UK Quad Bike Laws And Classifications
If you’re a quad bike owner in the UK, or plan to be, it’s a good idea to know the different laws and classifications for quad bike ownership. This will help you to avoid any potential issues and make your bike legal to ride. Part of owning a quad bike or ATV is getting the right insurance. You can get quad bike insurance quotes from specialist providers here.
Key points
What Are The Legal Requirements For Owning A Quad Bike In The UK?
All of the requirements below apply if you’re planning to ride your quad bike on public roads. If you’re going to be using it solely on your own land, then the requirements are much less strict.
- You must be at least 17 years of age: You cannot ride a quad bike on public roads if you’re younger than 17 and you cannot ride them at all if you’re under 16.
- You must have a full UK driving licence: You must have a full UK car driving licence too.
- You must have tax, insurance and MOT: You will need to ensure you have a valid MOT certificate if your bike or ATV is more than three years old as well as having it taxed and third party only insurance in place at minimum.
- You must register your bike: You’ll also need to register your bike with the DVLA.
- Your bike needs to be road safe: You should ensure that it’s fit to be used on public roads, which means ensuring the tyres, brakes and lights are all fully functional.
Quad bike classifications
- L6e: An L6e quad bike is a light quadricycle i.e. a vehicle with four wheels.
- L7e: L7e quad bikes are heavier and considered heavy quadricycles. They can also be fitted with more features compared to L6e bikes.
- Licence requirements: The licence requirements for riding a quad bike on public roads are that you must have either a full UK driving licence or a B1 licence if it was issued before 1997.
Do I need quad bike insurance if I only use it on my own land?
It’s not a legal requirement to have quad bike insurance in this case but it’s still recommended to protect you against risks such as theft and fire damage.
What is the best way to make my quad bike more secure?
There are several steps you can take, such as keeping it somewhere secure, using chains to secure it, installing a GPS tracker etc.
In Summary
- To ride on public rides, your quad bike or ATV needs to be licenced, registered and taxed as well as having a valid MOT cerfiticate
- Most quad bikes fall into the L6e or L7e classification
- You must be at least 17 years of age to ride a quad bike
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