The invention provides a reversing transporting device including a transport-in path for transporting a recording material into the reversing transporting device; a first transporting section provided at the transport-in path; a second transporting section provided at the transport-in path; a reversing path connected to the transport-in path; a third transporting section provided at the reversing path; a transport-out path connected to the reversing path; a fourth transporting section provided at the transport-out path; and a fifth transporting section provided at the transport-out path. The first transporting section and the second transporting section each have a pair of rotating members contactably and separably disposed with the transport-in path being interposed therebetween. The fourth transporting section and the fifth transporting section each have a pair of rotating members contactably and separably disposed with the transport-out path being interposed therebetween. When the driving rotating members and the respective driven rotating members are separated from each other, in the first transporting section and the second transporting section, the driving rotating members retreat from the transport-in path, and, in the fourth transporting section and the fifth transporting section, the driving rotating members retreat from the transport-out path.