Legal e-bikeExample: Renter RB1
How do you ride it?
Pedal assist
How fast does the motor help?
25 km/h
How strong is the motor?
250 W
Passes all three checks. It is an e-bike.
Illegal electric vehicles in Romania
Over 25 km/h or has acceleration? It is not an e-bike.
Many electric bikes sold in Romania are not real e-bikes. By law they are mopeds or motorcycles. See which ones, what you risk and what the law says.
Riding one without the right papers can mean a criminal case, fines and, for foreigners, even deportation from Romania.
- Throttle (acceleration)
- Goes 25+ km/h
- 750 W
Shown: bikes with a throttle (acceleration), up to 55 km/h and 750 W.
Legal e-bike or not? Check it in 10 seconds.
The name on the box does not matter. The specs matter. A bike with a motor is an e-bike only if it passes all three checks.
Not an e-bikeMoped or motorcycle
How do you ride it?
Throttle (acceleration)
How fast does the motor help?
55 km/h
How strong is the motor?
750 W
Fails even one check. It is a moped or a motorcycle.
Shown: the Renter RB1, and the Engwe M20, a bike with a throttle (acceleration), up to 55 km/h and 750 W.
The simple rule
Anything over 25 km/h, or with acceleration (throttle), is not an e-bike anymore. It is a moped or a motorcycle.
A moped or a motorcycle needs:
- Driving licence
- Registration and number plate
- RCA insurance
- Helmet
- Vehicle ID card (CIV)
What you risk
Break the law with one of these, and you can end up deported from Romania.
No RCA insurance
1,000–2,000 lei
fine
The police also keep the registration certificate until you show a valid policy.
Law 132/2017, art. 37 para. 9 (English translation, PDF)Not registered, no number plate
1 to 3 years
in prison, or a criminal fine
A moped is registered at the city hall. A motorcycle is registered and has a number plate.
Criminal Code, art. 334 (English translation, PDF)No driving licence
1 to 5 years
in prison
This is a crime, not only a fine. Wrong licence category, or a licence that is not valid in Romania: 6 months to 3 years in prison, or a criminal fine.
Criminal Code, art. 335 (English translation, PDF)A court can deport you
1 to 5 years
ban on staying in Romania
After a conviction, a court can ban a foreigner from staying in Romania. That means deportation. The court decides. It is not automatic. It does not apply if the prison sentence is suspended with supervision. If you have a criminal case, talk to a lawyer.
Criminal Code, art. 66, 67 and 68 (English translation, PDF)
Each link opens a PDF with our English translation of the article and a link to the official Romanian text. Only the Romanian text of the law is official.
What the authorities say
We asked the Police and RAR about the motorcycles riding around Bucharest without any papers. Here is what they told us.
Official letters
Romanian Police, Road Directorate
What rules apply to a vehicle sold as an “electric bike”
No. 2.133.028/S1-CO
The rules depend on the technical specs of the vehicle, not on its name, like “electric bike”.
Open the Police letter (PDF)
Romanian Auto Register (RAR)
How RAR checks and approves electric bikes
No. 13512
A bike with a throttle (acceleration) that moves it without pedalling is a category L vehicle. If you can change the speed limit between 10 and 60 km/h, the registered top speed is 60 km/h.
Open the RAR letter (PDF)
Both letters are shown as they were received. They do not name any brand or model.
The numbers
12
serious accidents caused by cyclists in Bucharest in the first half of 2026, up from 8 a year earlier
Road Police, via Agerpres24
serious accidents with cyclists in Bucharest from January to August 2026. That is 20% more than in all of 2025
Road Safety Coalition, via Agerpres101
cyclists died on Romanian roads in 2025
Road Safety Coalition, via Agerpres
These numbers include all cyclists, not only e-bikes. They do not show who caused an accident, by nationality or job.
In the news
These are only the cases that were confirmed and reported in the news. In reality, many more accidents happen in Bucharest and all over Romania. The numbers above show only the serious accidents that the police recorded.
Timișoara
A delivery rider on an e-bike reportedly hit a 57-year-old woman in a pedestrian area. She had surgery and is in critical condition. The police opened a criminal case.
Tion.roTimișoara
A courier on an e-bike hit a 65-year-old woman on a bike lane. She was taken to hospital. The police opened a criminal case.
Opinia Timișoarei
Questions riders ask
Short answers, based on the official letters and the law.
A throttle (acceleration) that moves the bike without pedalling means it is not a normal e-bike. RAR calls it a category L vehicle. Above 25 km/h it is usually a moped or a motorcycle. That means a licence, registration, RCA insurance and a helmet. The seller's name for it does not matter: the police say the specs decide.
Yes, if any one of these is true: your vehicle has acceleration (a throttle), it goes over 25 km/h, it can be unlocked or changed to go over 25 km/h, or the motor is stronger than 250 W. Then it is a moped or a motorcycle. A moped up to 45 km/h needs category AM. Anything faster needs a motorcycle licence. You do not need a licence only for a real e-bike that passes all three checks.
If the bike lets you change the limit between 10 and 60 km/h, the law counts the top speed, 60 km/h. Then it is not an e-bike.
Yes, it can. Giving a vehicle that needs a licence to someone you know has no licence can be a crime (Criminal Code, art. 335 para. 3). Putting a vehicle on the road when it is not registered and has no number plate is also a crime: 1 to 3 years in prison or a criminal fine (Criminal Code, art. 334 para. 1). Owners and employers should check the papers too.
Not sure about your vehicle?
Send us a photo of it on WhatsApp. We will tell you if it looks illegal.
What we look at
- Throttle?
- Over 25 km/h?
- Over 250 W?
For information only, not legal advice. Laws can change. Check the sources on this page, and ask the authorities or a lawyer about your own case.