diff --git a/.changeset/young-icons-rescue.md b/.changeset/young-icons-rescue.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a1e3851c1bdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/young-icons-rescue.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"wrangler": minor
+---
+
+Default wrangler d1 export to --local rather than failing
diff --git a/packages/wrangler/src/__tests__/d1/export.test.ts b/packages/wrangler/src/__tests__/d1/export.test.ts
index 4b9809f936e2..2e60d524f5bb 100644
--- a/packages/wrangler/src/__tests__/d1/export.test.ts
+++ b/packages/wrangler/src/__tests__/d1/export.test.ts
@@ -18,11 +18,17 @@ describe("export", () => {
 	const { setIsTTY } = useMockIsTTY();
 
 	it("should throw if output is missing", async () => {
-		await expect(runWrangler("d1 export db --local")).rejects.toThrowError(
+		await expect(runWrangler("d1 export db")).rejects.toThrowError(
 			`Missing required argument: output`
 		);
 	});
 
+	it("should throw if local and remote are both set", async () => {
+		await expect(
+			runWrangler("d1 export db --local --remote --output test-local.sql")
+		).rejects.toThrowError("Arguments local and remote are mutually exclusive");
+	});
+
 	it("should handle local", async () => {
 		setIsTTY(false);
 		writeWranglerConfig({
@@ -32,7 +38,7 @@ describe("export", () => {
 		});
 
 		// Verify the basic command works with an empty DB
-		await runWrangler("d1 export db --local --output test-local.sql");
+		await runWrangler("d1 export db --output test-local.sql");
 		expect(fs.readFileSync("test-local.sql", "utf8")).toBe(
 			"PRAGMA defer_foreign_keys=TRUE;"
 		);
@@ -47,7 +53,7 @@ describe("export", () => {
 				INSERT INTO bar (value) VALUES ('aaa'),('bbb'),('ccc');
 			`
 		);
-		await runWrangler("d1 execute db --local --file data.sql");
+		await runWrangler("d1 execute db --file data.sql");
 
 		// SQL output expectations
 		const create_foo = "CREATE TABLE foo(id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, value TEXT);";
@@ -64,7 +70,7 @@ describe("export", () => {
 		];
 
 		// Full export
-		await runWrangler("d1 export db --local --output test-full.sql");
+		await runWrangler("d1 export db --output test-full.sql");
 		expect(fs.readFileSync("test-full.sql", "utf8")).toBe(
 			[
 				"PRAGMA defer_foreign_keys=TRUE;",
@@ -76,17 +82,13 @@ describe("export", () => {
 		);
 
 		// Schema only
-		await runWrangler(
-			"d1 export db --local --output test-schema.sql --no-data"
-		);
+		await runWrangler("d1 export db --output test-schema.sql --no-data");
 		expect(fs.readFileSync("test-schema.sql", "utf8")).toBe(
 			["PRAGMA defer_foreign_keys=TRUE;", create_foo, create_bar].join("\n")
 		);
 
 		// Data only
-		await runWrangler(
-			"d1 export db --local --output test-data.sql --no-schema"
-		);
+		await runWrangler("d1 export db --output test-data.sql --no-schema");
 		expect(fs.readFileSync("test-data.sql", "utf8")).toBe(
 			["PRAGMA defer_foreign_keys=TRUE;", ...insert_foo, ...insert_bar].join(
 				"\n"
@@ -94,9 +96,7 @@ describe("export", () => {
 		);
 
 		// Foo only
-		await runWrangler(
-			"d1 export db --local --output test-data.sql --table foo"
-		);
+		await runWrangler("d1 export db --output test-data.sql --table foo");
 		expect(fs.readFileSync("test-data.sql", "utf8")).toBe(
 			["PRAGMA defer_foreign_keys=TRUE;", create_foo, ...insert_foo].join("\n")
 		);
diff --git a/packages/wrangler/src/d1/export.ts b/packages/wrangler/src/d1/export.ts
index 98476c7be9e7..536285c94146 100644
--- a/packages/wrangler/src/d1/export.ts
+++ b/packages/wrangler/src/d1/export.ts
@@ -72,14 +72,10 @@ export function Options(yargs: CommonYargsArgv) {
 
 type HandlerOptions = StrictYargsOptionsToInterface<typeof Options>;
 export const Handler = async (args: HandlerOptions): Promise<void> => {
-	const { local, remote, name, output, schema, data, table } = args;
+	const { remote, name, output, schema, data, table } = args;
 	await printWranglerBanner();
 	const config = readConfig(args);
 
-	if (!local && !remote) {
-		throw new UserError(`You must specify either --local or --remote`);
-	}
-
 	if (!schema && !data) {
 		throw new UserError(`You cannot specify both --no-schema and --no-data`);
 	}
@@ -91,10 +87,10 @@ export const Handler = async (args: HandlerOptions): Promise<void> => {
 			: [table]
 		: [];
 
-	if (local) {
-		return await exportLocal(config, name, output, tables, !schema, !data);
-	} else {
+	if (remote) {
 		return await exportRemotely(config, name, output, tables, !schema, !data);
+	} else {
+		return await exportLocal(config, name, output, tables, !schema, !data);
 	}
 };