E-Bike Riders Required to Have Licence-Be 16+ in QLD: New Bill Passed
QLD has also now passed laws to seize and crush illegal e-bikes and also will reuqire riders to be 16+ and have a licence
Debated during the Second Reading over June 3 and June 4, the Transport and Other Legislation (Managing E-mobility Use and Protecting Our Communities) Amendment Bill 2026 requires Riders must be 16 and with a licence from 31 August 2026, parents will be fined for under 16s riding illegally from 1 July, and compliance labelling for e-bikes will be mandatory by 28 February 2027.
Similar to the changes proposed in June 2025 by Independent MP for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby in her Road Legislation Amendment (E-Bike Regulation) Bill 2025, which sought to redefine e-Bikes as legally different from pushbikes, expand the Minister’s powers to allow licensing and registration, and limit speeds on footpaths, the passage of the Queensland version of new measures have been widely discussed locally as it lists many of the rules locals wanted applied in New South Wales.
Late last year Liberal Manly MP James Griffin backed the coalition announcement that it would, if elected, introduce similar requirements. NSW Leader of the Opposition Kellie Sloane said that the election commitment puts community safety at the centre of nation-leading e-bike regulation.
“The safety of riders, especially children, and our wider community has been an ongoing concern. We have heard too many horror stories linked to e-bike misuse,” Ms Sloane said.
“An elected NSW Liberal and Nationals Government will take a practical, comprehensive approach to ensure safety is front and centre of future e-bike regulation.”
“Our low-cost registration and license plate scheme will ensure rider safety standards are clear and can be enforced.”
See March 226 report: Scruby Launches Legislation to Tackle E-bike Safety: E-bike training at Local school proves education and registration works
December 2025 report: NSW Coalition Announces it will introduce license plate scheme for e-bikes if elected: Pittwater MP Scruby Urges They back her Bill for same
Jacqui Scruby, Independent MP for Pittwater stated in response to the changes in Queensland:
“Queensland’s legislative changes are a great step forward in implementing a comprehensive framework to ensure orderly and safe use of e-bikes as they continue to grow in popularity. Holding parents accountable will also promote better parenting.
However, I don’t think it will stop kids from ignoring age limits and riding illegal bikes dangerously and police are still left with enforcement issues. The focus should include teaching road rules, licencing, registration and insurance which deters poor riding and provide an accountability mechanism. Government’s also need to invest in proper cycling infrastructure to keep pedestrians and riders safe.”
NSW Parliament has now passed legislation giving police powers to confiscate and not return any illegal e-Bike. However, it will not be in force for a number of weeks.
The Minns NSW Government's version of e-bike laws did not pass measures requiring riders to have a licence or insurance, which the MP for Pittwater had called for after a series of recent accidents on local roads and footpaths, one leaving a person impacted with over 30 thousand dollars in medical bills. The e-bike rider fled the scene without leaving any details, or even checking if the lady they'd hit was alright. With no licensing system in place for either rider or their e-bike, there is no recourse in New South Wales for those being struck by these vehicles who then flee without leaving details.
Ms Scruby did move amendments to the government's Bill, but all amendments by others were rejected.
See report from last Issue: State Government's Road Transport Amendment (Non-registrable Motor Vehicles) Bill 2026 Passed: Illegal e-bikes can now be seized-crushed
“It’s a blunt instrument but it’s the circuit breaker to entitlement that we need. The police don’t have the capacity to take every illegal bike, but even just a few seized and the word will out and it will soon be understood that illegal riding isn’t without consequences and you’re not ‘untouchable’. It will have knock on effects to improve antisocial behaviour as kids won’t want to draw police’s attention to themselves and risks their expensive bike.
However, we can’t crush our way out of our e-bike problem and this law falls short of a comprehensive framework that we need to manage the exponential uptake of e-bikes. I will re-enter my bill to support licencing and registration.” the MP for Pittwater stated
Ms Scruby has organised a number of community forums across the electorate in coming weeks. In response to a direct request form constituents she is holding a meeting at Avalon Bowling Club on Tuesday 9 June at 6:30pm with the Local Area Commander and key community stakeholders.
All welcome.
Due to a Council Meeting, the Mayor and Councillors are not available to attend. Ms Scruby has advised some members of the public to attend the Council meeting to have their voice heard on this issue at that forum.
Between 2022 and 2025 more than 6,300 injuries related to e-scooters were reported at emergency departments across 36 Queensland hospitals. In 2025 alone, more than 2,000 Queenslanders presented to emergency departments with e-mobility injuries. That is a 23 per cent increase on the previous year and a staggering 45 per cent increase on 2023. In 2025, 14 people were killed in e-mobility incidents across Queensland.
Under the changes in Queensland children aged between 12 and 17 years will still be able to ride e-mobility devices under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian. Medical exemption frameworks will apply for individuals unable to hold drivers’ licences for legitimate medical reasons, and exemptions may also be prescribed for recreational settings such as rail trails and mountain bikes.
The amendments also recognise compliance with European standard EN15194 and establish an assurance scheme with Transport and Main Roads oversight to certify compliant e-bikes across Queensland. This provides certainty for consumers, clarity for retailers and, importantly, confidence for enforcement agencies.
The bill aims to strengthen pedestrian safety by introducing a 12-kilometre-per-hour speed limit on footpaths when riders are passing pedestrians on shared paths. This had first been listed as a 10-kilometre-per-hour limit prior to the government amending its own bill after a report on the same tabled its recommendations.
Even at that speed, residents here have stated, if you are hit by one of these vehicles on a footpath you will sustain injuries.
Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said the Crisafulli Government was responding to concerns from the community around e-scooter and e-bike use in Queensland.
“Our reforms are based on extensive community and expert consultation, and they strike the right balance between keeping Queenslanders safe from those doing the wrong thing, while backing those who do the right thing.
“We promised to deliver nation-leading laws about who can ride, what they can ride, where they can ride, and how fast – and our laws will do exactly that.”
Under Queensland's new laws:
- Police can seize and destroy illegal devices from 1 July.
- Random Breath Tests by Police will enforce drink riding for riders of e-bikes, bicycles, e-scooters and other Personal Mobility Devices in public places from 1 July. 0.05 BAC applies.
- Devices faster than 25km/h will be banned. E-bikes, e-scooters, and other Personal Mobility Devices must be restricted so they can’t exceed 25km/h unassisted.
- 12km/h speed limits will apply on footpaths and when passing pedestrians on shared paths for e-bikes, e-scooters and other Personal Mobility Devices from 1 July.
- E-scooters, e-skateboards or e-unicycles can by ridden on roads, including on-road bike lanes, with a speed limit of up to 60km/h from 1 July. Riders can only go to a maximum speed of 25km/h.
- Higher penalties will apply for speeding, failure to wear a helmet, careless riding, illegally carrying passengers and riding e-scooters, e-skateboards or e-unicycles on prohibited roads from 1 July.
- Riders must be 16 with a licence from 31 August. Some with exemptions* for medical conditions and disabilities, and the ability for 12-17 year olds to ride under parental supervision will apply.
- Parents will be fined for under 16s riding illegally, from 1 July.
- Compliance labelling for e-bikes* will be mandatory, by 28 February 2027.
*Information about the exemptions and an assurance scheme to help e-bike owners comply with the new labelling requirements will be available on this website after 31 August 2026.
New and increased penalties are:
- Not wearing a helmet – $518
- Doubling – $518
- Riding on a prohibited road – $518
- Careless riding – $518
- Speeding – $345 to $1,986 depending on speed
- Drink riding – $518 to $6,908 (maximum court imposed)
- Unsafe parking – $172
- Parents can be fined for children under 16 years riding illegally (illegal device, underage or unlicensed) – $518
The Queensland government stated ''The nation-leading reforms focus on strengthening accountability for riders, parents and suppliers. They provide advice on who can ride, what they can ride, where and how fast – to keep all road users safe.
Enforcement will target the most dangerous behaviours on roads and paths, with riders facing higher penalties for disobeying the new laws.''
Queensland currently has 230,000 legal e-bikes and 70,000 legal e-scooters.
The NSW Version, the Road Transport Amendment (Non-registrable Motor Vehicles) Bill 2026, passed the NSW Parliament on Thursday May 28 2026.
This government stated the new law is part of the NSW Government drawing a clear line on e-bikes: 'we want young people outdoors and active, but we will not tolerate illegal, high-powered e-motorbikes putting lives at risk and being part of anti-social behaviour'.
As well as introducing the crushing machinery, the Government states it has invested in a number of ‘dyno units’ that measure whether the speed of an e-bike is beyond the legal maximum.
The portable test units can determine whether the e-bike’s power assistance cuts out completely at 25km/h as per the law in NSW. If an e-bike is found to be non-compliant at the roadside, Police will be empowered to seize it and ultimately crush the bike to ensure it does not return to the road.
Police in Western Australia have confiscated and crushed dozens of bikes since adopting tougher laws there. The first dyno unit from Europe has been received by Transport for NSW, with more on order.
The seize and crush laws build on a series of key initiatives from the Minns Government to crackdown on illegal e-bikes and dangerous behaviour, including:
- Sustaining Strike Force Puma to target dangerous e-bike and e-motorbike rideouts.
- Reducing the 500-watt e-bike power limit to 250-watts – bringing NSW into line with other states.
- Bringing NSW into line with the rest of Australia by bringing in the EN15194 standard after a transition period.
- Implementing a minimum age limit for e-bike use.
- Introduced Australia’s first shared scheme legislation giving councils the powers to enforce no-go and go-slow zones, control parking, ensure helmet provision and insurance for riders.
- Introduced new safety standards for lithium-ion batteries and banned modified e-bikes from trains and metros to reduce the risk of fires.
In NSW, if you're 16 years or older and not supervising a child under 16 years riding a bike, you can’t ride on the footpath.
However, the growing calls for requiring licences and bike identification, so there is some recourse for those struck by them on footpaths, and for the police to be able to identify those doing the wrong thing, continue to be ignored.
E-bike emergency presentations to NSW hospitals have surged in recent years, prompting trauma centres like St Vincent's Hospital and the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, along with local schools, to actively run safety education and injury prevention courses.
There were 200 e-bike related presentations to the St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Emergency Department (ED) alone in 2025, up from 103 in 2024 and 45 in 2023.
Roughly 10% of adult e-bike trauma patients end up in the ICU. Hospitals are also treating a rapidly rising number of injured young people, with 150+ children hospitalised across the state.
Over half of serious crash patients reported riding at speeds over 25km/h, often on illegally modified bikes. Many incidents also occur at night, frequently involving alcohol and a lack of proper helmets.