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State Bike Laws

Riding a bike is a healthy, fun and safe activity. However, it isn't without some risk. The following information highlights 13 areas of law that may minimize that risk and have the potential to reduce conflicts between bikes and cars (and other traffic). These highlights only cover statewide laws and are not comprehensive.

If you want to learn more about state bicycling policies and efforts, check out our Bicycle Friendly State program.

Check out our Smart Cycling videos if you are interested in bicycling education videos.

All laws mentioned here were compiled as part of a research project in the fall of 2012 and may be subject to change. We update laws as we work with our member advocacy organizations to pass better laws and as advocates or the public tell us about changes. Please help us keep them updated by contacting [email protected] with any updates.

Select your state from the list below to review that state's bike laws.

California

Safe Passing Laws

California requires that the driver of a motor vehicle shall not overtake or pass a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a highway at a distance of less than three feet between any part of the motor vehicle and any part of the bicycle or its operator.

In addition, the law includes context sensitive considerations that may increase or decrease the legal safe passing distance. In all cases, the safe passing distance must not interfere with the safe operation of the bicycle. However, if the driver of a motor vehicle cannot pass a bicycle at a distance of three feet or greater, the driver may slow and pass if doing so will not endanger the safety of the operator of the bicycle.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §21760

Helmet Law

California requires that any person under the age of 18 riding a bicycle, as an operator or passenger, must wear a protective bicycle helmet.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §21212

Share the Road license plates

California does not offer Share the Road license plates at this time. There is currently an effort by the California Department of Public Health to create a plate that would provide grant funding to bicycle advocacy organizations. You can pre-order a plate here: https://calbikeplate.com/

Source: https://calbikeplate.com/

Vulnerable Road User Laws

California does not have any vulnerable road user laws at this time. There are currently no national standards for laws protecting vulnerable road users, but the League of American Bicyclists has drafted a Model Vulnerable Road User statute, which you can find here.

However, any person who throws any substance at a vehicle or any occupant thereof on a highway is guilty of a misdemeanor. In California the definition of vehicle does not include a bicycle, but bicyclists may be protected from thrown substances by being granted all the rights of a driver of a vehicle.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §§ 23110; 670; 21200

Distracted Driving Laws

California prohibits any person from driving a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication. Further, a person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving.

In addition there are the following specific restrictions:

  • A person under the age of 18 years shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, even if equipped with a hands-free device, or while using a mobile service device.
  • A person may not drive a school bus or transit vehicle while using a wireless telephone.

Sources: Cal. Veh. Code §§ 23123; 23123.5; 23124; 23125

Where to Ride

California requires that a bicyclist, traveling at a speed less than the speed of traffic, must ride as far to the right as practicable. However, the law provides for exceptions to this requirement under any of the following situations:

  • When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
  • When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
  • When reasonably necessary to avoid unsafe conditions subject to the provisions requiring a slow-moving vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed in line, to turn off a roadway in order to permit the vehicles following it to proceed. Unsafe conditions include any lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
  • When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §21202(a)

Sidewalk Riding

California does not have a statute that specifically authorizes or prohibits the operation of a bicycle upon a sidewalk.

Source: N/A

Mandatory Use of Separated Facilities

California provides that whenever a bicycle lane has been established on a roadway, any person operating a bicycle upon the roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride within the bicycle lane, except that the person may move out of the lane under any of the following situations:

  • When overtaking and passing another bicycle, vehicle, or pedestrian within the lane or about to enter the lane if the overtaking and passing cannot be done safely within the lane;
  • When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;
  • When reasonably necessary to leave the bicycle lane to avoid debris or other hazardous conditions; or
  • When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §21208

Bicycling Under the Influence

California specifically provides that it is unlawful for any person to ride a bicycle upon a highway while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug, or under the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and any drug. This offense is separate from the driving under the influence law related to motor vehicles.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §21200.5

“Idaho Stop” and Vehicle Detection Errors

California does not provide any modifications to the requirement to come to a complete stop when directed to stop by traffic control devices and does not authorize bicyclists to disobey traffic lights that fail to detect bicyclists.

However, California does require that traffic actuated facilities must be installed and maintained so that they detect bicycle traffic. This requirement is currently scheduled to expire in 2018.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §21450.5

Authorization for Local Regulation of bicycles

California specifically provides that statewide laws do not prohibit local authorities, by ordinance, from regulating the registration of bicycles and the parking and operation of bicycles on pedestrian or bicycle facilities, provided that such regulation is not in conflict with the provisions of the California Vehicle Code.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §21206

Dooring law

California requires that no person open the door of a vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with the movement of such traffic. In addition, no person shall leave a door open upon the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.

Source:Cal. Veh. Code §22517

Treatment as a Vehicle

In California bicycles are not vehicles according to the statute that defines vehicles, but a person riding a bicycle has all of the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle as provided in Division 11 – Rules of the Road – and certain other enumerated Divisions of the California Vehicle Code, except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

Source: Cal. Veh. Code §§670; 21200