In Palma, scooters have been governed since May 2025 by the City Council's Bylaw for the Promotion of Civic Coexistence, which devotes a chapter to them: helmets and reflective vests for everyone, a minimum age of 16 (15 with an AM licence) and civil liability insurance of at least €120,000. 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 Palma | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and insurance | DGT registration compulsory since 30/01/2026. The bylaw requires civil liability insurance with cover of at least €120,000, which you must be able to show if the police ask for it; riding without it carries a €600 fine and the scooter can be immobilised. | RD 52/2026; Bylaw, arts. 89, 91 and 111 |
| Minimum age | 16, or 15 with an AM driving licence (the moped licence). From 1/10/2026 the national minimum is 15. | Bylaw, art. 89; RD 518/2026 |
| Helmet and vest | Compulsory for everyone: an approved helmet and an approved reflective vest, properly worn and not covered by a backpack. Without a helmet, the scooter can be immobilised. | Bylaw, arts. 89 and 91 |
| How to ride | Standing, with both feet on the platform. If you're carrying something, it must not affect your control or balance. | Bylaw, art. 89 |
| Pavements and pedestrian areas | No riding on pavements, squares, parks, gardens or any pedestrian area: you must walk through them, pushing the scooter. | Bylaw, art. 89 |
| Tunnels and roads | No riding through urban tunnels, travesías or interurban roads. | Bylaw, art. 89 |
| Lights and an unmodified scooter | Riding without lights, with a tampered scooter, or with the frame number or manufacturer's plate removed, allows it to be immobilised. | Bylaw, art. 91 |
| Bylaw fines | Offences under the scooter chapter not covered by national law carry a €90 fine; riding without insurance, €600. | Bylaw, art. 111 |
Watch out if you look up the rules on the City Council's mobility website: it still shows those of a 2020 decree, with a minimum age of 15 and helmets and insurance only recommended. The ones that apply today are those of the 2025 bylaw.
Where can you ride a scooter in Palma?
- The carriageway of 30 zones, streets limited to 40 km/h or less, and cycle streets, never going over 25 km/h.
- Cycle lanes, keeping to their signs and direction of travel.
- Cycle lanes not separated from the pedestrian space, pavement cycle lanes and shared cycle paths: up to 10 km/h.
- Cycle lanes between the parking area and the pavement: up to 15 km/h.
Not on pavements, squares, parks, gardens or pedestrian areas: you must walk through them, pushing the scooter. Nor through urban tunnels, travesías or interurban roads. If a bus stop overlaps with a cycle lane, passengers getting on or off have priority. On single-level streets used by cars, leave at least 1 metre from building fronts, and at unsignalled cycle crossings cross slowly, so drivers can see you.
Where can you park a scooter in Palma?
Only in the spaces reserved for bicycles or in places sign-posted for it, and never locked to street furniture. If the Local Police remove it, you pay for the tow and the days in the pound, and to get it back you'll have to show the documents the DGT requires to ride it (today, among other things, the registration certificate), current insurance and proof that you are the owner.
Does Palma have a municipal scooter register?
No. The bylaw does not create a municipal register: the one 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 EMT bus, the metro or the train?
No. Palma's EMT banned electric scooters and electric unicycles from all its buses from 30 October 2023, to protect passenger safety and make room for prams and wheelchairs. SFM, which runs the Palma metro and the trains in Mallorca, doesn't allow them in its stations or on its trains either, even with the battery removed. And Mallorca has no Renfe trains — Renfe is the operator that has gone back to allowing scooters on the mainland.
| Transport | Scooters allowed? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| EMT Palma buses | No | Banned since 30/10/2023, including electric unicycles. |
| Palma metro and SFM trains | No | Banned in stations and on trains, even with the battery removed. |
What does Royal Decree 518/2026 add from 1 October?
Not much changes in Palma, because the bylaw already required helmets for everyone, a reflective vest and insurance, and banned pavements. National law adds having the lights on at all times (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, as well as signalling turns with your arm. All the changes from 1 October.
On age, the bylaw says 16 (15 with an AM licence) and national law says 15. If someone aged 15 without an AM licence is going to ride the scooter, check with the City Council which age applies.
How do we register your scooter from Palma?
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 Palma or anywhere else in Mallorca or on the other islands.
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).
- Palma City Council: Bylaw for the Promotion of Civic Coexistence (BOIB no. 66, 24/05/2025), articles 89 to 91 and 111: riding, age, helmets, vests, insurance, parking, removal and fines (in Catalan).
- Palma City Council: Personal mobility vehicles: the mobility webpage with the rules from the 2020 decree (in Spanish).
- Última Hora (23/10/2023): the ban on electric scooters on EMT buses from 30/10/2023 (in Spanish).
- SFM: User guide: the ban on electric scooters on the Palma metro and Mallorca's trains (in Spanish).