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Driving in California

The rules foreign visitors most often get wrong — with the official source for every fact. Always verify directly before you drive.

Key rules

Max rural interstate speed
70 mph [1]
Right turn on red
Permitted after full stop (unless signed otherwise) [2]
Seatbelt enforcement (front)
Primary enforcement [3]
Handheld phone
Banned for all drivers [4]

CVC §§23123, 23123.5 — handheld and texting banned

Texting while driving
Banned [4]
Min liability — bodily injury per person
$30,000 [5] (as of 2025-01-01)
Min liability — bodily injury per accident
$60,000 [5] (as of 2025-01-01)
Min liability — property damage
$15,000 [5] (as of 2025-01-01)
Motorcycle helmet
Required for all riders [6]
Move-over law
Yes — required to move over / slow for emergency vehicles [7]
Studded tires
Allowed seasonally (see notes) [8]

Allowed Nov 1 – Apr 30

Marijuana in vehicle
Open container / consumption in vehicle illegal [4]

Sealed / trunk only; no smoking or consumption in vehicle

Primary resources for California

Sources

Every claim above links to its numbered source here. If a link is broken, or you believe a fact is outdated, please let us know.

  1. [1] Caltrans — Manual for Setting Speed Limits (2025) — Caltrans · accessed 2026-04-23
  2. [2] CA Driver Handbook — Laws and Rules of the Road — California DMV · accessed 2026-04-23
  3. [3] California Driver Handbook — California DMV · accessed 2026-04-23
  4. [4] CA Driver Handbook — Alcohol and Drugs — California DMV · accessed 2026-04-23
  5. [5] New Year Means New Changes for Insurance (2025) — CDI · accessed 2026-04-23

    Minimum liability raised to 30/60/15 eff. 2025-01-01

  6. [6] CHP — Motorcycles and Similar Vehicles — CHP · accessed 2026-04-23
  7. [7] NHTSA — Move Over, It's the Law — NHTSA · accessed 2026-04-23
  8. [8] Caltrans — Chain Requirements — Caltrans · accessed 2026-04-23