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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.

California is the most-rented-car state in the US — partly because of distance (north–south stretches 1,300 km) and partly because the state's top destinations are spread across a network rather than concentrated in a single city. The freeway grid is the spine: I-5 north–south, I-80 east–west across the Sierra, I-10 through the south, US-101 hugging the central coast. The state's most photographed roads (PCH/CA-1, the Tioga Pass through Yosemite, the Tahoe loop) are well-marked secondary routes off the freeway grid.

The headline change for 2026 visitors is that the Clean Air Vehicle decal program ended October 2025. EV and PHEV drivers no longer get HOV-lane access as a solo occupant. Foreign visitors who rented EVs in 2024 or earlier and remember solo HOV use need to update that mental model. The HOV rules now apply equally regardless of powertrain.

California tolling is fully electronic under the FasTrak umbrella — no cash booths remain on state-operated bridges or express lanes. Rental cars handle this through the rental company's in-house toll programme (PlatePass, e-Toll, TollPass) which adds a daily fee plus the toll itself.

The headline rule

Lane splitting is legal (the only US state)

California is the ONLY US state where motorcyclists may legally ride between rows of stopped or slow-moving cars. CHP guidance is to not exceed surrounding traffic by more than 10 mph and not split above 30 mph total speed. For foreign drivers from countries where this is illegal, the visual reflex is to panic-brake or veer when a bike appears between lanes — and "intentionally impeding a motorcyclist" is itself a citable offence in California. The right response is to hold your line steady.

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

Famous driving routes in California

Tips for foreign visitors

Tolls in California

All California toll bridges (Bay Bridge, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, etc.), express lanes (I-110, I-405, I-680), and the Orange County toll road network (SR-73/241) operate on FasTrak electronic tolling. Rental drivers can opt in to the rental company's pass programme (typically $5–10/day plus tolls), add the plate to a personal FasTrak account, or open a short-term licence-plate account directly with the agency.

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