Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 4511
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.56 (2026)

Bicycle signal devices

✓ laws through the 2026 session (checked Sept. 2026)
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section ORCcodes.ohio.gov (official) Justiaon Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
Effective:
March 8, 2019
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 250 - 132nd General Assembly
PDF:
Download Authenticated PDF
 

(A) Every bicycle or electric bicycle when in use at the times specified in section 4513.03 of the Revised Code, shall be equipped with the following:

(1) A lamp mounted on the front of either the bicycle or electric bicycle or the operator that shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and three hundred feet to the sides. A generator-powered lamp that emits light only when the bicycle or electric bicycle is moving may be used to meet this requirement.

(2) A red reflector on the rear that shall be visible from all distances from one hundred feet to six hundred feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle;

(3) A lamp emitting either flashing or steady red light visible from a distance of five hundred feet to the rear shall be used in addition to the red reflector. If the red lamp performs as a reflector in that it is visible as specified in division (A)(2) of this section, the red lamp may serve as the reflector and a separate reflector is not required.

(B) Additional lamps and reflectors may be used in addition to those required under division (A) of this section, except that red lamps and red reflectors shall not be used on the front of the bicycle or electric bicycle and white lamps and white reflectors shall not be used on the rear of the bicycle or electric bicycle.

(C) A bicycle or electric bicycle may be equipped with a device capable of giving an audible signal, except that a bicycle or electric bicycle shall not be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a bicycle or electric bicycle any siren or whistle.

(D) Every bicycle and electric bicycle shall be equipped with an adequate brake when used on a street or highway.

(E) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one predicate motor vehicle or traffic offense, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of two or more predicate motor vehicle or traffic offenses, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2000–2021 · leading case: State v. Jones, 88 Ohio St. 3d 430 (2000).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
State v. Jones, 88 Ohio St. 3d 430 (2000). “53), and riding a bicycle that is not equipped with a bell or other sounding device giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred feet (R.C. 4511.56[B]). The following minor misdemeanor offenses are committed while operating a motor vehicle: failing to signal at…”
State v. Fisk, 2021-Ohio-2989. · cites it 3× “{¶27} R.C. 4511.56 governs the equipment required to legally operate a bicycle on a street or highway from sunset to sunrise, among other times.”
State v. Brown, 2012-Ohio-5532. “Roberts, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 23219, 2010-Ohio-300 , ¶ 14 (Defendant stopped for traffic violations while riding his bicycle).”
State v. Siggers, 2014-Ohio-506. “See also R.C. 4511.56(A). Violation of the ordinance is a minor misdemeanor and provided Officer Howell with a reasonable, articulable suspicion that Siggers had committed a crime.”
State v. Jones, 88 Ohio St. 3d 430 (2000). “53), and riding a bicycle that is not equipped with a bell or other sounding device giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred feet (R.C. 4511.56[B]). The following minor misdemeanor offenses are committed while operating a motor vehicle: failing to signal at…”
State v. Ruff, 2013-Ohio-5892. “Officer Bruewer saw a man dressed in all black riding his bicycle with no lights on the sidewalk in violation of Cincinnati Municipal Code 506-5 and R.C. 4511.56. Officer Bruewer testified that based on her experience, she believed that the man, later identified as Mr.”
State v. McCarren, 2011-Ohio-4805. · cites it 2× “{¶1} Thomas McCarren appeals his conviction for a violation of R.C. 4511.56. Because we conclude that the trial court erred when it denied McCarren’s motion to dismiss for lack of a speedy trial, we reverse the trial court’s judgment and discharge McCarren from further…”
State v. Anderson, 794 N.E.2d 126 (Ohio Ct. App. 1st Dist. 2003). “3 {¶ 10} In this case, Anderson was cited for having an improper signal device on a bicycle in violation of R.C. 4511.56, which is a minor misdemeanor.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.56(A): 1 case
State v. Siggers, 2014-Ohio-506. “See also R.C. 4511.56(A). Violation of the ordinance is a minor misdemeanor and provided Officer Howell with a reasonable, articulable suspicion that Siggers had committed a crime.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.56(A)(1): 2 cases
State v. Brown, 2012-Ohio-5532. “Roberts, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 23219, 2010-Ohio-300 , ¶ 14 (Defendant stopped for traffic violations while riding his bicycle).”
State v. McCarren, 2011-Ohio-4805. “{¶1} Thomas McCarren appeals his conviction for a violation of R.C. 4511.56. Because we conclude that the trial court erred when it denied McCarren’s motion to dismiss for lack of a speedy trial, we reverse the trial court’s judgment and discharge McCarren from further…”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.56(A)(2): 1 case
State v. Fisk, 2021-Ohio-2989. “{¶27} R.C. 4511.56 governs the equipment required to legally operate a bicycle on a street or highway from sunset to sunrise, among other times.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.56(E): 1 case
State v. Fisk, 2021-Ohio-2989. “{¶27} R.C. 4511.56 governs the equipment required to legally operate a bicycle on a street or highway from sunset to sunrise, among other times.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.