Norfolk, VA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Bicycle lane definition
- Marked lane for bikes, e-bikes, mopeds
- Keep-right rule
- Ride near right side of roadway
- Sidewalk age rule
- 15+ must use bike lane if available
- Riders abreast limit
- No more than two abreast
- Sidewalk civil penalty
- Up to $50.00
- Downtown sidewalk ban
- No bikes, except Elizabeth River Trail
Summary
Norfolk defines a bicycle lane as pavement marked for the preferential use of bicycles, electric power-assisted bicycles and mopeds under City Code § 25-2(6). Riders keep right on roadways under § 25-396, and anyone 15 or older must use an available bicycle lane or multi-use path instead of the sidewalk under § 25-398(d), backed by a $50.00 civil penalty.
(6)Bicycle lane. That portion of a roadway designated by signs and/or pavement markings for the preferential use of bicycles, electric power-assisted bicycles, and mopeds....(d)No person fifteen (15) years old or older shall ride a bicycle on the sidewalk if a bicycle lane or multi-use path is available, with the exception of an adult riding a bicycle along with a child fourteen (14) years old or younger.(e)This prohibition shall not apply to public safety officers, city employees or their representatives operating bicycles while engaged in their official assigned duties.(f)A violation of this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
Section 25-396 requires a person riding a bicycle, toy vehicle or motorized skateboard or scooter slower than traffic to stay near the right side of the roadway, with exceptions for passing, left turns, avoiding hazards, avoiding a "substandard width lane" too narrow to share side-by-side, or riding a one-way street, where the rider may instead keep left. Section 25-397 limits riders to two abreast and requires moving to single file when overtaken from behind or on a laned roadway. The sidewalk rule in § 25-398 bars bicycles from any sidewalk, paved or unpaved, inside the Downtown Service District (§ 24-212) or any pedestrian/commercial overlay district, except on the Elizabeth River Trail; it separately bars toy vehicles and motorized scooters from any sidewalk, except mobility-assistance scooters.
Riders on a permitted sidewalk must yield to pedestrians, signal audibly before passing, and ride single file. Most specific to bike lanes, § 25-398(d) requires anyone 15 years old or older to use a bicycle lane or multi-use path, when one is available, rather than the sidewalk, with an exception allowing an adult to ride the sidewalk alongside a child 14 or younger. Public safety officers and city employees on official duty are exempt from the sidewalk restrictions under § 25-398(e). Because § 25-2(5) treats a bicycle as a vehicle while on the highway, riders in a bicycle lane also carry the same rights and duties as motor vehicle drivers under § 25-386.
Violations & Fines
Riding on a sidewalk where a bicycle lane or multi-use path is available, or riding on a sidewalk inside a restricted downtown or overlay district without the Elizabeth River Trail exception, is punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $50.00 under § 25-398(f). The section does not carry a separate criminal misdemeanor for adult riders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ride my bike on the sidewalk in Norfolk?
Where must cyclists position themselves on a Norfolk roadway?
Do e-bikes count as bicycles in Norfolk's bike lanes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
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