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FREE · 60 SECONDS · UK LAW

Is your e-bike road-legal? 60-second check

Six questions, based on the GOV.UK rules for electrically assisted pedal cycles in Great Britain. Get it wrong and the law treats your 'e-bike' as a moped: registration, tax, insurance, a licence and a motorcycle helmet.

The rules in plain English

• Motor: 250W continuous rated power or less.
• Assistance stops at 15.5mph.
• Working pedals that can move the bike. Moving without pedalling is only allowed on approved bikes.
• Marked with the power output and maker, plus battery voltage or top assisted speed.
• Rider 14 or over.
• Meet all that and you need no licence, registration, tax or insurance, and can ride wherever pedal bikes can (not pavements).

If it fails: it's classed as a motorcycle or moped. It must be registered, taxed and insured, you need a licence and a motorcycle helmet, and it can't go on cycle paths. Uninsured, police can seize it.

Source: GOV.UK: Electric bikes: licensing, tax and insurance (checked 8 November 2026). Rules apply in Great Britain; Northern Ireland differs. Practical guidance, not legal advice. In an emergency call 999.

Want a legal bike for less? See UK-legal conversion kits and whole e-bikes, or road-legal electric motorbikes if you want more power, legally.