The California rules of the road are set by the state’s Vehicle Code, and they cover how fast you can drive, who yields to whom, when you must buckle up or put the phone down, what your blood alcohol limit is, how much insurance you need, and what you have to do if you crash. The base fines printed in the statute are only part of the story: a $35 speeding ticket typically costs around $233 once the state adds penalty assessments, court fees, and surcharges, and a $100 base fine pushes well past $500.
How Fast You Can Legally Drive
California layers two speed rules on top of each other. Posted signs set the maximum, and the Basic Speed Law under Vehicle Code section 22350 requires you to drive at a speed that is safe for current weather, visibility, road surface, and traffic.1California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 22350 – Basic Speed Law If fog rolls in on a 65 mph highway, the Basic Speed Law effectively lowers your legal limit even though the sign has not changed.
The default maximum on multi-lane highways is 65 mph, with some segments posted at 70 after a Caltrans engineering survey.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22349 Two-lane undivided highways top out at 55 mph unless signed higher. In residential and business districts, school zones, and areas near senior centers, the default drops to 25 mph, and railway crossings and alleys with limited visibility carry a 15 mph default.3California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 22352
Speeding fines scale with how far over you were. Statewide base amounts are $35 for 1–15 mph over, $70 for 16–25 mph over, and $100 for 26 or more mph over.4Judicial Council of California. Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules State penalty assessments, a court construction fee, a DNA fund surcharge, and other line items roughly multiply the total by a factor of five to seven.
Who Yields to Whom
At an uncontrolled intersection where two vehicles arrive at the same time from different roads, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.5Justia. California Vehicle Code 21800-21807 – Right-of-Way If you are making a left turn or U-turn, you must yield to all oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard, and keep yielding until the turn can be completed safely.6California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 21801 – Left Turn or U-Turn The same yield rule applies when you enter a highway from a driveway, parking lot, or alley.7California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 21804 – Entering Highway from Public or Private Property
Pedestrians get strong protection. Drivers must yield to any pedestrian in a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, and must reduce speed or take whatever action is needed to keep them safe.8California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 21950 Pedestrians cannot suddenly leave a curb and walk into a vehicle that is too close to stop, but the consequences fall far more heavily on the driver: a failure-to-yield ticket is $35 at the base, roughly $233 after assessments, plus a point on your record and potential civil liability if anyone is hurt.4Judicial Council of California. Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules
Lanes, Passing, and Sharing the Road
Lane markings carry the force of law. Double solid yellow lines mean you cannot drive to the left of them, with narrow exceptions for turning left into a driveway or making a legal U-turn.9California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 21460 Double solid white lines are even stricter and cannot be crossed at all except where specifically allowed. A single broken yellow or white line permits passing and lane changes when safe.
Passing on the right is allowed only in limited situations, such as when the vehicle ahead is making a left turn, or when the street is wide enough for two lanes moving the same direction.10California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 21754 Otherwise, pass on the left with enough clearance that you do not interfere with the other vehicle.
Carpool Lanes
HOV lanes require a minimum number of occupants, usually two or three depending on the sign, and are separated by special markings you can only cross at designated entry and exit points. Driving solo in an HOV lane carries a minimum fine of $490, and that goes up for repeat offenders or in counties that add local fees.11Caltrans. High-Occupancy Vehicle Systems Certain clean-air vehicles with valid DMV decals can use HOV lanes with a single occupant, but the decal programs change frequently.
Passing Bicyclists
California’s Three Feet for Safety Act requires at least three feet of clearance between any part of your vehicle and any part of a bicycle or its rider when you overtake a cyclist on a highway.12California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code VEH 21760 If a lane going the same direction is open, move into it fully before passing. When three feet is not possible because of road width, you must slow to a safe speed and wait for an opportunity to pass safely.
Signaling, Turning, and Red Lights
Your turn signal must be on continuously for the last 100 feet before any turn or lane change.13California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 22108 – Turning and Stopping and Turning Signals That is roughly seven car lengths, shorter than most drivers think. A missed or late signal carries a $35 base fine, about $233 after assessments, plus a point on your record.4Judicial Council of California. Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules
At a red light you may turn right after a complete stop and after yielding to pedestrians and cross traffic, unless a sign prohibits it.14California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 21453 A left turn on red is legal only when going from a one-way street onto another one-way street, under the same stop-and-yield conditions.
U-turns come with their own restrictions. In a business district, you can make a U-turn only at an intersection or at an opening in a divided highway. In a residential area, you have more flexibility, but you cannot turn when another vehicle is approaching from either direction within 200 feet, unless that vehicle is stopped at a traffic signal.15California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 22103 – U-Turn in Residence District
Seatbelts, Car Seats, and Phones
Every driver and every passenger age 16 and older must wear a seatbelt when the vehicle is moving, and drivers are responsible for buckling up passengers under 16. The base fine is $20 for a first violation and $50 for each additional offense, but assessments push a first ticket to around $162.16California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code 27315 – Safety Belts and Inflatable Restraint Systems Seatbelt violations are primary offenses, meaning an officer can pull you over for that alone.
Children under 8 must ride in an appropriate child passenger restraint system that meets federal safety standards, secured in the rear seat. Children under 2 must be in a rear-facing seat unless they weigh 40 or more pounds or are 40 or more inches tall.17California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 27360 After the rear-facing seat, a forward-facing seat with a harness comes next, and then a booster until the child fits a standard seatbelt properly, with the lap belt across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt across the chest without cutting the neck.
You cannot hold a phone or other wireless device for any purpose while driving. Hands-free use is permitted: voice commands, a dashboard mount, a single tap to answer. The moment the phone is in your hand, you are in violation. Drivers under 18 cannot use a phone at all, including hands-free. The base fine is $20 for a first offense and $50 for each additional, with the real cost above $150 after assessments.18California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 23123.5
Alcohol, Drugs, and Chemical Tests
The legal blood alcohol concentration limit is 0.08% for most drivers and 0.04% for anyone operating a commercial vehicle.19Justia. California Vehicle Code 23152-23229.1 – Article 2 For drivers under 21, zero tolerance applies at 0.01%, and refusing a preliminary screening test alone can trigger a one- to three-year license suspension.20California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 23136
A first DUI conviction carries 96 hours to six months in county jail (with at least 48 consecutive hours required), a fine of $390 to $1,000 before penalty assessments, and a license suspension.21California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 23536 With assessments, the financial hit often tops $2,000, and the court will typically require a DUI education program and may impose probation.
By driving on California roads, you are deemed to have consented to a chemical test of your blood or breath if lawfully arrested for DUI. Refusing triggers an automatic administrative suspension of one year for a first refusal, two years if you have a prior DUI or refusal in the previous 10 years, and three years for two or more priors.22California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 23612 That suspension runs through the DMV, separate from any criminal case, and a conviction after a refusal adds mandatory jail time and extra fines on top of the standard DUI sentence.
Insurance You Must Carry
California requires liability insurance at minimums of $30,000 for bodily injury to one person, $60,000 for bodily injury to all persons in a single accident, and $15,000 for property damage, commonly written as 30/60/15. These limits took effect January 1, 2025, doubling the prior 15/30/5 requirement.23California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 16056
Carry proof of insurance any time you drive and present it to law enforcement on request. Driving without valid coverage can bring fines, vehicle impoundment, and a registration suspension. If you crash while uninsured, the DMV can suspend your license for up to four years. Lower-income drivers may qualify for a state low-cost auto insurance program with reduced limits of 10/20/3.
The Move Over Law
When you approach a stationary emergency vehicle, tow truck, highway maintenance vehicle, or any vehicle with flashing hazard lights or warning devices such as flares or cones, Vehicle Code section 21809 requires you to move into a lane that is not directly next to that vehicle when traffic and safety allow it.24California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 21809 If moving over is unsafe or impossible, slow to a speed that is reasonable for conditions. The rule does not apply when the stopped vehicle is separated from your travel lanes by a physical barrier like a concrete median.
After a Crash
What You Must Do at the Scene
If you are involved in an accident that causes injury or death, stop immediately at the scene.25California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 20001 Leaving the scene of an injury accident is a felony that can carry prison time. For a property-damage-only crash, you must also stop, but at the nearest spot that does not block traffic.26California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 20002 Once stopped, provide your name, address, driver’s license, vehicle registration, and insurance information to the other driver or property owner. If the owner is not present, leave a written note with your information in a visible spot and notify local police.
Failing to stop and exchange information after a property-damage accident is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both.26California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 20002 This is the hit-and-run statute that catches drivers who assume minor damage does not count. It does.
Reporting to the DMV
Any accident involving bodily injury, death, or property damage over $1,000 must be reported to the DMV within 10 days on the state’s SR-1 form.27California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 16000 You can file it yourself or have your insurance agent or attorney do it for you. The $1,000 threshold is low enough that even a parking-lot bump can trigger it, and failing to file can suspend your license. Your insurance company does not submit this form for you automatically.