Photograph of a woman wearing a helment and riding an e-scooter in a Melbourne bike lane
Road rules and safety

E-scooter road rules

You can ride an e-scooter in Victoria, as long as you follow certain rules.


From 4 October 2024, higher fines apply for riding on the footpath, not wearing a helmet, riding with a passenger, riding while drinking alcohol, speeding, or riding if you're underage. 

New fines also apply for passengers riding on an e-scooter, including a higher fine for not wearing a helmet.

A new safety campaign has been released in partnership with the TAC to make riders aware of the new rules and fines.

Next year, new laws will set minimum standards for share-hire e-scooter companies. These companies will need to be prequalified to operate in Victoria, including installing new safety technology on their e-scooters.

The e-scooter trial has ended, and e-scooters are legal to use across Victoria. 

All riders need to follow the rules to keep everyone safe. If you don’t, you could face hefty fines or even lose your driver licence.

From 4 October 2024, higher fines apply for riding on the footpath, not wearing a helmet, riding with a passenger, riding while drinking alcohol, speeding, or riding if you're underage. 

New fines also apply for passengers riding on an e-scooter, including a higher fine for not wearing a helmet.

A new safety campaign has  been released in partnership with the TAC to make riders aware of the new rules and fines.

Next year, new laws will set minimum standards for share-hire e-scooter companies. These companies will need to be prequalified to operate in Victoria, including installing new safety technology on their e-scooters.

You can ride hired and privately owned e-scooters in Victoria under strict rules. 

You don't need a licence to ride an e-scooter in Victoria. However, your driver's licence can be affected if you ride an e-scooter while affected by alcohol or drugs. See drink and drug-driving offences.

What you must do

E-scooter riders must:

  • be aged 16 or over
  • wear a helmet
  • ride at no more than 20 km/h
  • ride on:
    • shared-use paths
    • bicycle paths
    • roads with a speed limit of up to 60 km/h
  • use flashing or steady front and rear lights, if riding at night or in low light
  • park responsibly somewhere that does not disrupt pedestrians or pose a safety hazard
  • keep to approved areas if using a hired e-scooter.

What you can't do

If you're riding an e-scooter, you can't:

  • ride on the footpath
  • ride an e-scooter capable of more than 25km/h
  • ride on roads with a speed limit above 60km/h
  • ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol (you can be breath tested and lose your licence)
  • use a mobile phone
  • carry passengers or animals
  • ride in tandem (side by side).

Penalties for e-scooter riders

The rules for e-scooters are published in the Road Safety Road Rules 2017. Some specific e-scooter rules are listed in Part 15.

Some penalties are listed below. You can get more than one fine if you're breaking multiple rules. Penalty values are current as of 4 October 2024.

OffencePenalty amount
Exceed 0.05 BAC or zero presence for prescribed drugsSee drink and drug-driving offences, which applies to drivers and e-scooter riders.
Ride a non-compliant e-scooter (i.e. one capable of travelling faster than 25km/h, which is considered an unregistered motor vehicle)$988
Failing to wear helmet$395
Ride e-scooter on a footpath$296
Ride e-scooter if under 16 years of age$198
Riding with a passenger$247
Riding as a passenger$247, increasing to $642 if not wearing a helmet.
Ride e-scooter on a road with a speed-limit greater than 60 km/h$198
Exceed speed limit on e-scooter (20 km/h max)$247
Drinking alcohol while riding$395
Ride e-scooter alongside another rider (riding 2 abreast)$198
Use a handheld mobile phone whilst riding$593
Fail to obey traffic lights$494
Ride the e-scooter alongside another rider (riding 2 abreast)$198

In Victoria, a legal e-scooter is a device which:

  • has a maximum speed of 25 km/h when ridden on level ground
  • transports a person while the person is standing or seated
  • has two wheels (one in front of the other)
  • has a footboard between the front and rear wheels
  • is steered by a handlebar.

You can be fined for riding an e-scooter in public if it doesn't meet these requirements.

Hire schemes

It's up to individual councils to decide if they'd like hire e-scooters in their area.

Hire providers must have an agreement with the relevant local council authority to operate in that area. Failure to obtain such an agreement will make the operation of the hire scheme devices illegal.

We have developed a best practice guide for councils to assist them with managing hire e-scooter schemes, including parking management and operator insurance requirements.

View in other languages