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There’s no single national list of stolen e-scooters in Australia. Police keep their own records, and a few free community registers accept scooters. So checking a used e-scooter means checking its serial number on more than one register, checking the app pairing, and checking the seller. It takes about five minutes.
1. Get the serial number
- Ask the seller for the serial and the model before you travel. A genuine owner will send a photo.
- Where it is: on most Xiaomi scooters it’s on a sticker near the charging port, and it also shows in the Xiaomi Home / Mi Home app. Other brands put it under the deck or on the stem — see where’s the serial on an e-scooter?
- When you see the scooter, match the serial on it to the one you were sent (and to the receipt, if there is one).
- A scratched-off, peeled or re-stuck serial sticker is a serious red flag. Walk away.
2. Check it on the registers
Check each one — a clear result on one doesn’t cover the others.
| Register | Where | Takes e-scooters? | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| EbikeMate | Australia-wide | Yes — E-scooter Passports | Whether the serial is registered or reported stolen — never the owner’s details |
| Bikelinc | WA, ACT and Tasmania | Yes — choose “Scooters” as the type | Whether a serial is listed as safe, missing or stolen |
“No record” isn’t bad on its own. Most scooters aren’t registered anywhere yet. It just means the register can’t tell you either way, so the checks below matter more.
3. Check the app pairing
Many app-connected scooters (for example Xiaomi and Segway-Ninebot) pair with the owner’s phone app.
- Ask the seller to open the app and show the scooter in their account — a real owner can do this in seconds.
- Before you pay, ask them to remove the scooter from their app in front of you, so you can add it to yours. Xiaomi’s own steps: delete the scooter in the Xiaomi Home app, then reset the scooter (Xiaomi support KA-509211). Other brands: follow the maker’s instructions.
- A seller who “forgot the account”, can’t unpair it, or says it’s “locked but easy to reset” — treat that as a warning sign. A scooter that stays locked to someone else’s account may not be usable by you.
4. Check the seller and the ad
- Price far below similar scooters — a near-new scooter at half price is a classic sign.
- No charger, no receipt, and no story about where and when it was bought.
- Several similar scooters for sale, a brand-new profile, or pressure to pay a deposit before you’ve seen it.
- Wants to meet somewhere odd, or won’t let you see it switched on.
- Pay by a traceable method and get a written receipt with the date, price, both names and the serial.
For the condition checks (battery, stem, brakes, tyres), see buying a used e-scooter: 10 checks.
5. If it looks stolen
- Don’t pay, and don’t confront the seller. Leave if you feel unsafe.
- Save the listing link, the seller’s profile, the serial and any messages.
- Tell the police — 000 if anyone is in danger; otherwise Policelink on 131 444 or your state police’s online report — or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
- Report the listing to the marketplace too.
6. If your own e-scooter is stolen
- Report it to the police and get a report or reference number. In Queensland you can report stolen property online (Queensland Police Service, “Reporting stolen property”) — you’ll need ID and an email address or mobile.
- Give them the serial number, model, colour, photos and any marks — this is why it pays to record them now.
- Flag it stolen on your E-scooter Passport (one tap), and on Bikelinc if you’re in WA, the ACT or Tasmania — so a buyer checking the serial sees it.
- Watch Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree for your model in your area. If you spot it, tell the police — don’t try to get it back yourself.
- Tell your insurer (home contents or scooter insurance) and give them the police reference. See e-scooter insurance.
7. After you buy
Get the receipt with the serial. Then create a free E-scooter Passport — serial, photos and receipt in one private place, ready if it’s ever stolen, and the next buyer can check it.
Create my free E-scooter Passport →
Is it legal where you live? Check an e-scooter — private e-scooters can’t be ridden in public in NSW, for example. See e-scooter laws by state.
Common questions
Is there a national stolen e-scooter register in Australia?
No single one. Police keep their own records; EbikeMate (Australia-wide) and Bikelinc (WA, ACT, TAS) let you check a scooter’s serial. Check both where you can.
How do I check if an e-scooter is stolen by its serial number?
Get the serial from the scooter (a sticker near the charging port on many Xiaomi models, or under the deck or on the stem), then enter it on EbikeMate’s free check and, in WA, the ACT or Tasmania, on Bikelinc.
The seller can’t remove the scooter from their app — should I buy it?
Be careful. A genuine owner can show it in their app and unpair it in front of you. If they can’t, you may end up with a scooter that’s locked to someone else’s account — and it can be a sign it isn’t theirs.
What should I do if my e-scooter is stolen?
Report it to the police with the serial, model and photos, flag it stolen on your E-scooter Passport (and Bikelinc in WA, the ACT or Tasmania), tell your insurer, and watch local marketplaces.
Sources
- Register your e-scooter (Bikelinc — choose “Scooters”) — Crime Stoppers ACT, 10 March 2021 (checked 16 October 2026)
- Bikelinc (scooters can be registered) — Crime Stoppers Tasmania (checked 16 October 2026)
- How to unpair the Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 Max (delete in the app, then reset) — Xiaomi UK support KA-509211 (checked 16 October 2026)
- Reporting stolen property — Queensland Police Service (checked 16 October 2026)
- Bike theft — Crime Stoppers Queensland (checked 16 October 2026)
This guide explains things in general terms. It is not legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.