Bike Buzz: Fines for bicycle-related California Vehicle Code (CVC) violations

The City of Carlsbad, California—in their “Snapshot of fines associated with violations”https://www.carlsbadca.gov/departments/streets-traffic/traffic-safety/electric-bikes —notes, “The actual fine does not include approximately $300 dollars in additional court fees.”

Yes, a Base Fine does not include additional court fees! For example, a common citation for minors is riding without a helmet (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=21212.&lawCode=VEH). For that, California’s Base Fine is $25. But when court fees are added in, a helmet citation actually incurs not just a $25 fine, it incurs a Total Bail (payable fine) of $193 in Monterey County (see page 8 of 2025 schedule: https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/system/files/general/uniform-bail-schedule-2025.pdf).

That’s why Bicycling Monterey offers an alternative https://bikemonterey.org/bike-equity-project-alternative-to-fine-for-traffic-citations.html that is appreciated by local families: https://bikemonterey.org/youth-bike-and-sometimes-receive-citations.html.

Base Fines for a sampling of bicycle-related California Vehicle Code (CVC) violations are listed below.

For more information, refer to the Superior Court of California County of Monterey Bail & Fee Schedules https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/forms-filing/bail-fee-schedules, or the Bail & Fee Schedules of the county where you were cited.

Again, do not overlook the Total Bail column. (For example, for Bicyclist Riding Under the Influence, the Base Fine is $150, but the Total Bail is $686 — (see page 47 of 2025 schedule: https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/system/files/general/uniform-bail-schedule-2025.pdf).

Base Fines (not Total Bail amount)

Bicyclist Riding Under the Influence (“BUI”), CVC 21200.5, $150
Cell Phone Use, CVC 23123 (a), $20
Equipment Requirement for Bicycle, CVC 21201 (a-d), $25
Helmet Required, CVC 21212 (a), $25
Improper Passenger, CVC 21712, $35
Less Than Normal Speed Must Keep to Right*, CVC 21202 (a), $25 [note exceptions in summary below]
Red Light, CVC 21453 (a), $100
Stop Sign, CVC 22450 (a), $100
Wrong Way (Biking Against One-Way Traffic Patterns), CVC 21657, $35
Yield Right-of-Way on Sidewalk to Pedestrian, CVC 21952, $35 [note: learn more about biking on sidewalks, including local ordinances]
____________
*Summary regarding VC21202(a) Bicycles Less Than Normal Speed-Keep To Right:
A bicyclist going slower than the normal speed of traffic, heading that same direction, is to ride as close as feasible to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway unless any of the exceptions apply, e.g.:
The bicyclist is passing another bicycle or motor-vehicle traveling the same way.
The bicyclist is getting ready for a left turn at an intersection, or to turn left into a private roadway or driveway.
The bicyclist is avoiding obstacles such as stopped vehicles, pedestrians, or broken glass; or avoiding lanes whose width is unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge (too narrow for a bike and a motor vehicle to be side by side safely in the same lane).
The bicyclist is nearing an area where a right turn is permitted.
If the bicyclist is on a one-way roadway (a roadway whose traffic all goes in the same direction), and that roadway has two or more marked lanes, the cyclist may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge as feasible.
FOR FULL DETAILS about VC21202(a) Bicycles Less Than Normal Speed-Keep To Right , refer to (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=21202.&lawCode=VEH).