Owning an Electric Scooter (e-scooter) in the UK is legal, but riding one on public roads or pavements remains illegal unless it’s part of a government-approved rental scheme. These rental schemes are operational in various cities under trial conditions, allowing users to rent and ride e-scooters legally on certain roads and cycle lanes but not on pavements.
Study reveals ‘alarming number’ of e-scooter riders and cyclists ignoring law in London
E-Scooter Law
It is against the law to use a privately owned Electric Scooter (e-scooter) on public land. If you use an e-scooter illegally :-
- you could face a fine
- you could get penalty points on your licence
- the e-scooter could be impounded
E-scooters are classed as motor vehicles (Powered Transporter) under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 which means the rules that apply to motor vehicles, also apply to e-scooters including the need to have a licence, insurance and tax. Electric scooters are also classed as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) under UK law.
If you’re using an e-scooter in public in an antisocial manner, you can also risk the e-scooter being seized under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002.
It is an offence to use e-scooters on the pavement. In Section 72 of the Highway Act 1835 it is an offence to ride on, or to lead or draw a carriage on a pavement. This rule applies almost all vehicles, with only legal exceptions for mobility scooters and wheelchairs.
If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.
E-scooter Trials
The government has begun trials of e-scooters. Trials are for approved rental e-scooters only. The existing rules for private e-scooters and other powered transporters have not changed.
E-scooter trials are taking place in these areas:
- Bournemouth and Poole
- Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Princes Risborough)
- Cambridge
- Essex (Basildon, Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester)
- Gloucestershire (Cheltenham and Gloucester)
- Liverpool
- London (participating boroughs)
- Milton Keynes
- Newcastle
- North and West Northamptonshire (Northampton, Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Rushden and Higham Ferrers)
- North Devon
- Norwich
- Oxfordshire (Oxford)
- Salford
- Slough
- Solent (Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton)
- Somerset (Taunton, Minehead and Yeovil)
- West Midlands (Birmingham)
- West of England Combined Authority (Bristol and Bath)
The maximum speed for an e-scooter is 15.5mph.
Trial e-scooters are limited to this speed and in some areas e-scooters may be limited to a lower maximum speed.
E-scooter trials: guidance for users
E-scooters must have motor insurance, but you do not need to arrange this as this will be provided by your e-scooter rental operator.
You may use a trial e-scooter on the road (except motorways) and in cycle lanes.
You must not use an e-scooter on the pavement.
E-scooters do not need to be registered, display registration plates or pay vehicle excise duty.
Licence Requirements
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 a rental 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)
- have a valid full licence from another country that entitles you to drive a small vehicle (for example, cars, mopeds or motorcycles) and you entered the UK within the last 12 months
E-Scooter Guidance and Links
The Department for Transport (DOT) has published Guidance E-scooter trials.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and DOT have also published Guidance on Powered Transporters.
City of London Police published Advice on using e-scooters.
The Metropolitan Police has also published Advice on using e-scooters.
Halfords, who are a major retailer of e-scooters, published Are Electric Scooters Legal?.
E-Scooters and Drug Dealers
Drugs are being openly sold on the streets by drug dealers with seemingly little to no action being taken by the Police to deal with this. See our article Drug Dealing on the Street.
Drug Dealers are usually illegally riding a speed modified e-scooter or e-bike and have their face covered. An e-scooter, it would seem, are the perfect means of transport to evade arrest.
No one should be above the law. Everyone, no matter how wealthy or powerful, are subject to the Rule of Law.
Check out our articles on Policing, Police News, Policing by Consent, Two Tiered Policing, Drug Dealing on the Street, Wasting Police Time, Met Police, Sussex Police, Chief Constable Jo Shiner Sussex Police and the highly questionable Sussex Family Justice Board.






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E-Scooters and the Law was last updated on the 17th February 2025