Bilbao does not yet have a scooter bylaw: scooters are regulated by a 2019 instruction from the Mobility and Sustainability Department, which the City Council itself presented as a provisional guide until the bylaw was approved. That's why it uses categories that predate the current national law, but there is no record of it having been replaced. National law adds to this: DGT registration has been compulsory since 30 January 2026 (Royal Decree 52/2026) and, from 1 October 2026, the rules of Royal Decree 518/2026 apply.
| Topic | What applies in Bilbao | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and insurance | DGT registration compulsory since 30/01/2026, and insurance compulsory under Law 5/2025: the DGT fines €250 to €800 for riding without it. The municipal instruction only required insurance for rental companies. | RD 52/2026; Law 5/2025; Instruction, art. 5 |
| Minimum age | 16 for light electric scooters (up to 25 kg, type A under the instruction) and 18 for larger ones. From 1/10/2026 the national minimum is 15. | Instruction, art. 3; RD 518/2026 |
| Helmet | The instruction only required one on large scooters (type B). From 1/10/2026 it is compulsory for everyone under national law (approved or certified, and fastened); without one, a serious offence with a €200 fine. | Instruction, art. 2; RD 518/2026 |
| Carrying a passenger | No: the instruction sets a capacity of one person only. | Instruction, art. 2 |
| Lights and visibility | The scooter must have a brake, a bell, a front light and approved reflectors. At night or in poor visibility, reflective clothing, a vest or reflective bands. | Instruction, art. 2 |
| Phone, headphones and alcohol | You may not ride using headphones or a mobile phone, over the alcohol limits, or under the influence of drugs. | Instruction, art. 3 |
| Pavements and pedestrian areas | No riding on pavements, pedestrian areas, squares, parks or gardens, except on signposted routes in parks and gardens, at under 10 km/h. | Instruction, art. 3 |
| Fines | The instruction sets no fines of its own: it refers to the Municipal Traffic Bylaw and traffic law, which fines, for example, €200 for using a mobile phone or wearing headphones. | Instruction, arts. 3 and 6; Traffic Act |
Where can you ride a scooter in Bilbao?
The instruction classifies streets by their speed limit:
- 30 streets (limited to 30 km/h): you can ride on the carriageway.
- 50 streets (limited to 50 km/h): you cannot ride on the carriageway.
- Bus-taxi lanes: banned, unless expressly authorised.
- Cycleways physically separated from traffic and pedestrians: only light scooters (type A), at 20 km/h maximum.
- Parks and gardens: only on signposted routes, at under 10 km/h and, when crowded, on foot.
In Casco Viejo (the old town), light scooters can only ride on calle La Cruz, Portal de Zamudio and Ronda, heading towards calle La Ribera and entering via calle Askao, at under 10 km/h and getting off when it's crowded. Outside these streets, Casco Viejo is a pedestrian area and the scooter must be walked.
Where can you park a scooter in Bilbao?
In parking spaces reserved for motorbikes and bicycles. Parking on pavements is banned, except for light scooters (type A) at the bike racks located on pavements.
Does Bilbao have a municipal scooter register?
No. The register you need in order to ride is the DGT one, compulsory since 30 January 2026, which is the one we handle. Non-certified scooters, sold before 22 January 2024, can also be registered and may be ridden until 22 January 2027 (what to do with a non-certified scooter).
Can you take your scooter on the metro, Bilbobus or the train?
Almost nowhere. Metro Bilbao and Euskotren banned electric scooters from 15 January 2024, including folded or in a bag or backpack, and also in lobbies and on platforms, because of the fire risk from their batteries. Bilbobus, Bizkaibus and the Artxanda Funicular banned them from 1 February 2024. And although Renfe has allowed them again since 7 September 2026, it has left out the Cercanías service in the Basque Country “for the time being”: you can only take it on its Media Distancia and Larga Distancia trains.
| Transport | Scooters allowed? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Bilbao and Euskotren | No | Banned since 15/01/2024, including folded or in a bag or backpack, and in lobbies and on platforms. |
| Bilbobus, Bizkaibus and the Artxanda Funicular | No | Banned since 1/02/2024. |
| Renfe Cercanías | No | Renfe has not gone back to allowing scooters on the Cercanías in the Basque Country. |
| Renfe trains (Media Distancia and Larga Distancia) | Yes, since 7/09/2026 | Only certified scooters, registered with the DGT, with the label visible and insured; folded, switched off, in the luggage area and not charged on board. |
What does Royal Decree 518/2026 add from 1 October?
Quite a lot, because Bilbao's instruction dates from 2019: from 1 October 2026 a helmet is compulsory for everyone, approved or certified and fastened, and you must always keep the lights on (in daylight, from 1 October 2027) and, after dark or in poor visibility, a light or reflective item that can be seen from 150 metres. Turns must also be signalled with your arm. You can never ride on the pavement, and in pedestrian areas only if the City Council allows it. All the changes from 1 October.
On age, the municipal instruction says 16 for light scooters and national law says 15. If someone aged 15 is going to ride the scooter, check with the City Council which age applies.
How do we register your scooter from Bilbao?
Everything is done remotely: you fill in the registration form, upload your documents and the scooter's (which documents you need) and we file the registration with the DGT. You pay €35 with the DGT fee (€8.67) included and receive the registration certificate in PDF in under 24 hours once your documents are complete, with no appointment at a traffic office. It works the same whether you live in Bilbao or anywhere else in Bizkaia.
You need legal residence in Spain and your DNI or NIE, and the DGT requires you to identify yourself with one of these three methods: Cl@ve PIN, a digital certificate or a Spanish driving licence. If you have a Spanish driving licence, you don't need Cl@ve or a digital certificate: we identify you with your licence and handle the whole procedure for you. The licence is only used to identify you; you don't need one to ride a scooter (more about registering without Cl@ve).
Registration does not include the identification plate (the identification label the DGT requires, which many people call a number plate or sticker). You can order it separately for €15 + €4.95 shipping or choose the registration + plate pack for €45 + €4.95, and we send it to your home in 3 to 7 working days; we make it ourselves as an authorised plate manufacturer. With the certificate you can take out insurance: we send you a partner's link, from €44 (compulsory insurance). And if you're ever in Barcelona and would rather do it in person, book an appointment at our office at Calle Rosselló, 216, 6th floor (Eixample), Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00, on WhatsApp (+34 634 434 485) or by email (patinetes@ntcars.es).
Sources
- Royal Decree 52/2026 (BOE, 30/01/2026): the obligation to register your scooter and the deadline for non-certified models (in Spanish).
- Royal Decree 518/2026 (BOE) and DGT press release of 23/06/2026: helmets, age, lights and pavements across Spain from 1/10/2026 (in Spanish).
- Law 5/2025 and DGT press release of 27/01/2026: compulsory insurance and the fines for riding without it (in Spanish).
- Bilbao City Council: Instruction on the regulation of the use of personal mobility vehicles (2019), articles 2 to 6: types of scooter, age, where to ride, Casco Viejo and parking (in Spanish).
- Euskotren (22/12/2023): the ban on electric scooters on Metro Bilbao and Euskotren from 15/01/2024 (in Spanish).
- Bilbao City Council (29/01/2024) and Bizkaibus (31/01/2024): the ban on Bilbobus, Bizkaibus and the Artxanda Funicular from 1/02/2024 (in Spanish).
- Renfe (4/09/2026): which trains accept scooters from 7/09/2026 and on what conditions (in Spanish).