Bike, e-bike or moped: licence and insurance for delivery
What is legal, what you need for each vehicle, and why the police seize bikes.
Do I need a licence and insurance to deliver food in London?
It depends on the vehicle. A bicycle or a legal e-bike (pedal assist, 250 W, 15.5 mph cut-off) needs no licence and no insurance. A moped needs a UK driving licence (provisional is enough), a CBT certificate, L plates if you only have a provisional licence, and hire-and-reward insurance, a special class of cover for carrying goods for payment.
Ordinary private insurance does not cover delivery work. Riding without hire-and-reward cover means you are uninsured the moment you take a paid order, and the police can seize the vehicle. Buying the cover yourself typically costs well over £1,000 a year in London; rental from Otto includes it in the weekly price.
Legal e-bikes and the ones that get seized
In Great Britain an e-bike is legal without licence or insurance only if it is an EAPC: the motor helps only while you pedal, its power is at most 250 W, and assistance stops at 15.5 mph. Bikes with a twist throttle that moves you without pedalling (above walking speed), conversion kits of 500–1,000 W, or batteries swapped to go faster are legally motor vehicles.
The Metropolitan Police regularly stops and seizes illegal e-bikes from delivery riders. Without registration, licence and insurance you can be fined, get points on a future licence and lose the bike. Cheap, unbranded batteries are also the main cause of e-bike fires in London homes.
- Buy or rent only e-bikes sold as EAPC-compliant
- Never fit a throttle or a stronger motor
- Charge with the original charger, never overnight next to where you sleep
CBT: the one-day course for mopeds
The Compulsory Basic Training is a one-day course at an approved school. With a provisional licence and a CBT you can ride a moped or a 125 cc-equivalent electric scooter with L plates, without passengers and off motorways. The certificate lasts two years. Book with your provisional licence to hand; prices in London are usually £150–£250.
An automatic electric moped is the easiest machine to learn on: no gears, no clutch, very little maintenance.
Hire-and-reward insurance
Hire-and-reward (sometimes sold as “food delivery” or “courier” cover) is required for any paid delivery on a moped. Riders report annual quotes for a delivery moped in London of roughly £1,400 to £2,400 for third-party, fire and theft, and many insurers won’t cover riders under 21. Pay-as-you-go hourly cover sits on top of a private policy, and many moped insurers don’t allow it: check before you buy.
Read what the policy actually covers: many cheap policies are third-party only, so if the moped is stolen or damaged you pay for it yourself.
Own or rent?
Owning makes sense if you already have a bike, the licence and good insurance. Most new riders find renting cheaper in the first year once insurance, servicing, tyres, MOT, theft and breakdowns are added up, and there is no large up-front cost.
Otto rents electric mopeds and legal e-bikes with hire-and-reward insurance on the mopeds, GPS tracking, servicing, breakdown replacement and a free battery swap at our Hammersmith workshop, with a refundable deposit and no credit check.
Quick answers
Do e-bikes need insurance for delivery?
Can I deliver with a provisional licence?
Is the congestion charge or ULEZ a problem on a moped?
General information for riders, not legal or tax advice. Rules change: check gov.uk and your platform’s rider pages before you rely on a detail.
