Victoria & E-Bike Laws
Official 2026 guide to e-bike regulations, compliance requirements and penalties in Victoria.
Max Power
250W
Speed Cut
25 km/h
Footpaths
Under 13 only
Standard
EN 15194
The Real Risk
15+ Australians died in e-mobility incidents in 2025 (NRMA). A University of Melbourne study identified 37 fatal e-scooter incidents nationally between 2020 and 2025 — more than one in three involved a child under 18. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's first national report found hospitalisations for falls involving powered scooters nearly tripled between 2019–20 and 2024–25 (4,089 in 2024–25), with the rate for boys aged 12–15 up 15-fold (AIHW; hospital data can't yet separate e-scooters from other powered scooters). Emergency department physicians nationwide report treating preventable injuries from non-compliant e-bikes — head trauma, broken bones, missing teeth, and fatalities — prompting the AMA to call weakened state laws a "shocking disregard for safety."
2,778 ED presentations
Monash University's Accident Research Centre, using Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset figures, recorded 2,778 e-micromobility emergency department presentations in Victoria between 2017/18 and 2022/23 (534 e-bike-specific) — the e-bike presentation rate rose more than 15-fold over that period.
SourceThese are the outcomes this page exists to help Victoria riders and parents avoid — not just fines.
Key Regulatory Dates
Dec 2025
DIY-converted e-bikes banned from Metro trains and station ticketing areas, over fire risk from mismatched batteries and aftermarket conversions. Factory-built e-bikes and e-scooters are still permitted but must be switched off and can't be ridden or charged on board. Only foldable e-bikes/e-scooters are allowed on trams and PTV buses.
The Compliance Sticker Rule
Every new e-bike sold for use on Victoria roads or shared paths must be an EPAC (Electrically Power Assisted Cycle). Legality is determined by the manufacturer's label and certified power output.
Sticker Rating ≤ 250W
Legal for road use. Motor assistance must cut out at 25 km/h.
Sticker Rating > 250W
Classified as a Motorcycle. Illegal for unlicensed riders.
Report Unsafe Riding or an Illegal E-Bike
In immediate danger, call 000.
Unsafe or illegal riding — non-emergency
Call 131 444 to report a suspected illegal or dangerously ridden e-bike.
Report online to Victoria PolicePrefer to stay anonymous?
Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 — a national, anonymous tip line for reporting a pattern of illegal riding or sales.
Retailer selling non-compliant e-bikes?
Report it to your state's fair trading / consumer affairs body — 1300 55 81 81.
Consumer Affairs Victoria — product safety complaintEnforcement & News
Royal Melbourne Hospital/RACV Study: 1 in 4 Injured Riders Under Legal Age
A multicentre study led by Royal Melbourne Hospital and funded by RACV tracked 644 e-scooter and e-bike injuries across ambulance services and five Victorian emergency departments (Nov 2025–May 2026). Of 482 e-scooter riders treated, 133 (about 1 in 4) were under the legal riding age. Among hospitalised patients, 92% needed medical imaging, 58% underwent surgery, and 35 riders (5%) had life-threatening injuries — including one death. Researchers are calling for better injury monitoring and more study of how speed contributes to serious crashes.
OPERATION TRACK — Vic Police Drones Follow Illegal Riders Home
Victoria Police's High Visibility Community Engagement Team (HiCET) deployed drones on the Mornington Peninsula to pursue illegal e-bike riders to their homes and make arrests. First two months: 4 unregistered motorcycles impounded, 9 arrests. The approach closes the loophole of riders abandoning bikes and fleeing on foot. Victoria's fine for riding an unregistered motor vehicle is $1,018.
OPERATION CONSIDER — Melbourne CBD Blitz: 52% Non-Compliant
Vic Police ran targeted Melbourne CBD blitzes: 135 e-bikes intercepted, 52% found non-compliant, 257 infringements issued. The operation was relaunched and expanded in June 2026. From 1 February 2025, Victorian retailers may only sell e-bikes meeting AS/NZS 15194:2018 and IEC 62133 standards — non-compliant stock can be seized.
MEDICAL COMMUNITY RAISES NATIONAL E-BIKE SAFETY CONCERNS
AMA Queensland formally criticised weakened state e-mobility laws as a "shocking disregard for safety," warning that insufficient age restrictions put children at risk nationally. Emergency department physicians across Australia report treating preventable injuries — head trauma, broken bones, missing teeth, and fatalities. The AMA has called on all state and federal governments to enact evidence-based safety legislation rather than yielding to industry and lobby pressure.
ONLINE SELLERS CAUGHT USING FAKE COMPLIANCE STICKERS
ABC News revealed online and overseas e-bike sellers were applying fake compliance stickers to high-powered, non-compliant bikes to help buyers evade police detection. The federal government reintroduced the EN 15194 national standard in late 2025 so certified bikes are verifiably safe and legal — but a genuine-looking sticker alone doesn't guarantee a bike is actually compliant. The government has flagged possible changes to national consumer law, including mandatory safety standards and bans on unsafe products.
FEDERAL: EN 15194 IMPORT STANDARD, ACCC FUNDING & NATIONAL STANDARD DIRECTION
From 24 December 2025, the Commonwealth requires EN 15194:2017 (or later) for all e-bikes imported as bicycles — agreed at the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers' Meeting. In May 2026, the Federal Government allocated $6.6 million over three years for the ACCC to develop a mandatory national safety standard covering speed limits, power caps, battery fire safety and consumer labelling. Following the 30 July 2026 Consumer Affairs Ministers' Meeting, the Government formally directed the ACCC to build that standard under the Australian Consumer Law — the same sale rules in every state and territory, drawing "a firm line against high-powered, high-speed devices." No completion date has been announced. NRMA reported at least 15 Australians died in e-mobility incidents in 2025.
Is the bike rated at 250W or less on the manufacturer's label?
Check the frame or near the motor. The bike must carry an EN 15194 certification mark to be legal for road use in Victoria.
Penalties at a Glance
Illegal e-bikes classified as motor vehicles
Mandatory CTP insurance required
Criminal record implications
Adults not permitted on footpaths
Approved helmet mandatory. Amount indexed annually to VIC penalty units
Is your house at risk?
If an underage rider causes injury on an illegal e-bike, the financial fallout is catastrophic.
01. NO INSURANCE
Home & Contents policies exclude "unregistered motor vehicles." Illegal e-bikes are motorbikes.
02. ASSET SEIZURE
Your family home and personal assets can be seized to pay legal judgments.