If you ride a scooter in Madrid, three things matter most this year: registration with the DGT, compulsory since 30 January 2026; the national traffic rules in Royal Decree 518/2026, which apply from 1 October; and the ban on taking scooters on Madrid's public transport, which the Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid (CRTM), the region's public transport authority, is keeping in place until 2027.
What you need to ride in Madrid
| Requirement | What it involves | From |
|---|---|---|
| DGT registration | Compulsory for all scooters (VMPs). The DGT assigns them a number in the format M 0000 AAA. | 30/01/2026 |
| Identification label | Carried on the scooter, showing the registration number. | 30/01/2026 |
| Third-party liability insurance | Compulsory. Riding without it carries a fine of €250 to €800 (€202 to €610 for not having a policy in place). | 30/01/2026 |
| Helmet | Approved or certified, and fastened. Without one, a serious offence with a €200 fine. | 1/10/2026 |
| Minimum age | 15 years. | 1/10/2026 |
| Lights and visibility | Lights on (in daylight, required from 1/10/2027) and, at night, a light or reflective item visible from 150 m. | 1/10/2026 |
| Pavements and fast roads | Never on the pavement; in pedestrian areas, only if the City Council allows it. Banned on motorways, dual carriageways, travesías (main roads through a town), interurban roads and urban tunnels, except on cycleways. | 1/10/2026 |
Public transport in Madrid: banned until 2027
The CRTM has banned bringing electric scooters onto Madrid's public transport since 4 November 2023, and the ban stays in place until 2027. Anyone who breaks it faces fines of €100 to €200. In practice, if you used to ride your scooter to a stop or station, you will have to leave it parked or do the whole journey on it, following the traffic rules in the table. Renfe applies a different rule: since 7 September 2026 it has accepted certified, registered and insured scooters with the label visible on Cercanías (commuter), Media Distancia and Larga Distancia trains, always folded and switched off. Before you travel, check each operator's conditions.
Registering your scooter without leaving Madrid
The procedure is 100% online and works the same for the city of Madrid as for any municipality in the region: you don't need to book an appointment at a traffic office or travel anywhere. You send us the documents through the form, we handle the whole procedure with the DGT and you receive the certificate by email in under 24 hours. It makes no difference whether you live in Arganzuela, Chamartín, Usera, Vallecas or Carabanchel, or in Getafe, Alcorcón, Leganés or Alcalá de Henares. If your scooter is not certified, it can still be registered, and it can be ridden until 22 January 2027.
Sources
- Royal Decree 52/2026, BOE of 30 January 2026: registration in the Vehicle Register (in Spanish).
- Royal Decree 518/2026 in the BOE and DGT summary (23/06/2026): the requirements in the table that apply from 1/10/2026 (in Spanish).
- DGT, 27/01/2026: insurance-related fines (in Spanish).
- Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid: the scooter ban on Madrid's public transport (in Spanish).
- Renfe: scooters on Cercanías, Media Distancia and Larga Distancia trains (in Spanish).