“This will ensure that our paths and roads are absolutely safe for everybody, not just for e-mobility riders but also for pedestrians and other path users.
Nation-leading e-bike and e-scooter reforms further strengthened
The second phase of Queensland’s nation-leading e-mobility laws have come into effect, now requiring riders to be aged 16 and over with at least a Learners’ Licence.
Parents hold responsibility for children under 16 caught riding e-bikes or e-scooters illegally, facing fines of $518.
Exemptions including children aged 12 to 17 riding supervised by their parents and people who are unable to hold a licence due to medical reasons or a disability.
Valid interstate and international licences are accepted, but riders with a suspended or disqualified licence are prohibited from riding an e-mobility device.
The new reforms were designed in response to feedback from Queenslanders, who wanted stronger action to target hoons terrorising the community.
Land Transport Safety Regulation General Manager Joanna Robinson from Department of Transport and Main Roads said the Queensland Government was delivering safety where we lived through these reforms.
“We want everybody who is riding an e-mobility device to actually know the road rules in order to be safe when riding on the paths and roads,” she said.
“We have seen a number of injuries and fatalities of people that have been riding e-mobility devices, and we want to make sure that everybody gets home safely.”
E-mobility riders now require to be 16 years and older with a licence as Queensland police are out in force to ensure the new reforms are being enforced.
The new requirements that commenced on Monday, 31 August 2026 strengthen the first phase of laws introduced on 1 July, allowing stronger police powers to seize and destroy illegal devices, random breath testing of riders in public places and higher penalties for dangerous riding.
Queensland Police Service Acting Deputy Commissioner Rhys Wildman said there was a cultural shift from unlawful behaviour on the roads to riding safely since new laws were introduced.
“These laws are about holding offenders to account and preventing harm in our community,” he said.
Mr Wildman said the new laws were in response to the challenges faced with e-mobility devices in Queensland.
“E-mobility devices were introduced without a regulatory framework and as a result, we saw rider behaviour that is dangerous that put fear into our community - so these laws are important for making that change,” he said.
“This is around accountability for individuals using them when they shouldn’t be or riding them in a manner that is dangerous and reckless, including riding intoxicated.
“The new laws are about preventing harm in the community and reducing lives lost on our roads because so far, we’ve already seen six lives lost on our roads through e-mobility devices and that has to change.”
For more information, visit E-Bike rules in Queensland - qld.gov.au and Get a driver licence exemption for riding an e-mobility device - qld.gov.au
- Last updated:
- 3 September 2026