Australia is well into its second month of Covid-19 lockdowns and every state enforcing physical distancing laws slightly differently. With consistently low numbers of new infections, some states have begun to ease physical distancing laws, while others are holding firm. Politicians have said these rules are simple, but it is clear the public still has a lot of questions about coronavirus lockdown rules and restrictions. In most states enforcement is left up to police officers’ discretion, therefore it is difficult to provide exact information on what is or isn’t allowed. Here we try to answer some of the most common questions people have about the new laws based on the information, though these answers should not be treated as legal advice. An asterisk indicates Guardian Australia has sought clarification from the state or territory government and will update when it is received. Can I visit my family on Mother’s Day? Nationally, all non-essential travel is being discouraged. The laws for visiting family vary from state-to-state, and Queensland is the only state to have lifted restrictions starting from Mother’s Day. New South Wales – Yes. Up to two adults and the children in their care can visit another person’s home at any one time. There is no restriction on how far you can travel to visit someone. Victoria – Generally no, social visits are not allowed. However, you can visit to deliver food, provide medical care and for “compassionate reasons”. Premier Daniel Andrews said he would not be visiting his mother on Sunday to avoid the health risk. Queensland – Yes. The Queensland government announced on Thursday that up to five people who live together will be allowed to visit another household from Mother’s Day onwards. Chief Medical Officer Dr Jeannette Young said visitors should maintain social distancing and avoid hugging anyone from a different household “wherever possible”. The 50-kilometre travel limit is also being lifted. “But you can’t go out into that community. You can only go to that residence, visit there, and leave,” Dr Young said. Tasmania – Yes, this falls under “social support”. However, only two visitors are permitted in homes at any one time and must be mindful of social distancing and avoiding unnecessary travel. In public, you can only meet up with those who live in your household, or up to one person from another household. The state-wide ban on nursing home visits will remain in place on Sunday, but will be lifted on Monday. Australian Capital Territory – Yes. However, households are only allowed two guests from the same home to visit at a time, and there must be at least four square metres per person indoors. Western Australia – Yes, up to 10 people are allowed to gather. Groups of under 10 people are also allowed to enjoy outdoor activities like picnics, fishing and boating. But you are not permitted to travel between the nine WA regions unless it is on “compassionate grounds”. South Australia – Yes, groups of under 10 people are allowed. There must be enough space to keep 1.5m apart, and at least four square metres per person indoors. But chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier has advised families with elderly relatives, or those with existing health conditions, to take caution. Northern Territory – Yes, there is no limit on the number of people you can see, but you must observe social distancing. Unnecessary social interaction is discouraged, though. Can I sit in a park alone? New South Wales – No, in NSW you are only allowed to leave the house for essential reasons or to visit another person’s home. The essential reasons include exercise, however, sitting in a park for recreational reasons is not allowed. Police may ask you to move along or fine you. Victoria – Unclear*, legislation suggests that you would only be allowed in a park for the purpose of exercise but on 1 April Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton told ABC radio that he thought sitting in a park alone was an acceptable activity as it posed little risk of spreading infection. Guardian Australia has requested clarification from Victoria police and the premier’s office. Queensland – Yes, as of Friday 1 May people will be allowed to leave the home for recreational activities. This means you will be allowed to sit in a park even if you aren’t exercising. You can do this alone, with one guest or with all the members of your household. Tasmania – Technically no*, Tasmanian residents are only allowed to leave the house for essential reasons. The essential reasons include exercise, however, sitting in a park for recreational reasons is not allowed. However, a spokeswoman for Tasmania police said they are unaware of anyone being charged or summonsed in relation to sitting in parks so far. Australian Capital Territory – ACT lockdown enforcement has focused on limiting group numbers rather than policing why people have left the home. Therefore it is likely to be OK to sit in a park by yourself, with one other person, or the members of your household, as long as you are observing responsible physical distancing. Western Australia – Yes, you are allowed to leave the home for recreational reasons, and are now allowed to meet with up to 10 people. However, you are not permitted to travel between the nine WA regions unless it is on “compassionate grounds”. South Australia and Northern Territory – Yes. There are currently no fines for leaving the house for non-essential reasons, however unnecessary socialisation is discouraged. In SA gatherings are limited to 10. Can I visit my romantic partner if we don’t live together? New South Wales – Police commissioner Mike Fuller has previously said that you are allowed to visit a romantic partner, as this is considered to come under the “care” exemption. As of Friday 1 May up to two adults and the children in their care will be allowed to visit another person’s home in NSW. Victoria – Yes. While originally it appeared that you would not be allowed to see your partner, the Victorian chief health officer tweeted that an exemption to the no social visits rule would be made for partners. Queensland – Yes, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said households are allowed to have two additional guests at a time, but physical distancing should still be observed when possible. Outdoor gatherings are limited to two, or members of the same household. Tasmania – Yes. Tasmania has a broad definition of “social support” which is considered an essential reason for leaving the home. This allows for romantic partners and family members to still visit one another, however social distancing must still be observed and you are not permitted to stay overnight unless you have elected their home to be your primary residence from 31 March on. Australian Capital Territory – Yes, households are allowed to have two additional guests at a time, however, there must be at least four square metres per person indoors. Outdoor gatherings are limited to two, or members of the same household. Western Australia – Yes. WA has relaxed gathering limits from two people to 10 people. You are not permitted to travel between the nine WA regions unless it is on “compassionate grounds”. South Australia and Northern Territory – Yes. There are currently no fines for leaving the house for non-essential reasons, however unnecessary socialisation is discouraged. In SA Gatherings are limited to 10. All states currently allow you to leave the home and meet with one person to do exercise. This means you are allowed to meet your partner or a friend in public to exercise with them. Some states have limits on how far you can travel for exercise, however. Can I temporarily move in with my partner during the lockdowns? NSW – Yes, you are allowed to move house. Victoria – Yes, you are allowed to move house. Queensland – Yes, but there may be restrictions on how far those helping you move are allowed to travel. Tasmania, ACT – Yes, you are allowed to move house. WA – Yes, you are allowed to move house, but there may be restrictions on crossing regional borders. SA and NT – Yes, there are currently no fines for leaving the house for non-essential reasons. Can I take my dog for a walk? Yes, in all states you are allowed to leave your home for exercise, which includes dog walking. Social distancing measures should be observed while out, and in Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and ACT, you can only be joined by one other person or those in your household. How far are you allowed to travel for exercise? No states have specific rules on the distance you are allowed to travel to exercise, however many have appealed for people to use “common sense”. NSW – You are allowed to drive across town however you aren’t allowed to travel hours out of the city. Victoria – Premier Daniel Andrews said on Twitter exercise had to be local and not “driving for miles and being out all day”. ACT – There are no official limits, however people are encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel, and where possible avoid areas where they are likely to come into close contact with others. Tasmania – Not specified, however, the government urges residents to use common sense and avoid unnecessary travel. Queensland – You must stay within 50km of your home. WA – You are not allowed to travel between the nine regions of Western Australia without good cause, such as work or compassionate reasons. Therefore exercise should be limited to your region and unnecessary travel avoided. SA and NT – There are currently no restrictions on the reasons for leaving your house, however, you are urged not to travel unless necessary. Can my relatives babysit for me if we don’t live together? The federal government is recommending those over 70, those with chronic illness over 60 and Indigenous people over 50, self-isolate as much as possible. However, no state will currently issue penalties to those who do not. Therefore it’s recommended that elderly relatives do not look after children. NSW – Yes, it counts as “care”, and as of Friday 1 May up to two adults and the children in their care will be allowed to visit another person’s home. Victoria – You are allowed to leave the home to provide caregiving, therefore likely yes. Queensland – Yes, this constitutes “care”. Households are allowed to have two additional guests at a time, but physical distancing should still be observed when possible. Tasmania – Yes, it counts as “social support”. ACT – Yes, however households are only allowed two guests at a time and there must be at least four square metres per person indoors. WA – Yes, as long as a maximum of 10 people are at the gathering. You are not permitted to travel between the nine WA regions unless you are caring for family members or on “compassionate grounds”. SA – Yes, as long as a maximum of 10 people are at the gathering. NT – Yes. Can I visit my immediate family if we don’t live together? NSW – The definition of “care” has now been broadened to include visiting friends and family for the benefit of mental health. Up to two adults and the children in their care can now visit another person’s home. Victoria – Generally no, social visits are not allowed. However, you can visit to deliver food, provide medical care and for “compassionate reasons”. Queensland – Yes, households are allowed to have two additional guests at a time, but physical distancing should still be observed when possible and unnecessary social gatherings should be limited. From Sunday 10 May, up to five adults who live together can visit another household, but should still keep a 1.5m distance from one another. The 50km travel restriction will also be lifted. Tasmania – Yes, this falls under “social support”, however, only two visitors are permitted in homes at any one time and must be mindful of social distancing and avoiding unnecessary travel.The state-wide ban on nursing home visits will be lifted on Monday 11 May. ACT – Yes, however households are only allowed two guests at a time and there must be at least four square metres per person indoors. WA – Yes, as long as there are a maximum of 10 people at the gathering. The restrictions on travelling between WA regions also apply. SA – Yes, as long as there are a maximum of 10 people at the gathering, however unnecessary social interaction is discouraged. NT – Yes, however unnecessary social interaction is discouraged and physical distancing is observed. All states currently allow you to leave the home and meet up with one person to do exercise. This means you are allowed to meet a family member in public to exercise with them. There are limits on how far you can travel for exercise, however see above. My kids live part-time with me and my partner. Are they still allowed to travel between homes? Yes. Currently all states allow you to uphold current shared parental agreements. This means you are allowed to drive your children to their other parent or carer’s residence, and they are allowed to visit your residence to pick children up. Am I allowed to leave home if it’s an emergency or required by law? Yes. All states allow you to leave your home if you are legally required to do so. You are allowed to flee violence, and you are allowed to leave if your house becomes uninhabitable. Can I have social guests if I live alone? All Australians have been urged to avoid unnecessary socialisation. NSW – Up to two adults and the children in their care are now allowed to visit another person’s home. Victoria – No, social visits are not allowed. Queensland – Yes, but no more than two guests are allowed in a household at a time, and physical distancing must be observed. From Sunday 10 May, up to five adults who live together can visit another household, but should still keep a 1.5m distance from one another. The 50km travel restriction will also be lifted. Tasmania – Yes, this falls under “social support”, however only two visitors are allowed at a time and must be mindful of social distancing and avoiding unnecessary travel. ACT – Yes, but households are only allowed two guests at a time and there must be at least four square metres per person indoors. WA – Yes, gatherings must be limited to 10 people, there must be 4 square matters of space per person, and physical distancing should be maintained. SA– Yes, gathering must be limited to 10. NT – Yes but physical distancing must be observed. Can I get a coffee with a friend? NSW – Yes, but only if it is takeaway and if you have met a friend for the purpose of exercising, or if you are visiting another person’s home (up to two adults and their children, as above). Queensland – Yes, as of Friday 1 May, people are allowed to leave the house for some recreational activities, including getting a takeaway coffee with one friend or the members of your household. Victoria and Tasmania – Yes, but only if it is takeaway and you have met a friend for the purpose of exercising. ACT – Yes, as long as it is takeaway. WA, SA and NT – Yes, as long as it is takeaway. Can I give someone a lift to work, even if they don’t live with me? NSW – Yes, you can drive a colleague to work with you, however, it is unclear if you can leave the house to drive someone to their job if you do not also work there. If they cannot drive themselves this is likely covered under “care”.* You can only take one passenger or anyone who is part of your household. Victoria and Queensland – Yes, you can drive a colleague to work with you. Driving someone else to work if they cannot drive themselves likely falls under “providing care and support”. You can only take one passenger or anyone who is part of your household. Tasmania – Yes, but there must be an essential reason for all passengers to be travelling in the vehicle. ACT – Yes, but you can only take one passenger or anyone who is part of your household. It is encouraged you create as much distance between you and your passenger as possible, such as having them sit in the back seat. WA – Yes, but you can only take one passenger or anyone who is part of your household. You will likely require a letter from your work if you wish to cross the border into another region within the state. SA And NT – Yes. Can a tradesperson still come into my house to do work? Yes, however only if it is for essential works. If it can wait, it should. Physical distancing practices should be observed. Can I still learn to drive? NSW – The local authorities have explicitly said this is a reasonable excuse to leave the house. Queensland – You can learn to drive if your instructor is in your household and you’re leaving the house for an essential reason (going to the supermarket for example) but not for just getting the hours up. Victoria – A teenager was fined for learning to drive in early April, but Victoria police has indicated the fine will be reviewed. Western Australia – There is no specific advice, but Western Australia has been divided up into nine regions, and you cannot travel from one region into another region for a non-essential reason. Tasmania, SA, NT, ACT – No specific advice. Who decides if I am breaking the new laws? Generally, enforcement will be left up to the discretion of police officers. States have expressed different approaches, for example, the ACT says it will be issuing a warning in the first instance, while Victoria has adopted a more hardline attitude to those break social distancing rules. NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller said he would personally review all physical-distancing fines issued in the state. “If I think it’s unreasonable, it will be withdrawn immediately and we’ll make personal contact with the individual,” he said. What are my options for challenging a fine? Not all states have specified this, however, it appears these fines can be appealed using the same process as other fines issued by police. Information on how to lodge an appeal should be available on your state or territory’s government website. Due to the unprecedented and ongoing nature of the coronavirus outbreak, this article is being regularly updated to ensure that it reflects the current situation at the date of publication. Any significant corrections made to this or previous versions of the article will continue to be footnoted in line with Guardian editorial policy.