New e-bike laws bring huge fines and confiscation powers

E-bike riders could face hefty penalties including having their bike confiscated and destroyed under new legislation expected to be passed in NSW parliament today.

The ‘Road Transport Amendment (Non-registrable Motor Vehicles) Bill 2026’ targets the growing number of throttle-only, high-powered e-motorbikes that the NSW Government says are “fuelling dangerous anti-social behaviour, community frustration and serious injuries”.

“We’re making sure families and pedestrians can safely enjoy their neighbourhoods and public spaces,” said NSW premier, Chris Minns, announcing the new legislation on social media today.

The legislation is based on similar seize and crush laws in Western Australia. 

NSW will be the first state to introduce roadside dyno units, which are able to test if an e-bike can go faster than the 25 km/h limit.

If police and transport officers find the e-bike is in breach of the new laws – in effect the e-bike performs like a motorbike – they will have powers to seize and crush the bike.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe on footpaths and shared paths,” said NRMA director of policy and public affairs, Rob Giltinan. “We’ve seen behaviour that is clearly dangerous and unacceptable, including high-speed riding in pedestrian areas and devices being modified to the point where they effectively operate as motorbikes.”

The NRMA supports the introduction of a registration framework for e-bikes, similar to that originally proposed by the NSW Opposition. The legislative groundwork for this is now underway in the recently tabled ‘Road Legislation Amendment (E-Bike Regulation) Bill 2026’.

In addition to registration and rider licensing, this bill also seeks to restrict e-bikes to 10km/h when travelling on footpaths and shared paths.

Any e-bike rider breaking this speed limit would be subject to a fine of 20 penalty units, which translates to a whopping $2200 fine.

An amendment to the Road Transport Act 2013 would also prohibit the modification or riding of an e-bike that would allow electric power supply to continue to power the e-bike:

(a) at a speed above 6km/h without the rider of the e-bike pedalling,

(b) at a speed above 25km/h with the rider of the e-bike pedalling.

“Strong enforcement has a role to play, but holistic and lasting safety comes from getting the whole system right,” said Mr Giltinan. “What we want to see now is a proportionate registration and tamper-proof identification scheme for e-bikes, as well as e-scooters if they become legal in NSW, so compliant devices are easy to identify and illegal modifications are harder to make.”