General information, not legal advice, and about New South Wales only: the Road Rules say themselves that different rules may apply in other Australian jurisdictions. The rule text here was read from an archived copy of the Road Rules 2014 dated 13 November 2025, so check the current version and Transport for NSW’s e-bike FAQs before relying on it.
footpathsWho may ride on a footpath
Rule 250(1) says a bicycle rider aged 16 or older must not ride on a footpath unless one of these applies:
- the rider is an adult accompanying and supervising a child under 16 who is riding on the footpath;
- the rider is not an adult, is accompanying a child under 16 riding there, and both are supervised by an adult;
- the rider is a postal worker riding in the course of their duties as a postal worker; or
- the rider is carrying a passenger under 10 on the bicycle or in a bicycle trailer, and the bicycle is not a pedicab.
A rider carrying a medical certificate saying they should be allowed on the footpath because of a medical condition is also exempt while following its conditions, and so is anyone accompanying them, but only if the certificate is produced straight away when an authorised person asks, and not where a bicycle path or shared path is available near the footpath (r 250(1A) to (1C-1)). Anyone riding on a footpath or shared path must keep left unless it is impracticable and give way to pedestrians (r 250(2)). Rule 250(1) and (2) each carry a maximum of 20 penalty units. The E-Bike FAQs, modified 23 September 2026, list the fine for adults riding on footpaths as $140.
Delivery work is not among the exceptions. The postal-worker exception is limited to a postal worker riding in the course of those duties.
helmetsThe helmet rule
Rule 256(1) requires a bicycle rider to wear an approved bicycle helmet securely fitted and fastened, unless exempt under another law, with a maximum of 20 penalty units. Among the fines the E-Bike FAQs list, no helmet is “from $423”.
on the roadLanes, paths and traffic
- A rider on a road with a bicycle lane for their direction must use it unless that is impracticable (r 247).
- On a bicycle path, footpath, separated footpath or shared path, a rider keeps left of oncoming riders (r 251).
- A rider must not ride where a “no bicycles” sign or marking applies (r 252).
- A rider must not create a traffic hazard by moving into a driver’s or pedestrian’s path (r 253).
- A rider must not follow within 2 metres behind a moving motor vehicle for more than 200 metres continuously (r 255).
These are a selection of the bicycle rules, each with a maximum of 20 penalty units. Councils can also ban e-bikes on roads and paths with “no bicycle” signs.
e-bikesWhich e-bikes count as bicycles
In the copy read, the Dictionary’s definition of “bicycle” includes two kinds of power-assisted bike:
- a power-assisted pedal cycle under the national road vehicle standards, other than one with an internal combustion engine; and
- an electrically power-assisted bicycle with a maximum continued rated power of 500 watts, whose power reduces progressively above 6 km/h and cuts off when the bicycle reaches 25 km/h, or when the rider stops pedalling above 6 km/h.
It excludes a wheelchair, wheeled recreational device or wheeled toy, any vehicle with an internal combustion engine, and any other vehicle with an auxiliary motor that can produce more than 200 watts, whether or not the motor is running. The NSW Government’s page on choosing a legal e-bike says that, “To be permitted on NSW roads and paths, power-assisted pedal cycles”:
- “must have one or more motors attached with a combined maximum power output of up to 200 watts”
- “can’t be propelled only by the motor/s”
- “weighs less than 50kg (including batteries)”
- “must have a height-adjustable seat.”
The E-Bike FAQs add that a bike able to run above 500 watts is illegal even if software limits it, that an e-bike modified out of the legal types may attract penalties for riding an uninsured, unregistered motor vehicle, and that a legal e-bike needs no registration or driver’s licence.
what is comingThe change announced for 2029
The NSW Government announced in December 2025 a plan to cap e-bikes at 250 watts of continuous rated power, and a media release of 20 February 2026 said NSW would adopt the European standard EN 15194. The FAQs, modified 23 September 2026, still say e-bikes up to 500 W “are currently legal” and that the Government is working to change the Road Rules “as soon as possible”. They say that from 1 March 2029 e-bikes must comply with EN 15194 to be used on NSW roads, and that after that date non-compliant bikes can be seized. A release of 28 May 2026 says a bill letting NSW Police and Transport authorised officers seize illegal e-bikes, and Transport for NSW crush them, passed the NSW Parliament; the sources read for this guide do not show when those powers start. Until the rules change, these are announcements, not the rules in force.
The February release also said a minimum age to ride an e-bike was being introduced, after an expert review; the sources read for this guide do not show the decision.
at workWhere work rules meet road rules
None of the rules above has an exception for delivery work. On top of them, a NSW platform must train a food delivery rider and supply high-vis gear, and under the on-demand delivery order fines are the worker’s to pay unless incurred by following the platform’s express direction.