Quick answer: in the UK you can only legally ride a rental e-scooter inside an official government trial area, and the trials are due to run until 31 May 2028. You need a full or provisional UK driving licence with category Q entitlement, and most schemes require you to be 18 or over. As of September 2026 the main operators include Lime, Voi, Dott (which merged with Tier), Beryl and Bolt, each in different towns and cities. Prices vary by city and are shown in the app.
How rental e-scooters are allowed in the UK
Rental e-scooters in the UK are part of Department for Transport (DfT) trials that began in July 2020. Road Safety GB reported in July 2025 that the trials had been extended to 31 May 2028. The government’s guidance for local areas says there are currently 18 live trials across England, all due to end on that date.
Two points often confuse people:
- Only trial rental scooters are legal on public roads. Buckinghamshire Council and the West of England Combined Authority both stress that privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on public land, with possible fines and licence points.
- You can only ride inside the trial area. The scooters are geofenced and will slow down or stop outside permitted zones.
Who operates where (as of September 2026)
The table below lists operators and places we could verify on official operator pages, council pages or recent news. Operator websites often list places where they run only e-bikes, so check the app for your city to see whether e-scooters are available.
| Operator | Cities and areas | Notes | Official website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lime | London (participating boroughs); Birmingham city centre and Warwick University campus (from 1 April 2026). Lime’s locations page also lists Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford and Manchester. | One of two London trial operators. Lime says first-time London riders must complete in-app training and that London scooters are capped at 12 mph. Not every listed city has e-scooters. | li.me |
| Voi | London; Cambridge; Oxford; Northampton, Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Rushden and Higham Ferrers; Aylesbury and High Wycombe; Slough; Cheltenham and Gloucester; Chelmsford and Braintree; Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight | Voi’s city pages show e-scooters in each of these places, with a minimum age of 18. Voi’s Scottish pages (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow) list e-bikes only. | voi.com |
| Dott (formerly Tier) | Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire (West of England trial). Dott’s locations page also lists Basildon, Brunel University, Chelmsford, Colchester, Glasgow, Milton Keynes and Nottingham. | The West of England trial is run by “TIER-Dott” with e-scooters and e-bikes. Essex County Council named Voi as its new operator in August 2025, so check the app for which Dott vehicles run in each listed place. | ridedott.com |
| Beryl | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; Brighton and Hove; Cornwall; Norwich; Plymouth | Beryl’s scheme pages for these areas include e-scooters. Journeys start and end at a Beryl Bay. Beryl’s other UK scheme pages did not show e-scooters when we checked. | beryl.cc |
| Bolt | Liverpool | Took over from Voi and launched in February 2026 with 2,000 scooters and 100 e-bikes, running 24 hours a day. Uses distance-based pricing and an in-app reaction test. | Launch report (Bolt app) |
| Neuron | Newcastle (ended) | Neuron announced it would stop operating in Newcastle by the end of May 2026. We found no confirmed replacement operator. | Not operating in the UK as far as we could verify |
London’s trial currently runs in Camden, the City of London, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Tower Hamlets (limited parking), Wandsworth and Westminster, according to Transport for London. TfL names Lime and Voi as the two operators.
Rules every rider must follow
Licence and age
- GOV.UK: “To use a rental e-scooter, you must have either a provisional or full UK driving licence with a category Q entitlement.” A provisional car licence is enough.
- Operators must collect your name, driving licence number and a photo of the front of your licence, and check it is valid.
- The national guidance leaves the minimum age to local schemes, but TfL, Buckinghamshire Council and Voi’s UK city pages all set it at 18.
Where and how you can ride
- On roads (not motorways) and in cycle lanes inside the trial area. Never on pavements.
- The national maximum is 15.5 mph, but many schemes set lower limits. London’s trial scooters are capped at 12.5 mph (TfL), and the West of England scooters are limited to 12.5 mph.
- One rider only, no towing, and no mobile phone use while riding.
- Drink and drug driving laws apply, as with any motor vehicle.
- Traffic offences can mean fines or points on your licence, including if you let someone else use your licence.
Helmets
Helmets are recommended but not a legal requirement in the UK trials. GOV.UK says a helmet should conform to current regulations, fit correctly and be securely fastened.
Insurance
The rental operator provides third-party motor insurance. Government guidance adds that operators may also choose to insure against theft or damage and include personal liability cover, but this is not required, so check what your operator offers in the app.
Parking
Most UK schemes use mandatory parking zones or bays. The West of England trial requires riders to park in designated parking zones and photograph the scooter. Voi’s London page shows parking only in designated spots with a mandatory photo. Beryl uses Beryl Bays.
How to book a rental e-scooter in the UK
- Check your town is in a trial area and which operator runs it (use the table above, then confirm in the app).
- Download the operator’s app and create an account.
- Add your driving licence details and photo when asked. Expect a short wait while the licence is checked.
- Complete any safety training. In London, TfL says all first-time riders must do mandatory education.
- Add a payment method and choose pay as you go or a pass.
- Find a scooter on the map, scan its QR code and ride within the zone.
- Park in a bay or zone shown in the app, take the parking photo and end the trip.
What does it cost?
Prices vary by city and are shown in the app. Voi says its prices vary by location, time and vehicle type, and it offers pay as you go, minute bundles and subscriptions with unlimited unlocks. As an example of how different cities can be, when we checked in September 2026 Voi’s London city page listed no unlock fee plus a per-minute rate, while its Cambridge page listed a £1 unlock fee plus a per-minute rate. Bolt in Liverpool charges by distance rather than by the minute. TfL notes that London operators offer discounts to people who qualify. Always check the live price in the app before you unlock.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The government’s guidance describes the 18 live trials as being across England, and every trial area on the GOV.UK list is in England. Voi’s pages for Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow list e-bikes only. If you are outside England, assume rental e-scooters are not available unless an official source says otherwise.
Tips for UK riders
- Have your driving licence to hand before you download the app.
- Look at the in-app map for no-ride, slow and no-parking zones before you set off.
- Do not ride across a council boundary out of the trial area: the scooter may stop.
- If you ride most days, compare passes and minute bundles with pay as you go.
- Remember you can still get points on your licence for offences on a rental e-scooter.
Sources
- GOV.UK: E-scooter trials, guidance for users
- GOV.UK: E-scooter trials, guidance for local areas and rental operators
- Road Safety GB: Rental e-scooter trials extended to 2028 (21 July 2025) (roadsafetygb.org.uk)
- Transport for London: E-scooters (tfl.gov.uk)
- Lime: Locations (li.me)
- Lime: London (li.me)
- WMCA: New LimeBike to launch in West Midlands (18 March 2026) (wmca.org.uk)
- Voi: London city page (voi.com)
- Voi: Cambridge city page (voi.com)
- Voi: Locations (voi.com)
- Voi: Pricing and passes (voi.com)
- Buckinghamshire Council: Electric scooter trial (buckinghamshire.gov.uk)
- Essex County Council: New e-scooter trial operator announced (26 August 2025) (essex.gov.uk)
- West of England Combined Authority: Public e-scooters trial (westofengland-ca.gov.uk)
- Dott: Locations (ridedott.com)
- Beryl: Home and scheme list (beryl.cc)
- Beryl: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole scheme (beryl.cc)
- Beryl: Norwich scheme (beryl.cc)
- Beryl: Plymouth scheme (beryl.cc)
- MerseyNewsLive: Bolt to take over Liverpool e-scooters (18 November 2025) (merseynewslive.co.uk)
- MerseyNewsLive: Bolt e-scooters launch in Liverpool (4 February 2026) (merseynewslive.co.uk)
- SSBCrack News: Neuron to cease e-scooter operations in Newcastle by end of May (news.ssbcrack.com)