The bike laws you need to know here, each linked to the law behind it.
Three feet applies only where they cannot.
Cross on WALK without waiting for a green light.
Stop at stop signs and red lights, like any other vehicle.
Ride right when slower than traffic, except to pass, turn, or avoid a hazard like the door zone.
To pass, to turn, or to avoid a hazard.
Only to park, enter or leave the road, or turn within 200 feet.
Ride the same direction as traffic.
White front lamp and reflectors are required. Add a rear light.
No one may open a car door into traffic unless it is safe.
No earbuds or headphones in both ears.
And at every age on a Class 3 e-bike, which no one under 16 may ride.
At a safe distance.
In crosswalks, marked or not.
Illegal in Walnut Creek, except riders under 16 away from storefronts. No such rule in the unincorporated county.
15 mph where posted. Call out 50 feet before passing. Yield to people and horses.
Let them pass and do not engage. Get the plate if you safely can. A deliberate threat is a crime.
911 if it is happening now, otherwise WCPD (925) 943-5844 · how to report
Sources: California Vehicle Code · Walnut Creek Municipal Code · Contra Costa County Ordinance Code · EBRPD Ordinance 38 · Bike East Bay legal resources
Educational only, not legal advice. Hit by a driver? See our crash checklist. Last reviewed August 2026.