Queensland’s new e-mobility laws come into effect from 1 July 2026, introducing significant changes for riders of e-bikes, e-scooters and other personal mobility devices.
While the Queensland Government says the reforms are aimed at improving safety and reducing serious injuries and fatalities, many riders will be wondering exactly what the changes mean for them in practice.
Over recent months, Bicycle Queensland has worked extensively to ensure the voices of everyday riders were heard. While some of the more restrictive proposals were amended during the consultation process, several elements of the legislation remain overly complex and, in some cases, unclear.
What changes from 1 July?
Queensland Police will gain new powers to seize and destroy illegal devices, meaning those that don’t meet the requirements of the EN 15194 standard, or how they can be used. A range of new offences and penalties will apply to riders of e-bikes, bicycles, e-scooters and other personal mobility devices, along with restrictions on use.
Drink riding laws will also be expanded. Riders, on any kind of e-bike or e-mobility device, in public places, can now be subject to Random Breath Testing. You must stay within the same 0.05% blood alcohol limit that applies to motor vehicle drivers.
Speed limits will also change. E-scooters and other personal mobility devices must be restricted so they cannot exceed 25km/h, while e-bike motors may only provide assistance up to 25km/h as per the EN 15194 standard. Riders can still travel faster than 25km/h on an e-bike, but only under their own pedal power – and not everywhere.
A new 12km/h speed limit will apply when riding on footpaths and when passing pedestrians on shared paths. Of course, you’ll need to know whether you are on a footpath or shared path at the time, which is not always clear.
For e-scooters, e-skateboards and e-unicycles, access to roads with speed limits of up to 60km/h will be permitted, including on-road bicycle lanes, although riders remain limited to a maximum operating speed of 25km/h as per e-mobility speed limits. E-bikes are still able to be ridden on any road unless bikes are prohibited, such as on freeways.
Penalties have also increased substantially, with fines of $518 applying for offences including failing to wear a helmet, carrying a passenger, or riding on a prohibited road.
Licencing and age requirements
One of the most significant changes is the introduction of licencing requirements for riders of e-bikes, e-scooters and other personal mobility devices.
From 31 August 2026, riders must be at least 16 years old and hold a provisional driver’s licence.
However, the legislation includes a range of exemptions, including provisions for people with certain medical conditions or disabilities, as well as supervised riding arrangements for young people aged 12 to 17 years. There is also an exemption being developed for riding in designated areas like certain national parks and on rail trails.
The details of these exemptions are still being clarified and those exemptions may well come into being after 1 July 2026.
Questions still remain
While the legislation is now law, a number of practical questions remain unanswered.
What counts as a footpath?
The new 12km/h speed limit applies on footpaths and when passing pedestrians on shared paths. However, many popular cycling routes across Queensland are known by names that may not align to their classification.
For example, the Jim Soorley Bikeway is actually a shared path. Many rail trails and recreational paths carry classifications and naming conventions that may not align. Councils have built extra-wide footpaths that are clearly for sharing along designated bikeway routes, but they may not have shared path signage. This can make it confusing for riders, and of course those in charge of enforcement.
BQ is seeking further clarification on how riders can confidently identify what rules apply in which locations.
Is your e-bike compliant?
The legislation introduces mandatory compliance labelling for e-bikes by 28 February 2027.
However, many riders already own perfectly legal e-bikes that meet the accepted Australian and European specifications:
- Pedal assistance only
- Motor assistance limited to 25km/h
- Maximum continuous rated power of 250 watts
Many of these bikes do not currently display EN 15194 compliance markings, as the standard was removed from import requirements in 2021 by the Morrison Government. While it has been reintroduced nationally, there are not yet compulsory reporting arrangements to back this up, and so illegal devices are still entering the country.
The Government has consulted Bicycle Queensland and other stakeholders about processes for the promised pathway to compliance for bikes that meet the functional requirements of EN 15194. We support an assurance sticker approach working through retailers as the least-worst of the options available to Government.
The key question is who will bear the cost of this program: the government, retailers or riders themselves. This is not yet resolved. Bicycle Queensland believes the government should wear the cost.
How will medical exemptions work?
The legislation provides exemptions for people who cannot obtain a driver’s licence because of medical conditions or disabilities. Once again, the Government has put out some options to stakeholders about how this might work, but details are unresolved and not yet public.
These details will be particularly important for riders who rely on e-bikes and other e-mobility devices as a practical transport option.
Which locations are exempt?
Good question. The legislation allows for a list of locations where age and licencing requirements may not apply. This is expected to cover many mountain bike parks, rail trails and recreational riding locations throughout Queensland.
However, the locations must be specifically included within the approved list, creating uncertainty until the final details are published. Bicycle Queensland would prefer that all national parks and conservation parks be exempted. We await the Qld Government’s list.
How can this be enforced?
This remains the largest question.
Bicycle Queensland has been one of the strongest voices calling for more resources for the Queensland Police Service to enforce the rules on the illegal devices masquerading as e-bikes. The e-mobility laws do not include any additional resourcing for the police to do this task.
Queensland Police will now be responsible for enforcing a framework that includes device classifications, speed restrictions, licencing requirements, age requirements, compliance standards and location-specific exemptions.
How officers will determine whether a device is compliant, whether a rider qualifies for an exemption, or whether a path is classified as a footpath or shared path remains unclear. The new laws may be used alongside existing laws that already cover the use of unregistered motor vehicles (overpowered e-motorbikes that don’t meet EN 15194). It is going to take time for law enforcement to work out what they can and can’t do with their new powers.
We expect that, without additional resourcing, rider behaviour will be monitored and enforced infrequently, and very rarely outside known trouble-spots.
BQ will be closely monitoring how the legislation is implemented in practice.
What are the practical safety outcomes?
Bicycle Queensland supports efforts to improve safety and reduce serious injuries. However, concerns remain about whether the new laws address the primary source of risk.
The majority of serious incidents and fatalities involving e-mobility devices have involved non-compliant, high-powered devices that do not meet Queensland’s legal definition of an e-bike or personal mobility device. Yet even after these new laws are introduced, these products can still be imported and sold in Queensland shops under existing “private property use” provisions.
As a result, questions remain about whether the new laws will effectively target the non-compliant devices responsible for much of the dangerous and anti-social behaviour, or whether the changes will primarily impact riders already using safe, legal e-bikes responsibly.
Bicycle Queensland’s position
BQ will continue to work with the Queensland Government, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and the Queensland Police (QPS) to seek greater clarity around the new laws and ensure riders receive practical guidance on how to comply.
We encourage all riders to familiarise themselves with the new requirements, ride safely and stay informed as additional information becomes available. The full list of existing rules and those being introduced is online, for both e-scooters and e-bikes.
As further details are released, BQ will continue providing updates and advocating for laws that improve safety while supporting the uptake of safe, legal and sustainable transport and recreation options.
By becoming a member of Bicycle Queensland, you support BQ’s advocacy for bike riders in Queensland, and have insurance cover for bike riding – full details of membership inclusions can be read here.
