Since 2 January 2026, riding an electric scooter or any other Personal Mobility Vehicle (PMV) without third-party liability insurance has been an offence. But this is not the only regulatory change affecting scooter users this year. On 23 June, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a reform of the General Traffic Regulations which, from 1 October 2026, introduces new requirements regarding age, helmets and visibility.

What exactly is changing?

Among other measures, the reform introduces the concept of “vulnerable road users” and tightens the conditions for using a PMV:

• A minimum age of 15 to ride an electric scooter under national regulations. Bear in mind that some local councils already required a higher minimum age before this reform and may continue to do so —Barcelona, for example, requires riders to be over 16 under its own municipal regulations— so it is worth checking the rules in your local area.
• An approved helmet is mandatory, with no exceptions based on age or type of journey.
• A reflective vest is mandatory at night or in poor visibility conditions. Professional delivery riders must wear one at all times.
• Lights must remain switched on at all times while riding. This specific requirement has been postponed until 1 October 2027 to give users time to adapt vehicles that are already in circulation.

At Cobertis, we would sum it up like this: if someone in your household uses an electric scooter to travel to school, work or university, from now on both the rider’s age and whether they are wearing a helmet matter —and, when riding at night, so does the reflective vest.

Where you can ride

The regulations also make clear where electric scooters cannot be used: pavements, pedestrian areas, interurban roads and motorways are prohibited.

As a general rule, riders should use cycle lanes where available and, if there are none, the urban roadway.

There is, however, one important point to bear in mind: each local council may introduce its own regulations, provided they are more restrictive than the national rules, never more permissive. This means that the exact rules on where you can ride may differ between Badalona, Barcelona, Manresa and Mataró, so it is worth checking local regulations rather than assuming that one rule applies everywhere.

How much could non-compliance cost?

Offences relating to equipment and circulation —such as riding on the pavement or on interurban roads, failing to wear a helmet or not wearing a reflective vest— can result in fines of around €200.

In addition, riding without the compulsory insurance can lead to fines ranging from €202 to €610, while failing to be registered or to carry the required identification can result in fines of up to €500.

If several offences are committed during the same roadside check —for example, riding without insurance, without registration and without a helmet—, the total amount can easily exceed €1,000.