Electric Scooter Regulations Different States

by Irshadahmed Mansuri November 7, 2024

Legal e-scooter use in Victoria

Use of e-scooters is legalised in Victoria.

You can legally ride an e-scooter in Victoria if you:

Ride on:
- Shared-use paths (not on footpaths), or
- Roads that have a speed limit up to 60km/h
Are at least 16 years old
Wear a helmet
Do not travel more than 20km/h
Do not use your mobile phone
Do not carry a passenger (dinking).

Legal e-scooter definition

A legal e-scooter is defined as a vehicle that:

Is designed for use by one person
Has a maximum speed of 25 km/h when ridden on level ground
Transports a person while the person is standing or seated
Has two wheels (one in front of the other)
Has a footboard between the front and rear wheels
Is steered by a handlebar
Does not weigh more than 45kg
Is propelled by a motor, or by the person pushing one foot against the ground.

Ref: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/electric-powered-scooters-e-scooters

Rules for riding a shared e-scooter in NSW, Australia

You must be at least 16 years of age to ride a shared e-scooter.
You can ride a shared e-scooter hired from the selected operator on designated shared paths, bike lanes and paths and roads in trial areas. Use of private e-scooters remains illegal (including in trial areas).
It is illegal to ride on footpaths
You must wear an approved bicycle helmet, that is securely fitted and fastened, at all times.
You are limited to travel speeds of 10km/h on shared paths and 20km/h on roads and bicycle lanes.
Your e-scooter must have a bell, horn, or similar warning device, in working order.
You must use the e-scooter lights when riding in darkness or hazardous weather conditions.
A BAC limit of 0.05 applies when riding an e-scooter. If you’re drinking, don’t ride an e-scooter.
E-scooter riders are subject to the same drug driving offences as motor vehicle drivers. You can’t have illicit drugs present in your system or ride while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
If you’re caught drink or drug riding, serious penalties apply and you may face consequences for your driver’s licence.
You don’t need a driver’s licence to ride an e-scooter.
You must not carry another person or animal on your shared e-scooter.

The NSW Government is working closely with NSW councils to enable trials of shared e-scooters. This is in response to the growing popularity of e-scooters and the need to safely manage their use.

The trials are collecting information on demand for shared e-scooters, safety, and community sentiment. This will help inform the future of e-scooters in NSW.

Recently the NSW government has announced plans to legalise e-scooters.

Already, almost half-a-million people own e-scooters across the state, but are not legally allowed to use them.

Ref. https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/road-users/e-scooters#Rules_for_riding_a_shared_e-scooter

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-03/nsw-e-scooter-hire-companies-lime-neuron-safety-concern/104542884

Electric Scooter Laws in the ACT

Over 2.4 million trips have been taken on e-scooters since the ACT’s e-scooter scheme began in September 2020.

To ride an e-scooter in the ACT you must:

Wear an approved safety helmet
Have a warning device (such as a bell) fitted to your e-scooter or something else that’s accessible to you
Have light and reflectors on either the e-scooter or on yourself at night or in hazardous weather conditions
Give way to other pedestrians and keep to the left
Supervise children under the age of 12 when they are using an e-scooter

It is the responsibility of all road users (including e-scooter riders) and pedestrians to share the footpath and road and be mindful of other users.

When riding an e-scooter in the ACT, you must not:

Be under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Use a mobile phone while
Carry any passengers

Ref: https://www.transport.act.gov.au/travel-options/e-scooters/shared-e-scooters

Electric Scooter Laws in SA

In South Australia, an e-scooter is categorised as a motorised wheeled recreational vehicle. These types of devices include:

Self-balancing scooters
Hoverboards
Segways
Self-balancing unicycles
Electric skateboards
Electric scooters

To ride an electric scooter in SA you must:

Be at least 18 years old
Wear an approved bike helmet that is securely fitted
Use a warning, like a bell, horn or verbal warning
Have control of the device and ride with reasonable consideration for other people
Use a flashing or steady white light at the front and a flashing red light and reflector at the back of the device when riding at night or in hazardous conditions

In SA, you must not ride an e-scooter on a road:

With a dividing line or median strip
Where the speed limit is greater than 50 km/h
That is one-way with more than one marked lane
If it is prohibited

While riding an e-scooter in SA, you must not:

Exceed 15 km/h or a lesser speed needed to stop safely and advert danger ^[7]
Ride in a bus lane or a bike lane
Use a mobile phone while riding
Ride side by side and facing the same way as another scooter
Carry passengers
Carry scooters on public transport
Have a BAC of 0.05 or more
Have THC (Cannabis), Methylamphetamine (Speed) or MDMA (Ecstasy) in their blood or oral saliva

Four e-scooter trials are currently taking place in Adelaide and North Adelaide, the Coastal Park Trail, Norwood, Payneham and St Peters and the City of Unley.

Each council will monitor the trial and make recommendations for e-scooters based on each trial’s outcome.

Ref: https://www.mylicence.sa.gov.au/roadrules/e-scooter-trial

Electric Scooter Laws in Queensland (QLD)

You can use a broad range of personal mobility devices in Queensland. They are a type of vehicle so you must comply with the rules for personal mobility devices and the general road rules. These devices include e-scooters, e-skateboards, e-unicycles and e-boards.

To ride a personal mobility device in Qld you must:

Be at least 16 years old
Be at least 12 years old and supervised by an adult
Keep left and give way to pedestrians
Travel the speed limit
Travel at a safe distance from pedestrians to avoid collisions
Keep left of oncoming bikes and other personal mobility devices
Keep at least 2 metres between you and the back of a vehicle when you follow that vehicle for over 200 m
Wear an approved bicycle helmet that complies with AS 2063 or AS/NZS 2063 or an approved motorcycle helmet that complies with AS1698 or AS/NZ1698, or the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe standard (ECE 22.05 or 22.06)

You should ensure your personal mobility device has:

An effective stopping system controlled by using brakes, gears or motor control
A working bell, horn or a similar warning device if it has handlebars like an e-scooter

To ride an e-scooter in Qld, you must not:

Hold a mobile phone in your hand or rest it on any part of your body
Carry another person while riding a personal mobility device
Ride a personal mobility device with sharp protrusions

As of November 2022, e-scooter speed limits decreased and fines increased to ensure Queenslanders rode at a slower and safer pace on footpaths.

These speed limits include:

12 km/h on footpaths and shared paths (unless a sign indicates otherwise)
25 km/h on separated paths and bicycle paths (unless a sign indicates otherwise)
25 km/h on bike lanes on roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less
25 km/h on any bike lane that is physically separated from other lanes of traffic
25 km/h on local streets with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less with no dividing lane.

Ref: https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/wheeled-devices/personal-mobility-devices

Electric Scooter Laws in Tasmania

Starting on 1 December 2021, riding personal mobility devices, like e-scooters and e-skateboards, were allowed on footpaths, shared paths, bicycle paths and some roads in Tasmania.

To ride an electric scooter in Tasmania you must:

Be 16 years or older
Use a low-powered e-scooter that doesn’t exceed 200 watts and 10 km/h if you are under 16
Wear an approved helmet
Give way to pedestrians on footpaths and shared paths
Travel a sufficient distance from pedestrians to stop safely to avoid a collision
Keep to the left unless overtaking or it is impractical to do so
Ride with consideration for other road users and pedestrians

You must ride e-scooters on the:

Footpaths
Shared paths
Bike paths
Local roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less, no dividing lines or median strips and no multiple lanes if it’s a one-way road

Local councils can also identify additional roads that can be accessed by PMDs.

While riding an e-scooter in Tasmania, you must not:

Exceed 15 km/h on footpaths ^[8]
Exceed 25 km/h on shared paths, bicycle paths and roads
Carry a passenger or animal
Use a PMD at night unless the device has a white light from the front, a red light and a red reflector from the rear of the vehicle.
Ride on a footpath where a ‘no personal mobility device’ sign has been installed

Personal mobility devices (like e-scooters) don’t need to be registered because they are not considered ‘motor vehicles’ in Tasmania.

Ref: https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/road_safety_and_rules/personal_mobility_devices

Electric Scooter Laws in WA

In Western Australia, an e-scooter is classified as a ‘eRideable’. If your device falls outside of the eRideable conditions then it must not be ridden on Western Australian roads or paths.

To ride an e-scooter in WA you must:

Be at least 16 years or over
Wear an approved bicycle, skateboard or motorcycle safety helmet that complies with the current Australian standard (AS/NZS 2063)
Use lights and reflectors when riding at night
Use a bell or other warning device fitted to the handlebars
Make sure there are at least two metres between you and the rear of any motor vehicle
Ride on footpaths, bicycle paths and shared paths
Ride on roads where there are no dividing lines and the speed limit is 50 km/h or less ^[10]
Ride on bicycle lanes (on roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less)
Use the designated bicycle part of a separated path
Give way to pedestrians when riding over a crossing

You must ride e-scooters at a speed limit of:

10 km/h on footpaths
25 km/h on the bicycle and shared paths
25 km/h on local roads
10 km/h on pedestrian crossings

While riding an e-scooter in WA, you must not:

Carry passengers or animals on an e-scooter
Use a mobile phone (unless it’s attached to the rider’s arm)
Ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol

You must not ride e-scooters in WA:

Where the speed limit is more than 50 km/h
On roads with a dividing line
On any path with ‘no wheeled devices’
On any path or road with a ‘no bicycle’ sign

https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/road-safety-commission/erideables

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State-Wide Compliance: Our e-scooters are legally compliant in all 7 states and territories of Australia, making them the perfect choice for riders nationwide.

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Disclaimer

This information is general in nature only. While we gadget Freak have endeavoured to ensure the information, we’ve relied on is accurate and current 3rd Nov 2024, we do not guarantee it. Information has been prepared in reliance on the information outlined in the references. We accept no liability for this information.