E-scooter riders in the UAE will need a permit from 15, from 2027
Under the amended federal traffic law, riders of e-scooters, e-bikes and small motorbikes will need a three-year permit from 1 January 2027, with 15 as the minimum age.
Anyone who rides an e-scooter in the UAE will need a permit from next year. The amended federal traffic law, which takes effect on 1 January 2027, sets 15 as the minimum age for a permit to ride an e-scooter, an e-bike or a small motorbike, and makes those permits valid for three years, with renewal allowed.
The change is one of several in the new law that were set out this week, alongside a limit of five licensed vehicles per resident and a cap of nine hours of driving in 24 hours. For light mobility, the law brings in a single system that sorts devices into six groups: ordinary bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, small motorbikes, skateboards, and mobility aids for elderly people and people with disabilities. Small motorbikes are defined as those with an engine of 50cc or less and a top speed of 45 km/h.
Where you ride matters as much as the permit. The devices may be used only on routes and roads that the licensing or traffic authority in each emirate designates, and never on roads meant for motor vehicles. Riders must follow speed limits and traffic instructions. At crossings, red means do not cross, green means riders and pedestrians may cross, and a flashing green means nobody may start crossing, though anyone already crossing may finish.
The law also sets out what the device itself must have: a front light strong enough for night riding, a red rear light linked to the brakes, a bell or horn on the handlebars, a working brake on at least the rear wheel, tyres that are securely fitted, and spokes that are intact and properly tensioned. Devices must be registered where that is required. The same rules apply to scooters and bikes hired from rental companies as to those people own.
One question is still open for Dubai, where the current minimum age for riding these devices is 16. The new federal law does not say whether Dubai's rule will change or how the two ages will fit together.
For now, nothing changes: until 1 January 2027 riders in Dubai keep following the RTA's current rules, including the age of 16 and the permitted tracks. Before the new year, check that your scooter has front and rear lights, a brake light and a bell, since those will be required. Parents of 15-year-olds should wait for the RTA to say how it will apply the new age before buying a scooter for them. Fees for the new permits and the penalties for riding without one have not been announced.