Stand it upright at a bike rack, a Lime corral or the curb strip, out of the walking path. Take the photo the app asks for, then end the ride. One rider per scooter or bike, and never ride after drinking.
The details
What Seattle, Bellevue and King County Metro say
Where you can ride in Seattle
Use bike lanes and paved multi-use trails whenever you can, and keep off the sidewalks. Since 2026 Seattle requires Lime to add sensors that notice skidding, jumping or riding on the sidewalk, starting with warnings in the app. Some busy areas are slow zones capped at 8 mph, shown on the map in the app.
Parking without a fine
Park upright at a bike rack, a corral or the curb strip by trees and poles, leaving the sidewalk clear. Don't leave it at curb ramps, corners, driveways, bus stops, in city parks or in the no-parking zones the app shows. Bad parking adds a charge to your ride, and Seattle raised the maximum in 2026.
Helmets
Wear a helmet. Seattle has Lime hand out free helmets (5,000 went out in 2025), and you can ask at the city's customer service centers. Bellevue requires helmets on bikes and e-bikes and strongly encourages them on scooters.
Riding in Bellevue and Redmond
Bellevue started its Lime program on August 10, 2026 with 350 scooters, 50 e-bikes and 100 sit-down scooters. You can't ride on Bellevue sidewalks unless the street is 25 mph or faster with no safe alternative, slow zones run 5 to 12 mph, and you must use a parking corral where there is one. You can ride on to Redmond, but not to Kirkland or Issaquah.
Discounts and transit rewards
Lime Access gives riders on ORCA LIFT and other assistance programs a lower unlock fee and a per-minute rate of about a cent. Ending a ride at a listed Link light rail station in Shoreline, Redmond or Bellevue earns money off a future ride or a free transit trip through King County Metro's Transit GO rewards.
From the airport
Neither Seattle's nor Bellevue's program includes the airport, so don't count on a scooter at SEA. Take Link light rail from SEA Airport Station or a booked ride into the city first; Lime scooters and bikes are easy to find near Seattle's Link stations.
Next steps
Get to the city first
Scooters are for exploring, not for suitcases. Get from Seatac to your hotel first, then ride from there.
From the airport into the city
Landing at Seatac with bags? A booked ride takes you to your hotel door with the fare shown before you pay. Save the scooter for exploring once you've checked in.
Book a ride from SeatacHotels near the airport
For an early departure or a late arrival, compare airport-area hotels and add the ride.
See airport hotels →Where to ride to
Pike Place, the waterfront, the Space Needle and more, with how to get to each.
Open the Seattle guide →Plan the whole trip
Flights, hotel, rides and what to do in Seattle, in one plan you can share with the people you're meeting.
Open the trip planner →
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do Lime scooters work in Seattle?
Open the Lime app, find a scooter or bike on the map, scan the QR code on the handlebar to unlock it, ride, then park it upright out of the walking path, take the photo the app asks for and end the ride. You pay to unlock plus a per-minute rate shown before you start.
How much does a Lime scooter cost in Seattle?
An unlock fee plus a per-minute rate, both shown in the app before you start; prices change, so check there. Riders on ORCA LIFT and other assistance programs can sign up for Lime Access: a lower unlock fee and about a cent a minute.
Can you ride Lime scooters on the sidewalk in Seattle?
Seattle asks riders to use bike lanes and paved trails and keep off sidewalks, and Lime now has to add sensors that detect sidewalk riding. In Bellevue sidewalk riding isn't allowed unless the street is 25 mph or faster with no safe alternative.
How fast do Lime scooters go in Seattle?
Up to 15 mph, but your first ride is capped at 8 mph, and slow zones in busy areas are capped at 8 mph.
Do I need a helmet to ride a Lime scooter?
Wear one. Seattle has Lime hand out free helmets. Bellevue requires helmets on bikes and e-bikes and strongly encourages them on scooters.
Can I ride a Lime scooter from Seatac airport?
Don't plan on it: the airport isn't part of Seattle's or Bellevue's program. Take light rail or a booked ride into the city, then pick up a scooter near your hotel or a Link station.
Where can I ride Lime in Bellevue?
Anywhere in Bellevue's service area shown in the app, and on to Redmond, including the parts of the Eastrail where Lime operates. You can't ride to Kirkland or Issaquah.
Official information
Checked on the City of Seattle, City of Bellevue and King County Metro pages on November 4, 2026. Prices, zones and rules change, so check the Lime app before you ride.