Chula Vista, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- CVMC Ch. 10.73, effective Sept. 4, 2025
- Sidewalk use
- scooters barred from all sidewalks
- Roads ≥40 mph
- scooter must use Class II/IV bikeway
- Max scooter speed
- 15 mph, even in bike lanes
- First-offense fine
- $50 (after 90-day warning period)
Summary
Chula Vista's 2025 Electric Micromobility Vehicle Safety Ordinance bars motorized scooters from every sidewalk and, on roads posted 40 mph or faster, confines them to a striped Class II bike lane or separated Class IV bikeway under CVMC 10.73.080. Riders are capped at 15 mph even once inside a bike lane.
Except as provided in CVMC 10.73.030, the following prohibition and restrictions apply to using, riding, or operating electric micromobility vehicles within the City: C. No person shall use, ride, or operate a motorized scooter: 1. Upon a sidewalk. 2. Upon a roadway or highway or outside of a striped bicycle lane (Class II facility) or separated bikeway (Class IV facility), where the posted speed limit is 40 miles per hour or greater. D. In accordance with Section 21235(b) of the California Vehicle Code, the City hereby authorizes the use and operation of motorized scooters outside of a Class II or Class IV bikeway on a highway with a speed limit of up to 35 miles per hour. E. The 15 mile per hour maximum speed for the operation of a motorized scooter specified in California Vehicle Code Section 22411 applies to the operation of a motorized scooter on all highways, including bikeways, regardless of a higher speed limit applicable to such highway.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3623, passed May 19, 2026).
Full Breakdown
" Subsection (C) bars a motorized scooter from any sidewalk outright, and separately bars it from a roadway or highway posted 40 mph or faster unless the rider stays in a striped Class II bicycle lane or a separated Class IV bikeway. Subsection (D) softens that on slower roads: consistent with California Vehicle Code Section 21235(b), the City authorizes scooters to ride outside a Class II or IV bikeway on any highway posted up to 35 mph. Subsection (E) then caps speed at 15 mph, the state Vehicle Code Section 22411 limit for motorized scooters, on every highway and bikeway in the City, regardless of a higher posted limit. Subsection (F) requires any rider on a sidewalk to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. 030.
Violations & Fines
Violations were warning-only for the ordinance's first 90 days after its September 4, 2025 effective date. After that, CVMC 10.73.120(C)(2) sets a $50 fine for a first infraction, $100 for a second, and up to $250 for each conviction after that. The City can also seize an unattended violating vehicle, or impound it for up to 30 days, under CVMC 10.73.120(F)-(G).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ride an electric scooter on a Chula Vista sidewalk?
Do I have to stay in the bike lane on a fast road?
How fast can a scooter legally go in a Chula Vista bike lane?
What happens the first time I'm caught violating the micromobility rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chula Vista
California rules heatmap·Compare Chula Vista to another location·View the California mobility & curb rules overview
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