Footpaths (10 km/h), bicycle paths and shared paths (25 km/h), and roads and bicycle lanes with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less (25 km/h). Not on roads above 50 km/h or paths marked 'no wheeled devices'. (source: Government of Western Australia (Road Safety Commission))
There is no lawful amount. For a minor cannabis related offence (possession of not more than 10 g of cannabis, not a plant under cultivation, resin or another derivative), police may give a cannabis intervention requirement instead of prosecution; an adult who has already been convicted of such an offence or given a requirement cannot be given another. (source: Western Australia Government (Parliamentary Counsel's Office))
40 km/h in school zones and at children's crossing zones, enforced on school days from 7.30 to 9.00am and 2.30 to 4.00pm (source: Main Roads Western Australia)
Roadworks zonesPassenger car on public roads
The speed limit must be followed at all times, including a reduced limit through roadwork areas. All roadwork signs must be followed even when no road workers can be seen. (source: Main Roads Western Australia)
Drink containers between 150 mL and 3 L, including wine, spirits, beer and cider, spirit-based mixed drinks, cordial, fruit and vegetable juices, flavoured milk, soft drinks, sports drinks and water, Excluded: containers for plain milk, registered health tonics and food for special medical purposes (source: Government of Western Australia)
The sale, supply and distribution of banned bags is prohibited for all businesses, manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers and distributors. The ban does not apply to personal use of bags already owned. (source: Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation)
Bag thickness rulePlastic carrier bags
The ban covers all soft plastic carry (shopping) bags with handles that are wholly or partly plastic, including bags of heat-sealed non-woven polypropylene, non-woven polypropylene under 90 grams per square metre, degradable, biodegradable, oxo-degradable and compostable plastic, and plastic-laminated paper or cardboard. Barrier bags, bags that are part of sealed packaging and certain woven or sewn fabric bags are not covered. (source: Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation)
Driving before the minimum ageCar (category B) driving licence
A learner's permit is available from 16. The Practical Driving Assessment for the provisional licence needs age 17 or older, the permit held for at least 6 months, at least 50 hours of supervised driving including 5 at night (if under 25) and the hazard perception test. (source: Department of Transport (Western Australia))
Visitors on a foreign licence: ageCar (category B) driving licence
A visitor from overseas or another Australian state or territory may use a current driver's licence in Western Australia, following the WA road rules, any conditions of the licence and, for a provisional driver, the provisional driver restrictions. A visitor from another state or territory may drive on a current learner's permit with a supervising driver and L plates. The page states no age condition. (source: Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (Western Australia))
Learner's permit from ageCar (category B) driving licence
Supervised driving hours requiredCar (category B) driving licence
At least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 5 hours at night (if under 25), recorded in the learner log book or the Learn&Log app. Applicants aged 25 or older are exempt from the log book requirement. (source: Department of Transport (Western Australia))
Night-time limit for new driversCar (category B) driving licence
A red P-plate driver (first 6 months of the provisional licence) must not drive between midnight and 5am, unless travelling directly to or from work or school or as part of work duties. (source: Road Safety Commission (Western Australia))
Passenger limit for new driversCar (category B) driving licence
A red P-plate driver (first 6 months) may carry only one passenger at a time, subject to exemptions. A learner driver has no passenger limit beyond a seat belt or child restraint for each passenger. (source: Road Safety Commission (Western Australia))
Tests for a first car licenceCar (category B) driving licence
First offence: fine of up to AUD 1,250 and 3 demerit points; second or later offence: AUD 1,250 to 2,000 and at least 6 months' disqualification. A positive roadside test brings a 24-hour driving ban. (source: Road Safety Commission (Western Australia))
Pedalec (EN 15194): electric motor up to 250 W. Any other power-assisted pedal cycle: electric or petrol motor up to 200 W. With more than one motor the limit applies to the combined output. (source: Government of Western Australia (Road Safety Commission))
An approved bicycle helmet, securely fastened, must be worn (unless exempt). Legal eBikes are bicycles under the Road Traffic Code 2000, so the bicycle helmet rule applies. (source: Government of Western Australia (Road Safety Commission))
LicenceRiding on public roads
No driver's licence is needed to drive a power assisted pedal cycle on a road: regulation 55 of the Road Traffic (Authorisation to Drive) Regulations 2014 authorises it without a licence. (source: State Law Publisher, Government of Western Australia)
Cycle pathsRiding on public roads
Legal eBike riders follow the same rules as bicycle riders. Cyclists of all ages may ride on footpaths unless signed otherwise, in single file, giving way to pedestrians. (source: Government of Western Australia (Road Safety Commission))
Approval or notification neededChildren of compulsory school age
Only a parent (including a legal guardian) can register as the home educator, through the Department of Education. Applications are to be made within 14 days of the last day the child attended school, or when they would have first enrolled. From the date the registration certificate is issued the home educator is responsible for the child's educational programme. A home education moderator evaluates the programme and progress. (source: Western Australian Department of Education)
Compulsory schooling ageChildren of compulsory school age
The compulsory education period runs from the beginning of the year in which the child reaches 5 years and 6 months until the first of: the end of the year in which the child reaches 17 years and 6 months, the child reaches 18, or the child meets the minimum requirements for graduation from secondary school. (source: Western Australian Department of Education)
It is an offence to carry or possess an edged weapon, including a knife, without a lawful excuse anywhere in Western Australia (maximum 3 years' imprisonment and a fine of $36,000). A plastic or wooden knife designed for eating, and a knife with a rounded tip and dull edge, are not edged weapons. (source: Western Australia Police Force)
Locking or one-handed knivesCarrying in public places
A knife with a blade concealed when folded or recessed into the handle that opens by gravity, centrifugal force or pressure on a button, spring or device (flick knife or switchblade), and a butterfly knife, are prohibited weapons if made or modified to injure or disable a person or as a martial arts weapon. Carrying or possessing a prohibited weapon is a crime (up to 5 years' imprisonment and a $60,000 fine). (source: Western Australia Police Force)
Fixed-blade knivesCarrying in public places
A fixed blade knife is an edged weapon, and carrying or possessing one without a lawful excuse is an offence. A person with a lawful excuse also commits an offence by carrying it in a way that could reasonably be expected to cause someone to be injured or to fear injury. (source: Western Australia Police Force)
Pepper sprayCarrying in public places
A capsicum spray weapon (a spray weapon made or modified to discharge oleoresin capsicum) is a controlled weapon. Carrying or possessing one without a lawful excuse is an offence (maximum 2 years' imprisonment and a $24,000 fine). Defence is not normally a lawful excuse, but a person may carry or possess a capsicum spray weapon for use in lawful defence in circumstances the person has reasonable grounds to apprehend may arise. (source: Government of Western Australia (State Law Publisher))
Exceptions and legitimate reasonsCarrying in public places
A lawful excuse includes carrying or possessing a weapon for a lawful employment, duty or activity, a lawful sport, recreation or entertainment, or a lawful collection, display or exhibition of weapons. Defence is not a lawful excuse, except that a capsicum spray weapon or approved electric shock case may be carried for use in lawful defence in circumstances the person has reasonable grounds to apprehend may arise. Police, special constables, certain police-service staff and public transport security officers are exempt when performing their functions, and custodial officers are exempt for capsicum spray weapons. The person carrying the weapon must prove any exception or lawful excuse. (source: Government of Western Australia (State Law Publisher))
Automatic (switchblade) knivesCarrying in public places
A flick knife or switchblade, being a knife whose blade is concealed when folded or recessed into the handle and opens by gravity, centrifugal force or pressure on a button, spring or device, is a prohibited weapon if made or modified to injure or disable a person or as a martial arts weapon. (source: Western Australia Police Force)
Blade length limitsCarrying in public places
The edged weapon offence has no blade-length threshold. A dagger is a controlled weapon if it is a sharp pointed stabbing knife with a flat blade exceeding 8 cm with non-serrated cutting edges on both sides, or a needle-like blade. (source: Western Australia Police Force)
Pepper spray: size and age limitsCarrying in public places
The Weapons Regulations 1999 set no container size or minimum age for a capsicum spray weapon, and regulation 7 lets a person carry or possess one for use in lawful defence in circumstances the person has reasonable grounds to apprehend may arise. Selling or supplying a controlled weapon to a child (a person under 18) is an offence (maximum 2 years' imprisonment and a fine of $24,000). (source: Government of Western Australia (State Law Publisher))
Moped (R-N class) licence, obtained through a learner's permit, theory and hazard perception tests and a practical assessment. Holders of a Western Australian driver's licence for another class (not a learner's permit) may ride a moped without it. (source: Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (Western Australia))
Minimum paid leave as the law states itFull-time employee; Western Australian employees of constitutional corporations (national system)
Full-time and part-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave a year, based on their ordinary hours of work. Shiftworkers get more than 4 weeks if their award or enterprise agreement provides the extra week under the National Employment Standards. Casual employees do not get paid annual leave. (source: Fair Work Ombudsman)
National public holidays a yearFull-time employee; Western Australian employees of constitutional corporations (national system)
Minimum paid leave as the law states itFull-time employee; Western Australian employees in the state industrial relations system
Full-time and part-time employees in the WA state system are entitled each year of service to paid annual leave equal to the hours they ordinarily work in a 4-week period, up to a maximum of 152 hours. Casual employees are not entitled to paid annual leave. Awards, agreements and contracts can give more. (source: Government of Western Australia (Private Sector Labour Relations))
National public holidays a yearFull-time employee; Western Australian employees in the state industrial relations system
Texting while drivingUsing a mobile phone while driving a car
Creating, sending or looking at a text, email, social media, photo, video or similar is a serious offence (AUD 1,000, 4 demerit points). (source: Road Safety Commission (Western Australia))
Can police stop you for this alone?Using a mobile phone while driving a car
0 to 6 months: rear-facing child restraint. 6 months to under 4 years: rear- or forward-facing restraint with an in-built harness. 4 to under 7 years: forward-facing child seat or booster seat with a seatbelt or child safety harness. 7 to 16 years: suitable child seat or adult seatbelt. (source: Department of Transport (WA))
Children in the front seatPassenger cars
0 to under 4 years: not in the front row if the vehicle has 2 or more rows. 4 to under 7 years: front seat only if all other rear seats are filled with passengers aged under 7. 7 to 16 years: front or rear seats. (source: Department of Transport (WA))
Fine for not wearing a seat beltPassenger cars
A driver who does not ensure children are properly restrained could get a fine and lose demerit points (source: Department of Transport (WA))
Booster seat untilPassenger cars
Children aged 4 to under 7 may use a booster seat with a seatbelt or child safety harness; children aged 7 to 16 use a suitable child seat or adult seatbelt. (source: Department of Transport (WA))
Can police stop you for this alone?Passenger cars
Safety cameras detect seatbelt offences; camera enforcement started on 8 October 2025 after an eight-month warning period, and 60,200 seatbelt infringements had been issued by 20 May 2026 (source: Government of Western Australia)
Smoke alarm legally required in homesSmoke alarms in dwellings; Dwellings rented under a residential tenancy agreement, used as short-term rental accommodation or made available for hire (Building Regulations 2012, regs 58, 59 and 62)
Who must fit the alarmsSmoke alarms in dwellings; Dwellings rented under a residential tenancy agreement, used as short-term rental accommodation or made available for hire (Building Regulations 2012, regs 58, 59 and 62)
Who must keep them workingSmoke alarms in dwellings; Dwellings rented under a residential tenancy agreement, used as short-term rental accommodation or made available for hire (Building Regulations 2012, regs 58, 59 and 62)
E-cigarettes in indoor public placesTobacco and nicotine products
Yes. In the Act 'smoke' includes using a vaping device that generates or releases aerosol or vapour, so the ban on smoking in enclosed public places covers vaping. (source: Government of Western Australia (State Law Publisher))
Smoking in cars with childrenTobacco and nicotine products
Flavoured tobacco and e-cigarettesTobacco and nicotine products
Yes. Commonwealth law, which applies in Western Australia, bans tobacco products that contain flavouring additives, menthol or menthol derivatives, fruit, spices, sugars or sweeteners, synthetic cooling agents, or a device such as a card, capsule or bead that alters flavour. (source: Federal Register of Legislation (Commonwealth))
Towing trailers and caravans
Rule
What applies
Compared with other states
Maximum speed on motorways when towingCar with a trailer or caravan; Car with a trailer or caravan
Higher categories for trailers (B96, BE)Car with a trailer or caravan
A Light Rigid (LR) licence also allows towing a trailer up to the maximum weight recommended by the vehicle manufacturer or detailed by law. Medium Rigid (MR) and Heavy Rigid (HR) licences allow towing a trailer with a GVM of 9,000 kg. (source: Government of Western Australia)
Extra mirrors when towingCar with a trailer or caravan
Drinking by younger people with an adultBuying and drinking alcohol
It is an offence to supply a juvenile (under 18) with alcohol in a private setting without parental or guardian permission (maximum fine $10,000). On licensed premises a juvenile may be present with a responsible adult (a parent, step-parent, spouse, de facto partner, legal guardian or person acting in place of a parent) or to obtain a meal. (source: Government of Western Australia)
Drinking in public placesBuying and drinking alcohol
Drinking in public places is an offence, with a $200 infringement or maximum $2,000 fine for drinking on streets, in parks or on beaches. (source: Government of Western Australia)
Where and when alcohol is soldBuying and drinking alcohol
Selling or supplying alcohol to a juvenile on licensed premises is an offence for the licensee, any supervising manager and others ($10,000 for a licensee or manager, $4,000 for another person who sells or supplies, $2,000 for any other person involved). Allowing a juvenile to consume alcohol on licensed premises is an offence ($10,000 licensee or manager, $4,000 others). Sending a juvenile to buy alcohol carries a $2,000 fine. (source: Government of Western Australia)
Drink-driving limits
Rule
What applies
Compared with other states
Lower limit for novice or young driversDriving after drinking alcohol
Limit for professional or commercial driversDriving after drinking alcohol
0.00%: drivers of vehicles over 22.5 tonnes GCM, vehicles carrying dangerous goods, buses carrying passengers (equipped for more than 12 adults), small charter vehicles and taxis carrying passengers. (source: Government of Western Australia, Road Safety Commission)
Maximum penaltiesDriving after drinking alcohol
First offence at 0.15 or more with no relevant prior: a fine of AUD 1,700 to AUD 3,750 and at least 10 months' disqualification; second offence AUD 3,150 to AUD 5,250 (or 9 months in prison) and at least 30 months; third or later AUD 3,150 to AUD 7,500 (or 18 months in prison) and disqualification for life. (source: Government of Western Australia, Road Safety Commission)
Blood alcohol limit for ordinary driversDriving after drinking alcohol