Can you ride Electric Scooters on public roads and cycle path? No unless the scooter is part of the government rental trial.
Unless the e-scooter is part of the rental trial you cannot ride a e scooter on a public highway or cycle path and no scooter should be used on a pavement. Scooters without motors can be used on the road though not the pavement. It is important that those buying electric scooters for people as Christmas gifts are aware of the legal provisions and that these are explained to recipients.
Can you be fined and or have points on a driving licence for using an e-scooter on the road ? Yes
If your stopped by the Police your scooter could be impounded, you could receive a fixed penalty notice and points on your drivers’ licence should you have one.
Electric Scooters are currently classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs), so they’re treated as motor vehicles and are subject to all the same legal requirements – MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction.
Do you need a driving licence to hire an electric scooter ? Yes
You must have the category Q entitlement on your driving licence to use an e-scooter. A full or provisional UK licence for categories AM, A or B includes entitlement for category Q. If you have one of these licences, you can use an e-scooter.
If you have a provisional licence, you do not need to show L plates when using an e-scooter.
If you have an overseas driving licence, you can use an e-scooter if you:
have a valid full licence from an EU or European Economic Area (EEA) country (so long as this does not prohibit you from driving low-speed mopeds and motorcycles)
Does the Law governing e-bikes regulate e scooters? No
The law covering e-bikes – which are battery-assisted pedal cycles – doesn’t currently cover e-scooters, but the government wants to regulate them in a similar way in future.
Do you need insurance to hire an e scooter?
No the scheme provider has the duty to provide insurance
Do you by law have to wear a helmet when hiring an E Scooter?
No, but we strongly recommend you do wear a helmet for your own safety.
Where can I use an e-scooter ?
On private land with the consent of the land owner if privately owned if hired as part of a trial it should only be used within the local area hosting the trial. Hire scooters can be used on the highway or cycle lanes but not on pavements.
Can you be prosecuted for using a trial hire E scooter whilst under the influence of Drink or drugs or for careless or dangerous riding? Yes
Drink or drug driving laws as careless and dangerous driving offences also apply to users of e-scooters as they are classified as motor vehicles for the purposes of the law. In June 2021 a man was disqualified from driving and fined £380 and ordered to pay Court costs of £85 after admitting driving an e-scooter while above the legal alcohol limit.
Can you transport an E Scooter on Public transport?
We advise you check with the particular provider before setting out as in some cases the answer is no. For instance Transport for London prohibits transport of e-scooters and e-unicycles and has published the following notice –
“From Monday 13 December 2021 you are no longer allowed to carry e-scooters or e-unicycles on TfL services or in our stations or other premises on our public transport network, even when folded. This safety step comes after defective lithium-ion batteries in privately-owned e-scooters and e-unicycles caused fires on our network.
You risk a fine of up to £1,000 if you don’t comply.
E-scooters hired under our rental e-scooters trial have always been banned from TfL services because they cannot be folded. You can still carry – but not ride – non-motorised scooters on our services”.
Does the Law governing e-bikes regulate e scooters? No
The law covering e-bikes which are battery-assisted pedal cycles is not applicable to e scooters although the government will in the future likely seek to legislate along similar lines. If your over 14 years of age you can legally ride an electrically assisted pedal cycles on the road. If the bike does not qualify as an electrically assisted pedal cycle you cannot use it on the road.
What are the e bike specification requirements to enable the rider to use it on the road? We recommend you buy from a reputable supplier and have them confirm in writing to you that the e bike is categorised as an electrically assisted pedal cycle and road legal. You will also want to satisfy yourself the bike has a CE conformity mark. This will not be a defence to any offences committed but may act as mitigation and could assist you take action against a rogue seller.
If buying second hand the issue of whether the bike is road legal or not can become hard to determine for most consumers. It maybe advisable to stay clear of secondhand e -bikes or at least ones that have had motor upgrades and or in a poor state of repair or have been self-built. The reason for this is that you will want to satisfy yourself that the bike is road legal. For example, the power output must not exceed 250 Watts and the electrical assistance must cut off at 25kph. For post 2015 e bikes the power switch or control must default to off, therefore requiring constant pedal action. The bike must display the manufacturer’s name and motor power output and you should look for a CE conformity mark. The problem buyers will face is that it can be difficult to determine whether a an e-bike has be modified or upgraded or whether something has failed causing the bike to no longer be road legal even if it once was. We have not outlined all the requirements for a road legal e-bike but addressed the common issues for full information you should refer to The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles – EAPC – (Amendment) Regulations 2015.
Can you ride Electric Scooters on public roads and cycle path? No unless the scooter is part of the government rental trial.
Unless the e-scooter is part of the rental trial you cannot ride a e scooter on a public highway or cycle path and no scooter should be used on a pavement. Scooters without motors can be used on the road though not the pavement. It is important that those buying electric scooters for people as Christmas gifts are aware of the legal provisions and that these are explained to recipients.
Can you be fined and or have points on a driving licence for using an e-scooter on the road ? Yes
If your stopped by the Police your scooter could be impounded, you could receive a fixed penalty notice and points on your drivers’ licence should you have one.
Electric Scooters are currently classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs), so they’re treated as motor vehicles and are subject to all the same legal requirements – MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction.
Do you need a driving licence to hire an electric scooter ? Yes
You must have the category Q entitlement on your driving licence to use an e-scooter. A full or provisional UK licence for categories AM, A or B includes entitlement for category Q. If you have one of these licences, you can use an e-scooter.
If you have a provisional licence, you do not need to show L plates when using an e-scooter.
If you have an overseas driving licence, you can use an e-scooter if you:
have a valid full licence from an EU or European Economic Area (EEA) country (so long as this does not prohibit you from driving low-speed mopeds and motorcycles)
Does the Law governing e-bikes regulate e scooters? No
The law covering e-bikes – which are battery-assisted pedal cycles – doesn’t currently cover e-scooters, but the government wants to regulate them in a similar way in future.
Do you need insurance to hire an e scooter?
No the scheme provider has the duty to provide insurance
Do you by law have to wear a helmet when hiring an E Scooter?
No, but we strongly recommend you do wear a helmet for your own safety.
Where can I use an e-scooter ?
On private land with the consent of the land owner if privately owned if hired as part of a trial it should only be used within the local area hosting the trial. Hire scooters can be used on the highway or cycle lanes but not on pavements.
Can you be prosecuted for using a trial hire E scooter whilst under the influence of Drink or drugs or for careless or dangerous riding? Yes
Drink or drug driving laws as careless and dangerous driving offences also apply to users of e-scooters
Does the Law governing e-bikes regulate e scooters? No
The law covering e-bikes which are battery-assisted pedal cycles is not applicable to e scooters although the government will in the future likely seek to legislate along similar lines. If your over 14 years of age you can legally ride an electrically assisted pedal cycles on the road. If the bike does not qualify as an electrically assisted pedal cycle you cannot use it on the road.
What are the e bike specification requirements to enable the rider to use it on the road? We recommend you buy from a reputable supplier and have them confirm in writing to you that the e bike is categorised as an electrically assisted pedal cycle and road legal. You will also want to satisfy yourself the bike has a CE conformity mark. This will not be a defence to any offences committed but may act as mitigation and could assist you take action against a rogue seller.
If buying second hand the issue of whether the bike is road legal or not can become hard to determine for most consumers. It maybe advisable to stay clear of secondhand e -bikes or at least ones that have had motor upgrades and or in a poor state of repair or have been self-built. The reason for this is that you will want to satisfy yourself that the bike is road legal. For example, the power output must not exceed 250 Watts and the electrical assistance must cut off at 25kph. For post 2015 e bikes the power switch or control must default to off, therefore requiring constant pedal action. The bike must display the manufacturer’s name and motor power output and you should look for a CE conformity mark. The problem buyers will face is that it can be difficult to determine whether a an e-bike has be modified or upgraded or whether something has failed causing the bike to no longer be road legal even if it once was. We have not outlined all the requirements for a road legal e-bike but addressed the common issues for full information you should refer to The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles – EAPC – (Amendment) Regulations 2015.
What are the relevant regulations governing e-bikes?
The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles – EAPC – (Amendment) Regulations 2015
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