What do you need to drive a moped?

What do you need to drive a moped?

Getting on the road isn’t as simple as buying a moped, although this is usually a good start. To legally be allowed on the road, you need to make sure you’ve got the right training and certification in place. Below is a handy guide of all the things you need to ride a moped.

Provisional driver’s licence

This might seem unusual, but you need a provisional licence to sit your CBT. Although it is technically a car licence, it has different category allowances on the rear. If you pass your full moped test then it will be displayed on your licence, which you should carry with you at all times.

CBT Test

A CBT test is the training needed to be allowed on the road. It isn’t a full licence, and only takes a day instead of several weeks. You can sit them once you turn 16, and they remain valid for two years. With a CBT you can only ride a 50cc moped when you’re 16, or a 125cc scooter when you’re 17. You have to display L-plates on the front and rear of your moped, and you’re banned from carrying passengers. To do this, you have to get your full licence.

Road tax

All road vehicles need to be taxed, and motorbikes still have to display tax discs. Road tax for mopeds is £19 a year, and this can either be paid in one go or in monthly instalments. Tax must be renewed annually, even if you’re not actually riding the moped (unless you declare it as off the road).

Vehicle registration

Buying a new moped means it won’t have been registered with the DVLA. You need to do this so they know you now own the vehicle, and so they can store your information for police and insurance access. We send you a registration pack in the post to make things much easier for you.

Insurance

After purchasing the actual moped, this will likely be the biggest drain on your funds. It’s a legal requirement for all vehicles to have insurance, which is mainly for the benefit of other road users. Insurance allows you to claim for damage done to your moped in a collision, or for people to claim against you. Insurance can be expensive for young people, but we help by comparing the market to get you the best deals. All you need to do is give us the details, and we do the rest.

It’s much quicker and easier to get a moped on the road than a car, and it’s cheaper too. Even insurance is a fraction of the cost, and you won’t use anywhere near as much petrol. It can seem like a lot of paperwork to get everything sorted, but we do as much as possible to make things easier for you.