The Cortes Generales (Spain’s parliament) have approved the new Motor Vehicle Insurance Act, a reform that introduces compulsory third-party liability insurance for new types of vehicle, including, for the first time, electric scooters and other light personal vehicles.
This measure marks a historic change in Spanish legislation, requiring the owners of these devices to have compulsory insurance and placing them partly on a par with traditional motor vehicles. The law seeks to balance the rise of sustainable urban transport with the legal and personal security of pedestrians and other road users.
Under the new law, a light personal vehicle is defined as any single-seat vehicle with an electric motor that can travel at between 6 and 25 km/h if it weighs less than 25 kg, or at up to 14 km/h if it exceeds that weight. This includes electric scooters, electric unicycles and other similar devices.
The Government will have six months from the publication of the Act to draw up the specific regulations for insurance for these vehicles. In addition, a public register of light personal vehicles will be created, which must be operational before 2 January 2026 to make it easier for the authorities to check whether a vehicle of this type has valid statutory insurance.
This measure is part of a broader reform that also improves the scale of compensation for accident victims, strengthens the role of the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (Spain’s insurance compensation consortium) in cases of insurer insolvency and tightens oversight of insurance companies.
With this initiative, Spain is complying with a European directive and adapting to the growing use of light electric vehicles in cities, providing a legal framework that improves the protection of victims and strengthens safety in urban mobility.
Most electric scooters do not have a single seat – are they exempt?
En muchas ciudades también es obligatorio llevar casco y no estaría de más una bocina y que las indicaciones manuales de cambio de dirección etc. fueran las mismas que las bicicleta…..todo en aras de la prevención de accidente y una mejor circulación……….