San Mateo County, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 7.80.010
- Who designates lanes
- Public Works Director, with Board authorization
- Riding rules source
- California Vehicle Code, not county code
- Bike-lane parking fine
- $40 under CVC § 21211 (Sec. 1.08.010(b)(l))
- Standard Ch. 7.28 parking fine
- $30 (Sec. 1.08.010(b)(i))
- Late payment fee
- $42 if unpaid after 21 days
Summary
Section 7.80.010 lets San Mateo County's Director of Public Works, once the Board of Supervisors authorizes it, designate bicycle lanes on unincorporated county roads and post signs and markings that govern how cars and bikes use those lanes, including barring cars from parking in them. The county has no separate ordinance on how cyclists must ride; on-road bicycle conduct is governed by the California Vehicle Code.
The Director of Public Works, upon authorization from the Board of Supervisors, may designate on such streets or portions of streets the existence of bicycle lanes as may be necessary, and shall designate said bicycle lanes by appropriate signs and markings giving effect to bicycle lanes and otherwise regulating the location and use of vehicles and bicycles with respect to them, including but not limited to restricting parking in any bicycle lane.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47).
Full Breakdown
80, Bicycles, of the County Ordinance Code contains a single section, and it is entirely an enabling provision: it hands the Director of Public Works authority, once the Board of Supervisors signs off, to designate bicycle lanes anywhere on unincorporated county roads and to post the signs and pavement markings that give those lanes legal effect. The section reaches beyond striping: it lets the Director's signage regulate how vehicles and bicycles use a lane once it exists, and it specifically authorizes restricting motor vehicle parking inside a marked bike lane.
San Mateo County has not written its own rules for how a cyclist must ride, pass, or signal in a bike lane; conduct on the roadway itself is governed by the California Vehicle Code, which the county's own penalty schedule cross-references directly. 28 parking violations and the $25 to $35 fines covering time-limited, angle, and parallel parking zones elsewhere in Title 7. 80 directly. The rule applies only within the unincorporated county; each of the fifteen cities on the Peninsula, including Redwood City and San Mateo, posts and enforces its own bike lanes under municipal authority.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle parked in a marked unincorporated county bike lane is cited under California Vehicle Code Section 21211 and fined $40 per Ordinance Code Section 1.08.010(b)(l), separate from the $30 fine that applies to a routine Chapter 7.28 parking violation. Unpaid penalties draw a $42 late fee if not paid within 21 calendar days of the notice of violation, per Section 1.08.010(b)(o).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated San Mateo County have its own rules for riding in a bike lane?
What's the fine for parking a car in a bike lane in unincorporated San Mateo County?
Can the county restrict parking inside a designated bike lane?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Mateo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Mateo County to another location·View the California mobility & curb rules overview
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