Fresno County, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Fresno County Code § 11.40.050
- Who is exempt
- Human-powered bicycles only
- Sign requirement
- Signs at both path ends and crossings
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $500 fine, 6 months jail
- Related rule
- Section 11.40.060 bars vehicles on bridle paths
Summary
Fresno County Code Section 11.40.050 makes it unlawful for anyone to drive or ride any vehicle or animal other than a human-powered bicycle on a public bicycle path once the county has posted it as bicycle-only with signs at each end and every road crossing.
It is unlawful for any person to drive or ride any animal or vehicle other than a bicycle propelled by human power upon any public bicycle path when such path is designated exclusively as such by appropriate signs at either end thereof and all places where such path intersects a public road.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
40 (Miscellaneous Offenses) of Title 11, alongside the county's other single-purpose-path rules. It applies only where Fresno County's public works department has actually posted a path as an exclusive bicycle path, with signs at both ends of the path and wherever the path crosses a public road; absent those signs, the restriction does not attach. Once posted, no one may drive or ride an animal or a motorized vehicle on that path, and the only exception written into the section is a bicycle powered by human effort.
060 applies the identical two-sign standard to bridle paths and equestrian ways the county maintains or that were dedicated and accepted on a subdivision map, barring any vehicle there instead. 010: a fine of up to five hundred dollars, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. Fresno County Sheriff's deputies, not a dedicated bike-path patrol, enforce the section as part of routine traffic enforcement on unincorporated county trails and canal-bank paths.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 11.40.050 is not designated an infraction anywhere in Chapter 11.40, so it defaults to the county's general misdemeanor penalty under Section 1.12.010: a fine of up to five hundred dollars, up to six months in county jail, or both. Each day the unauthorized use continues counts as a separate offense, and county peace officers may cite a rider or driver on the spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ride a horse on a Fresno County bike path?
What's the penalty for driving on a posted Fresno County bike path?
Does the bike-path rule apply to unsigned trails in Fresno County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno County
California rules heatmap·Compare Fresno County to another location·View the California mobility & curb rules overview
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