What are the bicycle laws in Texas?

Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.

Your rights and duties on the road

Section 551.101 gives a cyclist the rights and duties of a vehicle operator, except where Chapter 551 says otherwise or a rule cannot apply to a bike. It also bars a parent from knowingly letting a child break these rules. Under 551.102, you must ride on a permanent, regular seat, carry no more people than the bike is built for, keep at least one hand on the handlebars, and never hold onto a moving vehicle.

The keep-right rule in 551.103 applies only to a rider moving slower than other traffic. It has four exceptions. You may move left:

1. To pass another vehicle going the same direction.
2. To prepare for a left turn.
3. To avoid a condition on the road, such as a fixed or moving object, a parked or moving vehicle, a pedestrian, an animal or a surface hazard.
4. When the lane is less than 14 feet wide with no bike lane beside it, or is too narrow for a bike and a car to travel safely side by side.

On a one-way road with two or more marked lanes, you may ride near the left edge instead. Two riders may go side by side, but on a laned road they must stay within one lane and may not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic. TxDOT adds that a cyclist is not required to use an off-road bike path next to the road (TxDOT FAQ).

Lights and brakes

Under 551.104, every bike needs a brake that can make a braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement. At nighttime, the bike needs a white front lamp visible from at least 500 feet, and either a red rear reflector visible from 50 to 300 feet or a red rear lamp visible from 500 feet.

Lighting is often the first thing an insurer checks. NHTSA reports that the 6 to 8:59 p.m. window had the largest share of cyclist deaths nationally in 2024, and that 79 cyclists died in Texas that year (NHTSA).

Passing a cyclist: state law and city ordinances

Texas has no statewide minimum passing distance for bicycles. The general rule requires a driver passing another vehicle to pass to the left “at a safe distance” and not move back right until safely clear (545.053). The Legislature passed a statewide three-foot bill in 2009, and Gov. Rick Perry vetoed it (Houston Chronicle; Dallas Observer). Later bills, such as HB 421 in 2023, proposed three feet for cars and light trucks and six feet for commercial vehicles (House Research Organization).

Several large cities filled the gap with their own “vulnerable road user” ordinances:

• Houston’s ordinance requires drivers to give vulnerable road users three feet, six feet for commercial vehicles, and to change lanes when possible. It covers cyclists, pedestrians, wheelchair users and others, with fines up to $500 (Houston Chronicle).
• Dallas adopted a vulnerable road users ordinance in 2012 that requires a passing driver to vacate the lane the rider is using, with a $300 fine, or $500 if a cyclist is hurt (Dallas Morning News).
• Austin and San Antonio also had ordinances by 2014; the same report counted the citations each city had written under them.

City codes change, so check the current version in the city where the crash happened. A violation of a safety ordinance helps show the driver’s fault, and the safe-distance duty in 545.053 applies everywhere in the state.

Helmets, e-bikes and dooring

Chapter 551 contains no bicycle helmet requirement for riders of any age. Some cities have adopted their own helmet rules; the 2014 Dallas report mentions the city’s helmet ordinance, so check local law before you assume none applies.

Texas defines an electric bicycle as one with fully operable pedals, a motor of fewer than 750 watts, and a top assisted speed of 28 mph or less (664.001). Class 1 assists only while pedaling up to 20 mph, class 2 can move without pedaling up to 20 mph, and class 3 assists only while pedaling at more than 20 but less than 28 mph. Manufacturers and sellers must label each e-bike with its class, top assisted speed and motor wattage (664.002). A class 3 operator must be at least 15 (551.107). State and local authorities may ban bicycles from sidewalks and set speed limits on bike paths, but generally may not ban e-bikes where regular bikes are allowed, except on natural-surface trails (551.106).

Opening a car door into a rider is also covered. A person may not open a door on the side available to moving traffic unless it can be done in reasonable safety without interfering with traffic (545.418).

How Texas compares

Fault and deadlines after a Texas bike crash

Texas uses proportionate responsibility. A cyclist found more than 50 percent responsible recovers nothing (CPRC 33.001). At 50 percent or less, the damages are reduced by the rider’s percentage (CPRC 33.012). A missing light or a lane position the insurer calls unsafe can move that percentage. Our page on comparative fault shows the math.

The general deadline to sue is two years (CPRC 16.003). If a city or state vehicle hit you, written notice is generally due within six months, and city charters can set shorter periods (CPRC 101.101).

What this means for your case

Photograph the lane width, the bike lane if there is one and your lights before anything is moved. Note which city you were in, because a local passing ordinance may apply. Request the crash report from the police agency that responded. Insurance and evidence questions are covered in how bicycle accident claims work. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou.

Common questions

Related pages

Injury law FAQs

Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 7, 2026.