California residents will soon be able to take their electric skateboards out and ride them legally, reversing a ban that was imposed back in 1977 to keep gas-powered skateboards off the streets.

The motorized skateboards will now be able to go to any place where bicycles are allowed. The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

The new law will be big news to local electric skateboard makers, including companies like Boosted Boards and Intuitive Motion. Often technology companies face a number of hurdles in bringing a product to market, and the new law will at least eliminate one of these hurdles.

Previously, electric skateboards were technically illegal in public areas, and while people often still used them it certainly put a damper on sales, with many customers cancelling their orders when they found out they technically weren't allowed to use them in public streets.

Of course, California isn't the only state struggling with new methods of public transport. The U.K. police recently announced that hoverboards were not legal to be used on the sidewalk in England or in Wales.

Under the new California law, local governments will still be able to regulate electric skateboards, and even ban them if they want to.

Via: Wall Street Journal