Exemptions from vehicle registration
Find out which vehicles are exempt from registration and where you can legally use them.
Which vehicles are exempt
Some vehicles are exempt from registration like motorised wheelchairs or bicycles that use an electric motor and meet specific speed restrictions.
Whether they're registered or not, road and pedestrian rules apply to all vehicles used on a road or road-related area.
Motorised wheelchairs
Motorised wheelchairs and other types of conveyance for people with disability are exempt from registration, provided they are:
- solely for the conveyance of a person with disability that substantially impairs their mobility
- unable to travel at more than 10 km/h.
Find out more about motorised wheelchairs.
Motorised wheelchair users are considered to be pedestrians and must not travel on roads or cause traffic hazards by moving into the path of drivers. You don't need a driver licence to use a motorised wheelchair.
Power-assisted pedal cycles
A power-assisted pedal cycle is an electric bicycle with a motor power output of less than 200 watts. The motor must only start up after the rider pedals.
Power-assisted (electric) pedal cycles are exempt from registration if they:
- are primarily powered by the rider
- have one or more assistive motors attached with a combined maximum power output of up to 200 watts
- can't be propelled only by the motor/s
- weigh less than 50kg (including batteries)
- have a height-adjustable seat
Power assisted pedal cycle – exempt from registration
Electrically power-assisted bicycles
An electrically power-assisted bicycle is an electric bicycle with an electric motor with maximum continuous rated motor power of up to 500 watts that assists the rider. At speeds over 6km/h, the motor must only assist when the rider pedals and must cut out at 25km/h.
Electrically power-assisted cycles are exempt from registration if:
- they are built to be powered primarily by the rider
- they have a maximum motor continuous rated power of up to 500 watts
- the motor power progressively reduces as the bicycle’s speed increases beyond 6km/h
- the power assistance cuts out when the bicycle reaches a speed of 25km/h
- the power assistance cuts out when the rider stops pedalling and the speed exceeds 6km/h.
It's illegal to use a petrol-powered bicycle on NSW roads and road-related areas, including footpaths, shared paths, cycle ways and cycle paths. See prohibited vehicles.
It's illegal to use a petrol-powered bicycle on NSW roads and road-related areas, including footpaths, shared paths, cycle ways and cycle paths. See prohibited vehicles.