Ever asked yourself ‘Can I ride my bike on the sidewalk? Is it even legal?
Cyclists occupy a strange place on the roads and sidewalks. They are generally considered to be the drivers of vehicles in most of the states in America, but they are certainly not protected by steel and plastic like car drivers are!
They can knock pedestrians over, but they, in turn, can be easily smooshed by vehicles. This grey zone has led many people to wonder just where they can ride most safely.
Yes, many roads do have bike lanes and in theory, both cars and pedestrians are supposed to stay out of them, but the reality is that cyclists often must dodge pedestrians and cars in their lanes and that leads many cyclists to figure that the sidewalks would be safer wherever possible.
Legalities around Sidewalk Riding
The legalities around sidewalk riding are murky as well, with no overarching federal law around whether it is legal. Instead, it’s left to the state and the state generally leaves it up to the municipality to decide!
This leads to a lot of confusion on the part of the cyclist, frustration for the pedestrian, and many citations that may or may not be lawfully given.
We will do our best to break this question down, but before looking in greater detail, it’s extremely important to note that you should always check the bylaws of your town or city before your ride. We cannot possibly detail the legality of every single city, town, and village in the United States after all!
Why Do Cyclists Want to Ride on Sidewalks?
There are a number of reasons why people choose to ride on the sidewalks. Safety is a big one, even though sidewalk riding is still less safe overall. It’s still not safe though because there are too many points where cyclists can crash into traffic or pedestrians.
Riders also generally have a harder time riding at the speeds that let them deal with motor traffic safely.
Sidewalks may also be used as a shortcut to buildings or other destinations or they are just more convenient.
And finally, motorists often tell cyclists to get back on the sidewalk and many cyclists don’t know when they cannot be on sidewalks, so they just follow what the motorists say.
Some cities have been working on creating protected bike lanes, but they are often very expensive, reduce parking, and can cause the need for a complete restructuring. Protected bike lanes are safest of all for everyone, but they are not terribly common.
Sidewalk Riding by State
Broadly speaking, here is your sidewalk riding rights by state:
| State |
Legal/Illegal |
Notes |
| Alabama |
Illegal |
Unless you are riding on permanent or duly authorized temporary driveways. |
| Alaska |
Legal |
Except in business districts or where prohibited by traffic-control devices |
| Arizona |
Legal(ish) |
No statue that authorizes or prohibits. |
| Arkansas |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits. |
| California |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding on sidewalks |
| Colorado |
Legal |
Must yield right of way to pedestrians and must dismount when on a crosswalk or when required by a traffic control device. |
| Connecticut |
Legal |
But can be deemed illegal by local bylaw. |
| Delaware |
Legal |
Except in business districts or when prohibited by a traffic control device |
| District of Columbia |
Legal |
Except in Central Business Districts or if prohibited by the Mayor |
| Florida |
Legal |
They have the same rights and duties as pedestrians and must yield the right of way to pedestrians. |
| Georgia |
Illegal |
Unless you are 12 years of age or younger. |
| Hawaii |
Legal |
You must ride at ten miles per hour or less. No riding in business districts. |
| Idaho |
Legal |
Unless prohibited by traffic control devices. |
| Illinois |
Legal |
Unless prohibited by traffic control devices. |
| Indiana |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Iowa |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Kansas |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Kentucky |
Legal |
Unless prohibited by local law. Must slow to the speed of an ordinary walk and yield to pedestrians. Are treated as pedestrians for rights and duties. |
| Louisiana |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Maine |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Maryland |
Illegal
| Local law can override. |
| Massachusetts |
Legal |
Except in business districts or when prohibited by local ordinance. |
| Michigan |
Legal |
Unless prohibited by traffic control devices. |
| Minnesota |
Legal |
Unless prohibited by traffic control devices. Unless prohibited by local law. |
| Mississippi |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Missouri |
Legal |
But not in business districts. |
| Montana |
Legal |
Unless prohibited by traffic control devices. |
| Nebraska |
Legal |
Has the same rights and duties as pedestrians. |
| Nevada |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| New Hampshire |
Illegal |
|
| New Jersey |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| New Mexico |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| New York |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. (Except in New York City. It’s illegal there). |
| North Carolina |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. (Not allowed uptown Charlotte) |
| North Dakota |
Illegal |
Unless on a permanent or duly authorized temporary highway. |
| Ohio |
Legal |
|
| Oklahoma |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Oregon |
Legal |
Must ride at the same pace as an ordinary walk. |
| Pennsylvania |
Legal |
Except in business districts. |
| Rhode Island |
Legal |
Unless prohibited by traffic-control devices. |
| South Carolina |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| South Dakota |
Legal |
Has all the rights and duties of pedestrians |
| Tennessee |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Texas |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Utah |
Legal |
Unless prohibited by traffic control devices. |
| Vermont |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Virginia |
Legal
| Local law can override this. Legal unless prohibited by traffic control devices. |
| Washington |
Legal |
Same rights and duties as pedestrians. |
| West Virginia |
Legal(ish) |
No statute that authorizes or prohibits riding. |
| Wisconsin |
Legal
| Left up to local law to permit or prohibit |
| Wyoming |
Legal |
|
As you can see, it is generally legal in most states to ride on the sidewalks, or there is no law around it either way, which generally means people will do it.
There are some consistencies across the board when riding on sidewalks:
- If it’s legal, it’s almost always possible to be prohibited by traffic control devices.
- Riders generally must yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal when passing
- Local law can always override what the state says, so make sure you check!
Summary
If you are riding on the sidewalks, it’s important to be extra attentive to pedestrians, be loud when you’re passing, take it slow, and be polite.
As some cyclists say, they are guests on the sidewalks and should behave as such. You may still get glared at, but it will come at a much-reduced rate if you’re being polite!
And whenever possible, it’s still a good idea to take the bike lane. After all, if more people use them, that will encourage more cities to develop them and that’s good for everyone.
If you want to know all of the various bike laws for your state, click here where we have a page for each state in the US
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