In Córdoba, scooters are governed by the Traffic, Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility Bylaw, in force since 18 February 2023, which already required insurance for all scooters and sets the minimum age at 15. 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 Córdoba | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and insurance | DGT registration compulsory since 30/01/2026. The bylaw already required civil liability insurance for all scooters since 2023, including those for private use. The DGT fines €250 to €800 for riding without insurance. | RD 52/2026; Bylaw, art. 48 and first transitional provision; Law 5/2025 |
| Minimum age | 15. Below that age, only in spaces closed to traffic, with a scooter suited to the child's age, height and weight, and under the responsibility of a parent or guardian. | Bylaw, art. 46; RD 518/2026 |
| Helmet | Compulsory for everyone from 1/10/2026 under national law (approved or certified, and fastened); without one, a serious offence with a €200 fine. The bylaw already required it in article 48, which mainly regulates scooters used in business activities. | RD 518/2026; Bylaw, art. 48 |
| Carrying a passenger | Banned on any type of scooter. | Bylaw, art. 46 |
| Minimum height | The scooter with its rider must be at least 1.40 metres tall; if not, you must carry a safety flag that reaches 1.50 metres. | Bylaw, art. 46 |
| Lights | Front and rear lights on at night or in poor visibility. The City Council also recommends reflective clothing visible from 150 metres. | Bylaw, art. 46 |
| Phone, headphones and alcohol | Headphones and phone use are banned. Alcohol limits and drug and alcohol testing follow the Traffic Law. | Bylaw, art. 46 |
| Bylaw fines | Minor, up to €100; serious, €200; and very serious, €500. The Local Police and the DGT have been running scooter checks since July 2025. | Bylaw, art. 132; Córdoba City Council |
Where can you ride a scooter in Córdoba?
The bylaw sets out where and how fast you can ride, provided the scooter is under 0.9 metres wide:
- Pavement cycle lanes and cycle paths: up to 10 km/h.
- Cycle lanes: up to 20 km/h.
- Zone 10 and zone 20 areas: not exceeding the zone's limit.
- Zone 30 areas, cycle streets and streets limited to 30 km/h: up to 25 km/h.
Riding is banned on pavements and areas reserved for pedestrians, bus lanes, urban tunnels, travesías, motorways and dual carriageways, streets with more than one lane per direction (unless there is a signed cycle lane) and roads with a gradient of over 15%. The City Council sums this up in its 2025 campaign: no pavements or pedestrian areas, unless expressly authorised. Where you share space with pedestrians, leave at least 1 metre and, if it is crowded, get off and continue on foot. Cross pedestrian crossings on foot, pushing the scooter, and signal turns with your arm.
In the historic centre, the restricted-access zones (ACIRE) do not block your way: the bylaw includes scooters among the vehicles that may enter without authorisation, riding in the lane like any other vehicle.
Where can you park a scooter in Córdoba?
In the same places as bicycles and under the same conditions. The bylaw prefers reserved spaces, but also allows scooters to be left on pavements, walkways or promenades at least 3 metres wide, next to the metal railings that separate the pavement from the carriageway or next to lampposts, for a maximum of 24 hours in the same spot. Always without blocking pedestrians, without covering tactile paving, and leaving at least 1.80 metres clear from building fronts. If a scooter is badly parked, the Local Police can take it to the pound.
Does Córdoba have a municipal scooter register?
No. The bylaw provides for a voluntary register for bicycles, but not for scooters: the register you need in order to ride is the DGT one, compulsory since 30 January 2026, which is the one we handle. What Córdoba did get ahead on was insurance: its bylaw required it for all scooters, including privately owned ones, with a six-month deadline from when it came into force, long before Law 5/2025 made it compulsory across Spain. 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 Aucorsa bus or the train?
On the Aucorsa city bus, yes, with conditions: in November 2023 the Mobility Department told Cordópolis that it had no plans to ban it and that you can board if the scooter is properly folded, inside a bag and carried in the owner's hand. It is different on transport run by the Junta de Andalucía (the Andalusian regional government): a resolution of December 2023 temporarily banned boarding intercity buses and other transport under its remit with electric scooters, and as far as we know it has not been lifted. As bus rules can change, check before you board.
| Transport | Scooters allowed? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Aucorsa city bus | Yes | Properly folded, inside a bag and carried in the owner's hand (2023 conditions). |
| Intercity buses (Junta de Andalucía) | No | Temporary ban since 1/01/2024, due to the fire risk from batteries. |
| 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?
In Córdoba, the main change is the helmet: from 1 October 2026 it is compulsory for everyone, approved or certified and fastened. The national minimum age, 15, matches the bylaw's. You must also keep the lights on at all times (in daylight, from 1 October 2027) and, after dark or in poor visibility, wear a light or reflective item visible from 150 metres, and signal turns with your arm, as the bylaw already required. You can never ride on the pavement, and in pedestrian areas only if the City Council allows it. All the changes from 1 October.
How do we register your scooter from Córdoba?
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 Córdoba or anywhere else in the province.
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).
- Traffic, Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility Bylaw of Córdoba (Córdoba Provincial Gazette (BOP) no. 33, 17/02/2023), articles 37, 38, 46, 48, 104 and 132 and first transitional provision: riding rules, speed limits, age, minimum height, insurance, parking and fines (in Spanish).
- Córdoba City Council: Local Police and DGT scooter enforcement campaign (21/07/2025) and its basic rules (in Spanish).
- Cordópolis (28/11/2023): the conditions for taking a scooter on the Aucorsa bus (in Spanish).
- Resolution of 20 December 2023 of the Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian Official Gazette, BOJA, no. 247): the temporary ban on electric scooters on transport run by the Junta (in Spanish).
- Renfe (4/09/2026): which trains accept scooters from 7/09/2026 and on what conditions (in Spanish).