Do you need a licence for an electric cargo bike? UK rules explained

What counts as an electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC)?

UK law treats an e-bike as a normal pedal cycle — not a motor vehicle — when it meets three conditions:

• It has pedals that can propel it, and the motor only assists while you pedal.
• The motor's maximum continuous rated power is 250 watts.
• The assistance cuts out at 15.5 mph (25 km/h) — you can pedal faster, but the motor stops helping.

Every Moon Bike Rentals bike — the long-tail, the front-box and the CYCL compact — meets these rules. The extra wheels, decks and boxes on a cargo bike make no difference: if it satisfies the three conditions above, it is an EAPC regardless of shape or size.

So who can ride one, and what paperwork do you need?

Anyone aged 14 or over can ride an EAPC. There is no licence, no CBT (compulsory basic training — that's for mopeds), no number plate, no vehicle tax and no MOT. Insurance is not legally required either — and renting a bike from us doesn't mean you're personally insured. If you want to cap what you'd pay after damage or theft of the bike, optional Damage & Excess Protection (£20/month — a contractual waiver, not an insurance policy) reduces the excess from £600 to £50.

Helmets are recommended for you and every passenger, but for cyclists they are not a legal requirement — unlike on a moped or motorcycle.

Can you carry children on an electric cargo bike?

Yes. The law allows passengers on a bicycle when it is built or adapted to carry them — which is exactly what a cargo bike is. Proper child seats with harnesses and footrests, a rear deck with rails, or a front box with bench seats and belts all qualify. The 14+ age rule applies to whoever is riding; the children being carried can be any age that suits the seat they're in (rear child seats typically suit around nine months to 22 kg).

At handover we fit the seats for your children and walk you through loading them safely. If you're weighing up which set-up fits your family, see child seat or cargo bike?

When would you need a licence?

Only when a bike stops being an EAPC. If the motor is rated above 250W, if it assists beyond 15.5 mph, or if it drives without pedalling (a twist-and-go throttle beyond walking pace, unless type-approved), the law treats it as a moped or motorcycle: registration, number plate, licence, helmet and insurance all become mandatory. That's why it pays to hire from a fleet that is specced to the EAPC rules rather than buying an import of uncertain wattage.

What about ULEZ and the congestion charge?

Bicycles — including electric cargo bikes — pay nothing, ever. No ULEZ charge, no congestion charge, 24/7. For a family in central or west London that alone can beat the running costs of a second car; we've broken the numbers down in cargo bike vs second car: the real cost.

The rules at a glance

Rules summarised from the UK government's EAPC guidance (gov.uk). If anything changes, we'll update this guide.