An e-bike that looks suitable for a teenager may legally be a moped. An e-scooter available from a high-street retailer may still be illegal to ride in public.
Checking the device before it is bought is far easier than discovering the rules after money has changed hands.
E-bikes in Great Britain
A road-legal electrically assisted pedal cycle, usually called an EAPC, can be ridden from age 14. The rider does not need a driving licence, registration, vehicle tax or insurance.
To qualify as an EAPC, the cycle must have pedals that can propel it. Its motor must have a continuous rated output no higher than 250 watts, and motor assistance must stop when the cycle reaches 15.5mph.
A compliant EAPC can be used wherever ordinary pedal cycles are allowed, including cycle paths. It cannot be ridden on the pavement.
If the motor exceeds 250 watts, assists beyond 15.5mph or the device lacks usable pedals, it will not normally be treated as an EAPC. It may be classed as a motorcycle or moped, bringing requirements for approval, registration, tax, insurance, an appropriate licence and a motorcycle helmet.
Modifying or “unlocking” a compliant e-bike can therefore change its legal status. Product labels such as “off-road mode” do not create an exemption for public roads.
E-scooters in England
A privately owned e-scooter cannot legally be ridden on roads, pavements, cycle lanes or other public land. It can only be used on private land with the landowner's permission.
Approved rental e-scooters operate in specified trial areas in England under different rules. A rider needs an eligible provisional or full driving licence. Rental scooters can be used on roads, except motorways, and in cycle lanes within the trial area, but not on pavements. The rental operator provides third-party insurance.
Seeing private e-scooters used in public does not make that use legal. Being able to buy a device does not confirm where it may be ridden.
The law is the starting point. Parents should also discuss speed, visibility, helmets and clothing, route choice, distraction and how a rider will behave around pedestrians. A technically legal device can still be used without enough judgement for the situation.
YRSE's E-Mobility Education programme gives students aged 11 to 15 a structured way to work through those decisions. It makes the law easier to understand, then helps students recognise risk, consider other road users and plan how they want to ride.