Can You Ride an Electric Bike If Banned from Driving?

 Can You Ride an Electric Bike If Banned from Driving? Discover Low-Cost Travel Without a Car

Being banned from driving and having to hop on an electric cycle could be the best thing that ever happened to you. E-bikes offer low-cost and convenient travel. Cover longer distances, enjoy easy parking, and mix the work commute with leisure activities. Best of all, you don't have to register, tax, or insure electric bikes other than for damage or theft.

However, you can't ride an e-bike beyond a certain power or speed if you have a driving ban because it's classified as a moped or scooter. It's easy to fall foul of the law without realising it, and it could land you in a whole heap of trouble.

Our fact-packed article explains everything you need to know about swapping four wheels for two, staying on the right side of the law, and confirming whether you can ride an electric bike if banned from driving.

Can You Ride an Electric Bike If Banned from Driving?

Yes, you can ride an electric bike if banned from driving because e-bikes or Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EPACs), to give them their full name, are treated as bicycles in the UK and the EU. Despite the motorised element, e-bikes are not classed as mopeds or scooters, which means if you've lost your driving licence, you can still ride an e-bike.

You can also ride an e-bike if you don't have a driving licence because you are too young to pass your test. However, you must be over 14 years old.

What Counts as a Legal Electric Bike (EAPC)?

There are regulations in the UK and the European Union about what constitutes an electric bike. The main restriction is the motor power and how fast the bike can go. The UK currently has the same requirements as EU directives; this has been the case in many regulatory areas since Brexit. EU and UK rules may diverge in the future, but at this time, they are the same.

The relevant regulation is EN 15194, which sets performance standards and safety requirements for EPACs. The regulation limits motor power to 250 watts, and the motor must not produce speeds above 25 km/h or 15.5 mph (although you can pedal faster). A pedal-assisted bike that can exceed this speed limit is not a legal e-bike.

Motor assistance doesn't mean you can lose the pedals, so any e-bike you choose must be pedal-assisted. Throttle-only operation is not permitted on pedelecs (pedal electric cycles).

You can use an e-bike on roads and cycle paths like a regular bike.

What Happens If You Ride an Illegal or Modified Electric Bike

If your e-bike can exceed the legal speed limit set out in the regulations, then it's classed as a moped or a scooter; these are motor vehicles, and there are penalties for riding a modified or illegal bike whilst disqualified from driving.

If you get caught on a modified or illegal e-bike, the offence is driving whilst disqualified, and there are serious consequences. Firstly, this is an arrestable offence, so you'll be taken to the nearest police station, searched, photographed, and have your DNA tested.

You will appear in court and could receive one or more of the following sanctions: -

·   A prison sentence of up to 6 months

·      An extension to your existing period of disqualification

·      If you avoid a further ban, the court may impose a fine and 6 points on your licence.

There are other risks if you ride a modified or illegal e-bike; the main one is safety.

There have been several fires recently in London started by modified e-bikes, with the London Fire Brigade reporting more than three a week up to the end of September 2024.

Many of these e-bike fires are caused by modifications, faulty or fake products bought by riders online, or incompatible chargers. Bikes modified using conversion kits have also started some of these fires.

How to Ensure You're Riding a Legal Electric Bike

Make sure you buy your e-bike from a reputable retailer. Ask them whether the bike complies with the law. They shouldn't be selling anything illegal. Avoid glossy advertising suggesting you can go faster on their bikes than other brands. Also, steer clear of bikes described as modified or upgraded.

Whenever you buy, ask to see the manufacturer's certification if it's not apparent on the bike itself, so you can ensure it meets the relevant EPAC standards.

Take care with used e-bike purchases from private individuals, as verifying whether the bike complies may be harder. Sometimes, it's hard to identify where a bike originates from. The seller could have bought the bike in the EU, and it could be fully compliant with UK law. However, it could have come from an unknown location and been modified.

Can You Use Electric Bike Share Schemes While Banned?

Electric bike share schemes must abide by national legislation and only provide e-bikes that are legal to use on the street. However, the onus is on you, the rider, to ensure the electric bike you ride is legal and won't land you in hot water if you're a banned motorist.

The share scheme may have restrictions on certain types of users, so always check the terms and conditions before you hire.

Are Electric Bike Conversion Kits Legal?

Electric bike conversion kits are legal, but only if used to create an e-bike that complies with UK or EU regulations.

Most conversion kits are used to upgrade a manual pedal cycle to an e-bike. However, there are illegal kits that increase the existing power and performance of an electric bike to a speed and capacity that makes it illegal.

Conclusion

Don't be tempted to drive your car whilst disqualified; you won't have valid insurance cover, which means if you have an accident, you will be uninsured, which can have consequences for anyone you injure. It's easy for the police to spot your vehicle using ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), so you can't hide even if you drive carefully.

 

Why not use an e-bike? It's more convenient and cheaper to run. You can avoid traffic jams by using the cycle lane, and it's easier to park. An electric bike will get you mobile again and save a fortune on the cost of public transport, not to mention the hassle.

An electric bike might make you revise your commitment to a car, even when you can drive again.

FAQs

Can I Ride an Electric Bike with No Licence?

You don't need a driving licence to ride an electric bike in the UK or the European Union, as e-bikes are classed as pedal cycles. So, if you've lost your licence due to driving offences or are too young to hold a licence, you can still ride an e-bike. You must be over 14 years though.

You also don't need to tax or insure an e-bike.

Can You Lose Your Licence for Riding an Electric Bike Drunk in the UK?

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is an offence to ride a bike when you are incapable through drink or drugs. However, you won't usually lose your licence; a fine is a more common penalty.

Can I Drive a Scooter If I'm Banned from Driving?

Unlike an e-bike, a scooter is classed as a 'powered transporter' and is a motor vehicle under UK law, even though it only has two wheels. E-scooters and mopeds are also included, so it's an offence to drive any of these during a driving ban.

How Long Does a Driving Ban Stay on Your Record?

With a ban, once disqualification is over, it disappears; however, what can stay on your record for quite a long time are any endorsements, usually in the form of penalty points. Driving offences are coded so these points can remain on your driving record for four years or eleven years, depending on the severity of the offence.

Can you get a CBT if you're Banned from Driving?

CBT stands for Compulsory Basic Training and is a mandatory course in the UK for all new moped and motorcycle riders. Because the CBT includes on-road riding, you won't be able to apply to do the course or for a motorbike licence during your ban period, as the last stage of training and assessment is on public roads.

Do Points Get Wiped After a Ban?

Any existing points on your licence at the time of the ban are wiped off once the ban comes to an end. However, as part of the ban, the court will award fresh points as an endorsement for the new offence, which resulted in a disqualification. When a driver applies for their new licence when the ban ends, the fresh points are added.