Indiana 
Bicycle
 Laws

9‐21.11.1
 Children
 and
 wards;
 bicycles;
 violations

Sec.
 1 
(a)
 The 
parent 
of 
a 
child
 and
 the
 guardian
 of
 a
 protected
 person 
may 
not 
authorize 
or 
knowingly
 permit
 the
 child
 or 
protected 
person 
to
 violate
 this 
chapter. (b)
Subject 
to 
the 
exceptions
 stated, 
the
 provisions 
of 
this 
chapter 
applicable 
to 
bicycles
 apply 
whenever 
a 
bicycle
 is 
 operated 
upon
 a 
highway 
or
 path 
set
 aside 
for 
the 
exclusive
 use 
of 
bicycles.

9‐21‐11‐2 
Riding 
on 
roadways; 
rights
 and
 duties

Sec. 
2
 A 
person
 riding
 a 
bicycle
 upon 
a
 roadway
 has 
all
 the
 rights
 and
 duties
 under 
this
 article 
that 
are 
applicable 
to
 a 
 person
 who
 drives 
a
 vehicle. Except 
the
 following:
(1) Special 
regulations 
of
 this 
article
(2) Those 
provisions 
of 
this
 article 
that 
by 
their 
nature
 have
 no 
application.

9‐21‐11‐3
 Seats

Sec.
 3 
(a)
 A
 person 
propelling 
a
 bicycle
 may
 not:
(1) Ride
 other
 than 
upon 
the
 permanent 
and 
regular 
seat
 attached 
to
 the 
bicycle; 
or
(2) Carry 
any 
other
 person
 upon 
the
 bicycle
 who 
is 
not 
seated 
upon 
a 
firmly 
attached
 and 
regular
 seat 
on
 the 
 bicycle.
      (b) 
A 
person 
may
 not
 ride 
upon 
a 
bicycle
 unless
 seated 
under
 this 
section.

9‐21‐11‐4
 Passengers

Sec. 
4 
A 
bicycle 
may 
not 
be 
used
 to
 carry 
more
 persons
 at
 one
 (1)
 time 
than
 the 
number 
for
 which 
the
 bicycle
 is 
 designed
 and
 equipped.

9‐12‐11‐5 
Hitching 
Rides 
on 
Motor 
vehicles 
or 
street 
cars

Sec. 
5
 A
 person
 upon 
a 
bicycle,
 a 
coaster, 
roller
 skates,
 or
 a 
toy 
vehicle 
may 
not
 attach
 the
 bicycle, 
coaster,
 roller
 skates 
 or 
toy 
vehicle
 or 
the 
person
 to 
a
 street 
car 
or 
vehicle 
upon 
a 
roadway.

9‐21‐11‐6 Riding
 two 
abreast

Sec. 
6 
 A
person 
riding
 a 
bicycle 
upon
 a 
roadway 
may
 not
 ride 
more
 than
 two 
(2) 
abreast
 except
 on 
paths 
or
 parts 
of 
 roadways
 set
 aside 
for
 the 
exclusive
 use
 of 
bicycles.

9‐21‐11‐7
 Carrying 
articles

Sec. 
7 
A 
person 
who 
rides 
a 
bicycle 
may 
not 
carry 
a 
package, 
a
 bundle
 or
 an
 article
 that 
prevents
 the
 person
 from 
 keeping
 both 
hands
 upon
 the 
handlebars.

9‐21‐11‐8
 Bells 
or
 other 
audible 
signal 
devices

Sec.
 8 
A 
person 
may 
not 
ride 
a 
bicycle 
unless 
the 
bicycle 
is
 equipped
 with 
a 
bell
 or
 other 
device 
capable
 of 
giving 
a 
signal 
 audible 
for 
a 
distance 
of 
at 
least 
one 
hundred 
(100) 
feet. 

A 
bicycle 
may 
not
 be
 equipped 
with 
and 
a 
person 
may 
not 
use 
 upon 
a 
bicycle 
a 
siren 
or 
whistle.

9‐21‐11‐9
 Lamps 
and 
reflectors

Sec. 
9 
A 
bicycle 
operated 
on
 a
 highway 
from 
one‐half
 (1/2) 
hour 
after

sunset 
until 
one‐half 
(1/2)
 hour 
before 
sunrise 
 must 
be 
equipped

with
 the 
following:
(1) A
 lamp 
on 
the 
front 
exhibiting 
a 
white 
light
 visible 
from 
a 
distance 
of
 at
 least 
five 
hundred
 (500) 
feet
 to 
the 
 front.
(2) A 
lamp 
on 
the 
rear 
exhibiting 
a 
red 
light
 visible 
from 
a 
distance 
of
 five 
hundred 
(500) 
feet
 to
 the 
rear 
or 
a
 red 
 reflector
 visible 
from 
a 
distance 
of
 five 
hundred 
(500)
 feet
 to
 the 
rear.

9‐21‐11‐10 
Brakes

Sec.
 10 
A 
bicycle 
must 
be 
equipped
 with 
a 
brake 
that 
will 
enable 
the 
person 
who 
operates 
the 
bicycle 
to 
make
 the
 braked 
wheels
 skid 
on 
dry, 
level, 
clean 
pavement.

9‐21‐11‐11 
Traffic
 regulation 
and 
requirements

Sec. 
11 
A 
person 
who 
operates
 a 
bicycle 
upon
 a 
highway
 shall
 observe
 the 
regulations
 and
 requirements 
of
 this 
article.

9‐21‐11‐14
 Violations

Sec.
14 
A 
person 
who
 violates 
this
 chapter
 commits
 a 
Class 
C
 infraction.

IC
 9‐13‐2‐14 
Bicycle

Sec.
 14 
“Bicycle” 
means
 any
 foot‐propelled 
vehicle,
 irrespective 
of
 the
 number
 of 
wheels
 in 
contact 
with 
the 
ground.

IC 
9‐21‐1‐3 
Powers 
of
 local 
authorities;
 effective 
date 
of
 ordinances

Sec.
 3
 (a) 
A
 local 
authority, 
with
 respect
 to private 
roads
 and
 highways 
under 
the 
authority’s 
jurisdiction,
 in
 accordance
 with
 section 
2
 of 
this 
chapter,
 and
 within
 the 
reasonable 
exercise 
of 
the 
police 
power,
 may
 do 
the 
following:
(9)
 Regulate 
the
 operation
 of
 bicycles 
and
 require 
the
 registration 
and
 licensing 
of 
bicycles,
 including
 the
 requirement 
of
 a
 registration 
fee.
(b)
 An 
ordinance or 
regulation
 adopted 
under 
subsection
 (a)(4), 
(a)(5),
 (a)(6), 
(a)(7), 
(a)(8), 
(a)(10),
 (a)(11),
 (a)(12),
 (a)(13), 
or
 (a)(14) 
is 
effective
 when
 signs 
giving 
notice 
of 
the
 local
 traffic
 regulations
 are
 posted 
upon 
or 
at 
the 
entrances 
 to
 the 
highway
 or
 part 
of
 the 
highway 
that
 is 
affected.

IC 
9‐21‐8‐37 
Pedestrians 
and 
children;
 due
 care; 
caution

Sec. 
37. 
Notwithstanding 
other 
provisions
 of
 this
 article
 or 
local 
ordinance, 
a 
person 
who 
drives 
a 
vehicle
 shall
 do
 the
 following:
(1) Exercise
 due
 care
 to
 avoid
 colliding 
with 
a
 pedestrian 
or 
a 
person
 propelling 
a 
human
 powered 
vehicle, 
giving 
an 
 audible
 signal 
when
 necessary
(2) Exercise
 proper
 caution 
upon 
observing 
a
 child
 or
 an 
obviously
 confused, 
incapacitated, 
or
 intoxicated 
person.