Missouri Bicycle Laws

Required under age

No statewide age requirement

Applies to passengers

—

Standard

—

Penalty

Missouri has no statewide bicycle helmet law for any age. The cities of Columbia and University City require helmets for riders under 16 by municipal ordinance; St. Louis County does not. Federal CPSC helmet certification (16 CFR Part 1203) still applies to every helmet sold.

Statute

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See our find your helmet size and kids bike sizing guide.

Statewide rule

Defers to local rules

Notes

Missouri has no statewide statute permitting or prohibiting sidewalk cycling. RSMo § 307.190 governs bicycle equipment and operation but is silent on sidewalks. Kansas City prohibits sidewalk riding in the central business district; St. Louis prohibits it in business districts and requires riders to dismount in pedestrian-heavy areas; Springfield permits it citywide.

Statute

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See our commuter bike sizing guide and bike fitting guide.

Applies to bicycles

No

Separate cycling DUI statute

No

BAC limit

—

Penalty

Missouri's DWI statute (RSMo § 577.010) applies to anyone operating a 'motor vehicle' while intoxicated. RSMo § 301.010 defines motor vehicle to exclude human-powered devices, so bicycles fall outside DWI. Public-intoxication and careless-and-imprudent-driving charges may still apply to an impaired rider.

Statute

¹

— Not yet researched.

Front light required

Yes

Front spec

Lamp on the front emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front, required between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise.

Rear requirement

Rear reflector or light

Rear spec

Red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the Missouri Department of Public Safety, visible from all distances from 100 feet to 600 feet when directly in front of lawful lower-beam headlamps. A red rear lamp visible from 500 feet may be used in addition to the reflector.

Side reflectors

No

Pedal reflectors

No

When required

Darkness

Statute

¹

See our bike lights that meet the law and winter and low-light cycling setup.

— Not yet researched.

Two abreast allowed

Yes

Conditions

Two abreast permitted on the roadway except where prohibited by local ordinance; riders shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.

Statute

¹

Rule

—

Statute

—

— Not yet researched.

Bicycle registration required

No

Operator license required

No

Interstates

Prohibited

Notes

Bicycles are prohibited on Missouri Interstate and other limited-access highways within urban areas under Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) controlled-access regulations. I-70, I-44, I-55, I-29, and I-35 are closed to bicycles end-to-end across the state. Conventional US and state routes (US-50, US-63, MO-94 Katy Trail parallel) remain open.