Starting January 2026, new requirements for owners of electric scooters and other personal mobility devices will come into effect in Spain. To legally travel on roads and streets, it will be necessary to obtain civil liability insurance. This decision was made after the country’s parliament approved changes to the motor vehicle insurance law.
In the coming months, a special registry of owners of such vehicles is also expected to be created in the database of the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT). Until this registry is launched, scooters and other light electric vehicles will be able to circulate without additional conditions. However, it is already noted that the lack of mandatory insurance has led to situations where accident victims were left without compensation, and scooter owners were unable to cover large sums due to insufficient funds.
The legislative changes introduce the concept of “light personal transport”—electric vehicles on one or more wheels, designed for one person, with a maximum speed between 6 and 25 km/h and a weight of up to 25 kg. If the weight exceeds this limit, the maximum permitted speed is reduced to 14 km/h. In practice, according to police data, many devices are modified and can reach speeds of 60 km/h or more, which creates additional risks on the roads. There are also frequent cases where several people ride on a single scooter at once.
The introduction of compulsory insurance aims to strike a balance between promoting environmentally friendly transport and protecting those injured in accidents. Spain’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Business notes that a special commission will now develop a detailed regulation setting out the procedures for obtaining insurance and registering vehicles. By early 2026, a unified database of all light personal transport vehicles, except bicycles, is expected to be established in the country. Responsibility for maintaining the registry has been assigned to the DGT, although the precise timeline and additional details have not yet been announced.
According to estimates from the Federation of Personal Mobility Devices, by the end of 2023 Spain had around five million electric scooters and similar devices. However, representatives of the road service believe that the number of users may have decreased due to the ban on carrying scooters on public transport for safety reasons. In some cities, such as Madrid, local authorities have revoked the licenses of scooter rental companies, citing the inability to ensure pedestrian safety and to monitor user movement.
The Association for Technical Inspection of Vehicles (AECA-ITV) has repeatedly proposed introducing mandatory technical inspections for electric scooters to prevent unauthorized modifications and reduce the risk of battery fires. Starting in 2027, only models that have undergone official certification will be allowed on the roads.
In addition to the new insurance requirements, the reform also affects the process for compensating accident victims. The procedure for receiving compensation will now be simpler and faster: victims can use alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation, without having to go to court. Free access to police reports will be provided, and the timeframes for medical examinations and report preparation will be reduced. Compensation amounts will be indexed to inflation, and the list of cases covered by the national insurance fund will be expanded. Payments will now be made not only in the event of an insurance company’s bankruptcy, but also in cases of intentional accidents or lack of compulsory insurance.
Overall, the new rules are aimed at improving road safety, protecting the interests of all road users, and promoting sustainable transport in Spain.
