New rules for electric scooters: helmet compulsory, 200 euro fine

Anyone riding an electric scooter here has been riding under different rules since last week. Real Decreto 518/2026 changed the traffic code on 1 October, and the main change is simple: a helmet is now compulsory, in town as well, on a rental scooter as well. The Policia Local in Alicante started checking straight away.

What exactly changed

The reform sits in the Reglamento General de Circulación and took effect on 1 October 2026. For scooters and other VMP it now means:

• Helmet compulsory, approved or certified, always and everywhere. This is a serious offence carrying a 200 euro fine.
• Minimum age 15. Below that you may not ride one, in any situation.
• Reflective vest in poor visibility. Anyone riding professionally, such as delivery riders, must wear one at all times.
• Front and rear lights are compulsory at night. The daytime requirement only arrives in October 2027.
• Maximum 25 km/h, and not on the pavement. Outside built up areas, only on cycle lanes.

What already applied and is now checked more sharply: registration with the DGT and a circulation certificate. We come back to that, because in practice that is what most fines are about.

What the police found in Alicante

The city of Alicante announced on 2 October that the Policía Local had stepped up checks. In the first operations, on Thursday and Friday at Plaza de España and at Luceros, 30 scooters were stopped and around 20 fines issued.

The breakdown is instructive, because it shows where people actually go wrong:

• 13 times for riding without registration in the DGT register
• 3 times for no helmet
• 3 times for technical speed conditions, meaning a derestricted scooter

In other words: the helmet is the rule that makes the headlines, but registration is what actually catches people out.

Alicante’s municipal bylaw carries fines from 100 euros for minor offences up to 500 euros for serious ones. That sits alongside the 200 euros the national code attaches to the helmet rule.

Insurance: narrower than the headlines suggest

This is where almost all the coverage cuts corners, and it may save you a policy.

Ley 5/2025 of 24 July 2025 extended compulsory third party insurance to so called vehículos personales ligeros, from 2 January 2026. But read the definition. It covers an electric vehicle with:

• a construction speed of more than 25 km/h, or
• a net weight of more than 25 kilos combined with a speed above 14 km/h

An ordinary scooter legally capped at 25 km/h and weighing under 25 kilos meets neither. So it does not fall under this insurance obligation. For those that do, the minimum cover is 6,450,000 euros for personal injury and 1,300,000 euros for property damage.

And yet. The city of Alicante does list third party insurance among the things the Policía Local checks. We are not going to resolve that tension between the letter of the law and practice on the street. What we can say: if your scooter is heavier or faster than the limits above, you need a policy. If it is under them and you want to avoid an argument at the roadside, third party cover for a few tens of euros a year is the cheapest way to be done with it.

We deliberately do not quote a fine for riding uninsured. Sources range from 202 to 800 euros, from 601 to 3,005 euros, and one figure of 1,220 euros. That spread is too wide to pick a number from.

Older scooters: you have until 22 January 2027

If you have a scooter that came onto the market before 22 January 2024, it may still be ridden without the new circulation certificate. That transition period ends on 22 January 2027.

After that, only VMP that meet the DGT manual of technical requirements and carry a certificate number may use the road. That is a little over a year away, and it means a replacement or a modification, not a form.

If you are buying a scooter now, new or second hand, ask about the certificate before you pay. A scooter without one is, after January 2027, a scooter you can only keep in the shed.

Also new for cyclists and motorcyclists

The same reform reaches further than scooters, and a few points are easy to miss.

Cyclists. A helmet is now compulsory on all interurban roads. The exemptions that existed, for instance in heat or on a long climb, have been removed. Anyone cycling professionally must also wear one in town.

Drivers behind a cyclist. Within built up areas you must stay at least five metres behind a cyclist. That is more than most people leave.

Overtaking outside town. You must drop at least 20 km/h below the limit, leave 1.5 metres laterally and change lane if there is one. The 1.5 metres already applied; the speed reduction is new.

Motorcyclists. Protective gloves are compulsory on interurban roads and closed footwear on any road. Both are serious offences with a 200 euro fine.

Checklist if you rent or own a scooter here

Short and practical, in the order the police check it.

1. Helmet. Approved and fastened. If you are renting, ask before you pay whether a helmet is included. Many rental firms do not have them yet, and the fine is yours, not theirs.

2. Registration and certificate. This is the most fined offence in Alicante. If renting, ask whether the scooter is registered. If you own one, arrange it through the DGT electronic office.

3. Lights. Front and rear, on after sunset. In October it is dark here by about half past seven.

4. Vest. In the dark or in rain and fog. Delivery riders always.

5. Where you ride. Not on the pavement. Outside built up areas, only on a cycle lane. Which means a scooter is not transport between two villages along the coast road.

6. Your age. From 15. For families with younger children, that is the rule that can spoil a holiday.

Frequently asked questions

Since when do these rules apply? Since 1 October 2026, through Real Decreto 518/2026.

Is a helmet really compulsory, in town too? Yes. It is a serious offence with a 200 euro fine.

Does that apply to rental scooters? Yes. The rules attach to the rider and the vehicle, not to ownership.

What is the minimum age? Fifteen.

How high are the fines in Alicante? The municipal bylaw runs from 100 euros for minor to 500 euros for serious offences. The helmet rule costs 200 euros under the national code.

What do the police fine most often? Missing DGT registration. That was 13 of the roughly 20 first fines in Alicante.

Do I need insurance? It is only compulsory for vehicles above 25 km/h or above 25 kilos with more than 14 km/h. A standard scooter falls outside that, but the police in Alicante do check for it.

Can I still use my old scooter? Until 22 January 2027 without a certificate, if it came onto the market before 22 January 2024.

May I use the cycle lane outside the village? Yes, and outside built up areas that is the only place you may.

Does anything change for cyclists? Yes, a helmet is now compulsory on all interurban roads and drivers must leave five metres in town.

About the authorLeonie

Leonie lives on the Costa Blanca. She writes about daily life on the coast: the markets, the walks and everything you only discover once you actually live here.