Placer County, CA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Bike-lane rule
- must ride within designated lane
- Path-use trigger
- parallel path within 75 feet
- Fully banned segment
- Taylor Road at Webb St./Del Oro HS
- Also banned
- SR-28 and SR-89 segments near Tahoe City
- Bans require
- posted signs per Veh. Code § 21103
Summary
Placer County requires cyclists to ride within a designated bicycle lane, or a parallel bike path within 75 feet of the roadway, under County Code §§ 10.28.010 and 10.28.020, and bars bikes outright from a handful of signed segments including part of Taylor Road, English Colony Way, and State Highways 28 and 89 near Tahoe.
§ 10.28.010. Bicycle lanes. It is unlawful for any person to ride or operate a bicycle upon a roadway adjacent to which or upon which bicycle lanes have been designated, except within such bicycle lane or except as otherwise permitted by the provisions of this article. § 10.28.030. Bicycles prohibited from certain highways. A. Loomis-Taylor Road (D2040). Bicycles are prohibited from using Taylor Road between the intersection of Taylor Road and Webb Street and Del Oro High School.
Full Breakdown
010 makes it unlawful to ride a bicycle on a roadway adjacent to which bicycle lanes have been designated, except within the bike lane itself or as otherwise permitted by the article. 020 adds that where a bicycle path parallels a roadway and is no more than 75 feet from its edge, cyclists must use the path rather than the roadway, again except as otherwise permitted. 040 does the same on State Highway 28 in Tahoe City between Dollar Drive and Jack Pine Street, and on State Highway 89 between Fanny Bridge and Timberland Lane.
Both prohibited-highway sections state they take effect only once regulatory signs required by Vehicle Code Section 21103 are actually posted, so the ban is not automatically in force absent signage. 28, Bicycles, within Title 10, Vehicles and Traffic, and apply throughout the unincorporated county, including the Tahoe Basin segments named above, though any additional bikeway standard the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency sets for its jurisdiction is not part of this county article.
Violations & Fines
Article 10.28 does not set its own fine amount, so a violation of §§ 10.28.010, 10.28.020, 10.28.030 or 10.28.040 falls under the county's general penalty, County Code § 1.24.010: punishable as a misdemeanor by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both, or charged as an infraction with a fine capped at the amount set in Government Code § 25132; each day of a continuing violation counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cyclists have to use a marked bike lane in Placer County?
Is riding on the road ever required instead of a bike path?
Are bikes banned from any roads near Lake Tahoe?
What's the penalty for violating the bicycle lane rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placer County
California rules heatmap·Compare Placer County to another location·View the California mobility & curb rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.