Mexico City authorities will require owners of electric scooters and motorcycles to register their vehicles with official license plates [1].
The new mandate seeks to regulate the growing number of personal electric motorized vehicles, known as VEMEPE, to enhance road safety and allow officials to issue fines or impound vehicles for noncompliance [2, 3].
Under the new rules, owners must obtain a license plate, a circulation card, and a type A1 or A2 driver's license [1, 2]. There is conflicting information regarding the specific vehicles subject to these rules. Some reports indicate that only vehicles capable of exceeding 25 km/h must be registered [3], while other sources suggest the requirement applies to all electric scooters and motorcycles regardless of speed [1].
Timeline discrepancies exist regarding when the mandate takes effect. Some reports indicated a registration deadline before November 2024 [4]. However, other sources state the obligation will officially enter into force on July 1, 2026 [5].
The Secretaria de Movilidad (Semovi) is overseeing the implementation of these requirements to ensure a standardized registration process for the city's electric fleet [1]. This move follows an increase in the use of micro-mobility options in the capital, which has led to challenges in traffic management and safety enforcement.
Vehicles found without the required documentation after the deadline may be subject to fines or remitted to a holding lot [2]. The city aims to integrate these vehicles into the existing legal framework for motorized transport to reduce accidents, and improve accountability on public roads [2, 3].
“Owners must obtain a license plate, a circulation card, and a type A1 or A2 driver's license.”
This regulation represents a shift in how Mexico City views micro-mobility, moving electric scooters from the category of toys or bicycles into the realm of motorized vehicles. By requiring A1 or A2 licenses, the city is asserting that the operation of these devices requires formal training and legal certification, potentially slowing the adoption of high-speed electric scooters while increasing the government's ability to monitor and tax urban transit.
