AM covers mopeds up to 50cc with a top speed of 28 mph, with a minimum age of 16. The category also covers machines up to 4 kW.

What counts as a moped

Two conditions, and both have to be met.

Engine capacity up to 50cc, and a maximum design speed of 28 mph.

A 50cc machine capable of considerably more than 28 mph is not a moped in the legal sense, whatever the engine size says. This matters because it changes the licence you need, the age you can ride it, and whether your insurance is valid.

What you can ride at each age

16. Moped only, on a CBT with L plates. This is the earliest anyone can ride powered transport on the road in the UK.

17. Everything above, plus a 125 on a CBT. Most riders who started at 16 move up the moment they can.

Full AM licence. CBT, then a theory test and practical modules on a moped, giving you a full moped entitlement without L plates and with a pillion permitted.

In practice very few people take the full AM test, because by the time they are old enough to want the freedoms it gives, they are usually old enough to want a 125 instead.

What a CBT lets you do on a moped

• Ride on public roads with L plates front and rear
• From 16
• For two years

Not carry a pillion. Not use motorways. The restrictions are the same as on a 125.

Car licence holders

The position depends on when your licence was issued.

Car licence issued before 1 February 2001. Generally carries moped entitlement without further training.

Car licence issued on or after that date. You need CBT before riding a moped on the road.

Derestriction, and why it matters when buying

This is the thing to look for on a used moped, and it is the reason to check before you buy rather than after.

A moped is legally defined partly by its restricted top speed. Remove that restriction and the machine is no longer the vehicle it was registered as. The consequences stack up quickly:

It may no longer be a moped. Which means the licence category you hold may not cover it.

Insurance. A policy written for a moped on a modified machine that is no longer a moped is a claim waiting to be refused.

A 16-year-old rider. If the machine no longer meets the AM definition, a rider under 17 has no entitlement to be on it at all.

Signs to look for. A top speed noticeably above what it should manage. An aftermarket variator, exhaust or carburettor. Missing restrictor washers or removed baffles. A seller who mentions it having been "opened up" as though it were a selling point.

If a moped has been derestricted, it can generally be put back, but you need to know before you buy rather than discovering it at a roadside stop or in a claims process.

Running a moped

MOT from three years old, in Class 1. There is no small-capacity exemption.

Tax is payable, in the lowest band.

Insurance for a 16 or 17-year-old is the largest cost by a distance, and it varies enormously by postcode and by where the machine is kept overnight.

Theft. Mopeds and small scooters are stolen at high rates because they are light enough to lift. Where it sleeps matters more than what lock you use.

The transmission. Most mopeds are twist-and-go, and the drive belt is a consumable the MOT never inspects. Ask when it was last changed.

FAQs

Can a 16-year-old ride a 50cc scooter?

Yes, with a CBT, L plates and no pillion, provided the machine meets the moped definition of 50cc and a 28 mph maximum design speed.

Do I need a CBT for a moped?

Yes, unless you hold a car licence issued before February 2001. Verify your own position with DVLA rather than assuming.

Does a 50cc need an MOT?

Yes, from three years old, the same as any other machine.

Is a derestricted moped legal?

It is no longer the vehicle it was registered as, which affects the licence needed to ride it and whether the insurance responds. It is not a modification to take lightly, particularly for a rider under 17.