Bicycle Laws Columbus Ohio
By the ohio bicycle federation.
Bicycle laws columbus ohio. Helmets are required for all riders under the age of 18. The laws describe what a driver is required to do or prohibited from doing. The state of ohio does not allow registration of electric bikes. Ohio moped and motorized bike laws.
Welcome to the bikeway program for the city of columbus. Under the law all bicycles including e. However it s important to know what your bike is classified as by the bmv ohio bureau of motor vehicles so that you don t break the law. But laws do not tell people how to drive.
Under state of ohio law and columbus city code bicycles have the same right of way rights as motor vehicles. Below are annotated excerpts of concern to cyclists from ohio traffic the entire ohio revised code online. According to the ohio dept. From a rules and regulations standpoint the ohio bmv does not distinguish between mopeds motorized bikes and electric bikes.
The state of ohio classifies electric bikes and motorized bicycles as mopeds. In ohio a motorized bicycle or moped is defined as a vehicle with two wheels or three wheels one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear that may be pedaled and is also. John kasich has signed a bill making ohio the 11th state with an e bike law supported by the industry. That is the function of a driver s manual.
Columbus ohio brain gov. The department of public service builds and maintains facilities to help those travelling in and around the columbus area to use bicycles and a green low cost and healthy means of travel. Orc 4501 01 a b k 4501 01 motor vehicles definitions. The city has also been selected for a bronze award from the league of american bicyclists.
Ohio s new law went into effect on march 8 2019 and explicitly excludes e bikes from the definition of motor vehicles motorized bicycles and mopeds. Electric bicycles are permitted to go where traditional bikes are allowed. Of public safety data for 2007 about 62 percent of fatal bicycle crashes in ohio occur during non daylight hours even though few cyclists ride then. However in order for a bike to be considered a moped in ohio it must meet the following criteria.
Laws and policies can change at any time rendering the above information outdated and non applicable.