E-Scooters and Personal Mobility Devices

15 July

E-Scooters and other Personal Mobility Devices (PMD) such as E-Skateboards and E-Solo Wheels are now legally allowed to be used. From Sunday 13th of July, 2025 the Department for Infrastructure and Transport has allowed E-Scooters and PMDs to be a legal form of transport throughout South Australia. Previously a trial had been run throughout the City of Adelaide for E-Scooters to be hired for use through the Adelaide CBD. This trial has now concluded and businesses are free to stage E-Scooters through Greater Adelaide.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport states a rider must:

be aged 16 years or over
always wearing a helmet
never riding while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Not pose a safety hazard to pedestrians

Failure to do so could result in hefty fines and loss of demerit points.

It is against the law to ride an e-scooter or other PMD on public land if it doesn't meet South Australian device requirements.

A legal PMD is a device which:

has at least one wheel
is designed for one person
is propelled by an electric motor
is 45kg or less
can stop using brakes, gears or motor control
has no sharp protrusions
meets electrical safety standards
is no more than 125cm long, 70cm wide and 135cm high
must have a bell, horn or similar warning device in working order.

While a licence is not required to operate a PMD, rules will be enforced and heavy penalties will follow for those not following the rules.

You can legally ride a PMD:

on footpaths, shared paths, beaches and road crossings but not travel no faster than a maximum speed of 10km/h.
on separated footpaths, bicycle paths or bicycle lanes (physically separated from other traffic) no faster than a maximum speed of 25km/h.
on bike lanes (where the maximum road speed limit is no greater than 50km/h) with a maximum speed of 25km/h.
to the left on any road where there is no bike lane (where the maximum speed limit is no greater than 50km/h) with a maximum speed of 25km/h.

You must ride your PMD in the bicycle lane if you are on a road that has a bicycle lane (for roads where the maximum speed limit is not greater than 50km/h).

E-scooters will be permitted on roads where the maximum speed limit is 60km/h but must ride in the bicycle lane. Riders must stick to the maximum speed limit of 25km/h. If a bicycle lane on a 60km/h road is only operational during specific times, e-scooters are only permitted on them during those times. In other cases, they must switch to the footpath.

PMDs (that are not e-scooters) must only travel on roads where the speed limit is 50km/h or less, except:

when something is blocking the footpath, bike path, or shared path next to the road, and the rider needs to use the road for less than 50 metres to get around it
to cross the road.

For bike lanes and roads where the speed limit is less than 25km/h, you must follow the speed limit of the bike lane or road.

Personal Mobility Devices must always keep left and give way to pedestrians. Safe distances from pedestrians must always be preserved to avoid collision. PMDs must always keep left of bicycles and other PMDs and adhere to the speed limit.

Mobile Phones are prohibited from use while riding a Personal Mobility Device but can be set prior to travel for navigation or to be used to display the speed of the vehicle. You may use your mobile phone if you are stationary on paths or nature strips.

Current penalties for misuse can be a fine, demerit points or a court appearance. Multiple offences can accrue multiple penalties.

Exceeding any of these speed limits on a PMD:

10 km/h on footpaths, shared paths and beaches
25 km/h on bicycle paths or separated paths
25 km/h in a bike lane or on a road