How Fast Can E-Scooters Legally Go in Australia?
Most states cap e-scooters at 25 km/h, with lower limits on footpaths. But Victoria uses 20 km/h, and NSW still doesn't allow private scooters in public at all.
The quick answer
- There's no single national e-scooter speed limit. Each state and territory sets its own rules.
- Most states cap e-scooters at 25 km/h on roads and paths, with lower limits on footpaths: 10 km/h in WA and SA, 12 km/h in Queensland, and 15 km/h in Tasmania and the ACT.
- Victoria caps riders at 20 km/h and bans footpath riding entirely.
- NSW still doesn't allow privately owned e-scooters in public places. Only shared scooters in approved trial areas are legal.
- Queensland's rules changed in mid-2026, with a 25 km/h device cap, a 12 km/h footpath limit, a minimum age of 16 and, since 31 August, a learner licence requirement.
E-scooters can go a lot faster than they used to. Performance models can top 60 km/h, which puts them closer to traffic speed than bike speed. Australian road rules haven't followed. Wherever you ride, there's a legal ceiling well below what many scooters can physically do, and it changes when you cross a state border.
If you're curious how fast your scooter can actually go, we cover that in How Fast Are Electric Scooters, Really? This post is about the other number: how fast you're allowed to go.
Two kinds of speed limit: what your scooter can do, and how fast you can ride
Australian e-scooter rules usually work in two layers.
The device limit describes the machine. In most states, a legal e-scooter (often called a personal mobility device, or PMD) must not be capable of going faster than 25 km/h. In Victoria, a device that can exceed 25 km/h isn't a legal e-scooter at all. Queensland now requires e-scooters to be limited to 25 km/h, with a transition period until 28 February 2027.
The riding limit describes you. Every state that allows e-scooters also sets maximum riding speeds, and they change depending on where you are: footpath, shared path, bike lane or road. Victoria's riding limit of 20 km/h applies even though the device itself can be capable of 25 km/h.
This is different from how we regulate cars. A car in a 40 km/h school zone could easily do several times that, and it's up to the licensed driver to slow down. You don't need a driver's licence to ride an e-scooter in most of Australia, so lawmakers leaned on the hardware as well as the rider's judgement. Queensland has gone the other way: since 31 August 2026, riders 16 and over need at least a learner licence.
A note on watts
Most Australian states regulate e-scooters mainly by speed capability rather than motor power. Where power does come up, it's usually the motor's rated (continuous) output, not the peak figure many brands lead with in their marketing. Peak power can be several times higher than the rated number, so check which one you're looking at. Our guide to reading e-scooter specs like a pro explains the difference.
The basic rule: no faster than is safe
On top of any device or posted limit, you must never ride faster than is safe for the conditions. Riding at 10 km/h along a busy footpath can still get you into trouble if it isn't safe for the people around you. Queensland has made this explicit with an offence for riding without due care and attention on paths. And if you hurt someone or damage property while riding too fast, you can be held financially responsible, whatever your scooter's top speed.
E-scooter speed limits by state and territory
Here's where things stand as of October 2026. Several states have changed their rules in the past year, and more changes are on the way.
Maximum e-scooter riding speeds, by state
| State | Speed limits | Other rules worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Private e-scooters not legal in public | Private scooters only on private property. Shared trial scooters: 20 km/h on roads and bike lanes, 10 km/h on shared paths, no footpaths. The NSW Government has committed to legalising private scooters, but no start date had been set as of October 2026. |
| VIC | 20 km/h | No footpath riding, ever. Shared paths, bike paths and roads up to 60 km/h. Riders 16 and up, helmet always. Devices capable of more than 25 km/h are illegal in public. |
| QLD | 25 km/h max; 12 km/h on footpaths and when passing pedestrians on shared paths | New rules from 1 July 2026: devices must be limited to 25 km/h (transition to 28 Feb 2027), roads up to 60 km/h allowed, riders 16 and up, police can seize illegal devices. Since 31 August, riders need at least a learner licence (supervised 12 to 17-year-olds exempt). |
| WA | 25 km/h; 10 km/h on footpaths and pedestrian crossings | Roads with no dividing lines and a limit of 50 km/h or less. Riders 16 and up, helmet required. |
| SA | 25 km/h on roads and bike paths; 10 km/h on footpaths, shared paths and beaches | Legal since 13 July 2025. Roads up to 50 km/h, or 60 km/h in a bike lane. Riders 16 and up. A review of the rules opened in June 2026. |
| TAS | 25 km/h; 15 km/h on footpaths | Legal since 1 December 2021. Roads up to 50 km/h with no dividing lines. |
| ACT | 25 km/h; 15 km/h on footpaths | Roads only via the shortest, safest route where no path is available. Devices capable of more than 25 km/h count as motor vehicles. Riders under 12 must be supervised. |
| NT | Private scooters: 10 km/h max, 200 W or less | Most retail e-scooters exceed these limits and can't be ridden in public. Beam hire scooters in Darwin are capped at 15 km/h, riders 18 and up. |
Information as of October 2026. See also our guides to e-scooter laws in Australia, e-scooter rules in Victoria and e-scooter legalisation in NSW.
Local signs and private property count too
Councils can ban e-scooters on specific paths with "no personal mobility devices" signs, and shopping centres, campuses and parks often have their own rules. Always follow local signage, even where state law allows scooters.
E-scooter speed limits outside Australia
If you travel with your scooter, or just want context, here's how a few other countries compare.
| Country | Speed limit | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Mostly 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h) | No federal limit. States set the rules, from 10 mph in Washington, DC to a full ban on public roads in Pennsylvania. |
| Canada | 24 to 32 km/h | No national limit. Provinces set the rules, often through pilot projects that cities must opt into. Toronto doesn't allow e-scooters at all. |
| Germany | 20 km/h | Device limit for street-legal scooters. |
| France and Spain | 25 km/h | Footpath riding is banned. |
| Italy | 20 km/h; 6 km/h in pedestrian areas | ID plates and insurance became mandatory in 2026. |
| United Kingdom | About 25 km/h (hire scooters only) | Private e-scooters are still illegal on public roads. Hire trials run to May 2028. |
Shared scooters vs. privately owned scooters
Many of Australia's e-scooter rules started life as rules for shared hire schemes. Trials ran in cities like Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, often with riders who'd never been on a scooter before. NSW is still in that phase: shared trial scooters are legal in approved areas, but your own scooter isn't, even inside a trial zone.
How e-scooter rules compare with e-bike rules
In Australia, the speed gap between e-scooters and e-bikes is smaller than in North America. Legal e-bikes stop providing motor assistance at 25 km/h, the same as most states' e-scooter cap. The bigger difference is where you can ride, and how the rules got there.
- How they arrived. E-scooters came to many cities through hire schemes, so rules were written around crowded CBDs and first-time riders. E-bikes grew largely through private ownership, so their rules grew up around commuters who own and maintain their bikes.
- How early scooters were built. First-generation scooters had small 7 or 8 inch wheels, no suspension and short wheelbases. Hitting a pothole or a kerb lip at speed on one of those was a real risk.
Privately owned scooters have come a long way since then, with larger tyres, real suspension and stronger brakes. In our view, rules like Victoria's 20 km/h cap deserve a fresh look as states review their frameworks. But that's an argument for public consultations, like SA's current review, not for the road.
Enforcement is getting stricter
As injuries rise, enforcement is picking up. From 1 July 2026, Queensland police can breath-test e-scooter riders and seize illegal devices. By the end of August they had issued more than 1,700 fines and seized almost 400 devices. Victoria also raised penalties when it made e-scooters permanent. Several states are also cracking down on high-powered devices sold as e-scooters or e-bikes.
Owning a fast scooter isn't illegal. Riding it on public roads and paths is, in every state. High-performance scooters are built for riders who know the difference and save top speed for private property where it's allowed.
How to ride responsibly
The more e-scooter riders show they can share space safely, the stronger the case for sensible rules as states review them. A few habits go a long way.
- Know your local limit, and remember it changes between footpaths, shared paths and roads.
- Wear a helmet. It's compulsory in every state and territory that allows e-scooters. A helmet won't prevent every injury, but it gives you a much better chance if you fall.
- Slow down around people. Being legal and being considerate aren't the same thing. Our scooter etiquette guide covers the basics, and our post on e-scooters in bike lanes looks at where scooters fit.
- Check the rules regularly. Queensland, SA and NSW have all had changes, reviews or announcements in the past year.
Just because your scooter can do 60 km/h doesn't mean it should, especially around other people. Ride safe, ride sane.
E-scooter speed limit FAQ
What is the e-scooter speed limit in Australia?
There's no national limit. Most states cap e-scooters at 25 km/h on roads and paths, with lower footpath limits of 10 to 15 km/h. Victoria caps riders at 20 km/h and bans footpath riding.
How fast can I ride an e-scooter on a footpath?
It depends on the state: 10 km/h in WA and SA, 12 km/h in Queensland, and 15 km/h in Tasmania and the ACT. Footpath riding is banned in Victoria and NSW.
Can I ride my own e-scooter in NSW?
Not in public places, as of October 2026. Privately owned e-scooters can only be ridden on private property. Shared e-scooters are allowed in approved trial areas. The NSW Government has proposed legalising private scooters, but the change hasn't commenced.
What changed in Queensland in July 2026?
From 1 July 2026, e-scooters must be limited to 25 km/h (with a transition to 28 February 2027), the footpath limit is 12 km/h, riders must be 16 or older, roads up to 60 km/h are allowed, and police can seize illegal devices. Since 31 August 2026, riders also need at least a learner licence.
Is it illegal to own an e-scooter that goes faster than 25 km/h?
Owning one is generally legal, and you can ride it on private property with permission. Riding it on public roads or paths is not, because a device capable of more than 25 km/h doesn't meet the legal definition of an e-scooter in most states.
Sources
- Transport for NSW: E-scooters
- Transport Victoria: E-scooter road rules
- ABC News: Queensland's new e-bike and e-scooter laws (1 July 2026)
- WA Road Safety Commission: eRideables
- Legal Services Commission of SA: E-scooter laws FAQ
- SA Department for Infrastructure and Transport: Review of e-scooter laws (June 2026)
- Tasmanian Legislation: Road Amendment (Personal Mobility Devices) Rules 2021
- Transport Canberra: E-scooters and mobility devices
- NT Government: Electric scooters and bikes
- Queensland Government: New e-bike and e-scooter laws start (learner licence from 31 August)
- UK Department for Transport: Rental e-scooter trials
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. E-scooter rules in Australia change often and vary by state, territory, council and property owner. Information as of October 2026. Always check current local rules before you ride.