E-Bike Rules in NSW (2026): What's Legal in Sydney

In New South Wales, a legal e-bike can have up to 500 watts of power, but the motor may only push you along without pedalling up to 6 km/h (walk-assist), must only help while you pedal above that, and must stop helping at 25 km/h. From 1 March 2029 the limit drops to 250 watts and only EN 15194 certified e-bikes will be allowed on NSW roads and paths. You don't need a licence or registration for a legal e-bike, but you must wear an approved helmet, and if you're 16 or older you generally can't ride on the footpath. Illegal e-bikes can now be seized and crushed. Each rule below links to its official NSW source.

Which e-bikes are legal in NSW?

Transport for NSW's e-bikes page and its 2026 Know the e-bike rules fact sheet say a legal e-bike must meet all of these:

• the motor can work without pedalling only up to 6 km/h (a walk-assist mode)
• between 6 km/h and 25 km/h, the motor only assists while you pedal
• the motor stops assisting once you reach 25 km/h
• the maximum power output is 500 watts (until the 2029 change below).

Transport for NSW says the motor must assist, not replace, your pedalling. Anything outside these limits is illegal on roads and paths, and it stays illegal even if the extra power or speed is turned off with a switch, app or software setting. Tampering with the motor, battery or controller can also make a legal bike illegal.

What's changing in 2029?

The NSW Government changed the definition of a legal e-bike in March 2026. According to Transport for NSW, from 1 March 2029:

• the maximum power drops from 500 watts to 250 watts
• only e-bikes certified to EN 15194, the European e-bike safety standard, will be allowed on NSW roads and paths.

Transport for NSW explains that EN 15194 covers the bike's construction and brakes, motor output, and electrical safety (battery, charger and controls), and suggests looking for the "EN 15194 EPAC" mark. Its advice is to buy an EN 15194 bike now, because it's legal today and will still be legal after 2029. If you're shopping, a 500-watt bike that isn't EN 15194 certified has a limited legal life in NSW.

Can illegal e-bikes be seized in NSW?

Yes. Transport for NSW says new seizure and crushing laws took effect on 21 August 2026, allowing NSW Police and authorised officers to seize illegal e-bikes used on roads and road-related areas and dispose of them. The NSW Government's March 2026 announcement says the laws target throttle-driven, high-powered "e-motorbikes", that a bike can be seized even if it was bought in error, and that a seized bike can't be reclaimed. Transport for NSW says illegal e-bikes can also attract significant penalties.

The same announcement says the government plans a minimum age for e-bike riders, but Transport for NSW's rules pages don't list one at the time of writing.

Do you need a licence or registration for an e-bike in NSW?

Not for a legal e-bike. Transport for NSW's e-bikes page treats e-bike riders like bicycle riders and contrasts them with motorcycles, which must be registered, insured and ridden by a licensed rider. A bike that performs like a motorbike is a different matter: it's illegal on public roads and paths and can be seized.

Can you ride an e-bike on the footpath in NSW?

Only in limited cases. Transport for NSW's road rules for bicycle riders say riders under 16 can ride on the footpath, and riders 16 or older can only do so while supervising a child under 16 who is riding. The 2026 fact sheet adds people who have, or are riding with someone who has, an exemption.

That's stricter than South Australia, where riders of any age can use footpaths, and similar to Victoria's rule (which uses an age of 13). See our guides to e-bike rules in South Australia and e-bike rules in Victoria for the details.

On shared paths, keep left, give way to pedestrians (including getting off and walking if needed), and overtake on the right.

Helmets, bells, lights and brakes

• Helmet: you must wear an approved helmet that's securely fitted and fastened, and so must any passenger. Transport for NSW points riders to Helmet STAR for comparing helmet safety, and our e-bike helmet guide covers what to look for.
• Bell and brakes: a working bell or horn and at least one working brake are required by law.
• Lights: between sunset and sunrise, and in bad weather, you need a white front light and a red rear light, each visible from at least 200 metres, plus a red rear reflector visible from at least 50 metres. Our e-bike lights guide has options.
• Passengers: only carry a passenger if the bike is designed for it.

Legal must-have

Knog Oi Classic

A slim bell from Australian brand Knog that wraps around the handlebar, so it squeezes in beside an e-bike's display and controls. It covers the bell requirement and gives walkers on busy shared paths like the Bay Run or the Cooks River path a friendly warning. It comes in small and large sizes for different bar diameters.

• Fits crowded e-bike handlebars
• Clear, pleasant ring
• Several finishes

• Choose the right size for your bar
• Quieter than a big traditional bell in heavy traffic

Check price on Amazon AU

Can you use your phone on an e-bike in NSW?

Only in two ways, according to Transport for NSW: hands-free for calls and audio, or in a commercially made holder fixed to the bike (without blocking your view) for calls, audio and navigation or delivery apps. Texting, video calls, email, social media, browsing and taking photos aren't allowed, and you must never hold the phone or rest it on your body. A proper bike phone mount keeps your maps legal.

For legal navigation

Quad Lock Out Front Mount

A commercially made, bar-mounted holder that puts your phone ahead of the stem where you can glance at it without taking your hands off the bars.

• Very secure twist-lock
• Keeps the phone in your line of sight
• Quick on and off

• Needs a Quad Lock case or adaptor
• Check it fits around your e-bike's display

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Other riding rules worth knowing

• Two abreast: you can ride side by side with one other rider, no more than 1.5 metres apart.
• Hook turns: you can make a hook turn on a bike; signalling isn't required but Transport for NSW strongly recommends it.
• No-bicycle areas: you can't ride where "No Bicycle" signs are displayed, including on motorways and in tunnels.
• Food delivery riders must also wear a high-visibility vest and complete training, according to Transport for NSW.

Can you take an e-bike on Sydney trains, Metro and light rail?

According to Transport for NSW's travelling with bikes page:

• Sydney Trains and Intercity trains: bikes travel free at any time, though peak-hour travel with a bike is discouraged.
• Metro: free at any time. Stand in the multi-purpose areas in the first and last carriages.
• NSW TrainLink regional trains: bikes must be booked in advance as luggage, and weight limits and charges apply.
• Buses: bikes aren't allowed on any buses, including train replacement buses.
• Light rail and ferries: Sydney light rail and Sydney Ferries take bikes free when there's room; Newcastle light rail only takes folding bikes.

Converted e-bikes are banned. Since 1 November 2025, Transport for NSW has banned converted e-bikes (a pedal bike fitted with a motor and battery), and the lithium batteries that power them, from Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink and Metro carriages and platforms. The fine is $400, with a maximum penalty of $1,100. Factory-built e-bikes are still allowed.

Battery and product safety rules

NSW also has its own safety rules for e-bikes, batteries and chargers. According to the NSW Government's lithium-ion battery standards page, from 1 February 2026 these products must be certified before they're sold, and the e-bike, battery and charger must each carry an electrical safety approval mark on the product itself. Swapping in a different battery or charger creates an uncertified combination. Our guide to e-bike battery fire safety at home covers safe charging and storage.

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