FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.—Drivers who have switched to motor scooters to save money on gasoline have also enjoyed being able to park them almost anywhere.

That privilege is being restricted for many riders at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville this fall. And the campus police chief has issued a reminder that driving scooters on sidewalks, lawns and inside buildings isn’t allowed.

The major hitch for riders is a state law that says anything with an engine with a displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or larger is a motorcycle. Thus, many of the scooters on the road are motorcycles. Honda offers 11 choices in its scooter line, but only two of them have engines small enough to be considered scooters. Schwinn has eight models—five with 49.5 cc engines and three with larger power plants.

“It appears that many scooter riders don’t understand that their scooters are motor vehicles under Arkansas law and are subject to the same traffic laws,” University Police director Steve Gahagans said. The rules on where they can be driven apply to scooters and motorcycles alike, not just where they are parked.

“As a prime example, scooters may only be legally driven on the street. Not on sidewalks, plazas, lawns or, for that matter, inside buildings. University Police officers will be enforcing these laws and writing tickets when we see a violation,” the chief said.

The university says it has been getting complaints from pedestrians on campus about the scooters.

The UA is not the only place that has had to address the influx of scooters. Hot Springs National Park has restricted use of scooters and Segway transporters on trails and sidewalks so they can only be used by disabled persons.

Scooters with an engine of 50 cc or greater must be registered as motorcycles and, at the UA, they are going to need a parking permit. The smaller scooters also need a permit and will be restricted to designated parking areas, said Gary Smith, director of transit and parking.

Signs and pavement paint for the areas will be placed over the next few weeks, but the areas are designated now on the campus parking map. More information can be picked up when riders register for their parking permits.