Are scooters legal on the highway in California?

For a scooter to be "freeway" legal in California it has to have an engine size of 150cc or larger. However, no scooter can be registered in California unless it is C.A.R.B. (California Air Resources Board) approved. Finding a CARB approved scooter is still difficult at this time. Not all cheap Chinese scooters are California legal. A few have been approved, check with your dealer (even some dealers in California are selling scooters that can't be registered in California!). You could always go with the established brands like Honda or Yamaha, but the cost is more than a no-name brand.