🇺🇸 United States · All states

Driving in New York

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
65 mph [1]

Thruway and limited-access rural freeways

Right turn on red
Varies — check local signage [1]

Permitted statewide after stop; PROHIBITED in NYC unless a sign expressly permits — most important trap for foreign drivers

Seatbelt enforcement (front)
Primary enforcement [2]

Front and back — all passengers

Handheld phone
Banned for all drivers [3]

VTL §§1225-c / 1225-d

Texting while driving
Banned [3]
Min liability — bodily injury per person
$25,000 [4]
Min liability — bodily injury per accident
$50,000 [4]
Min liability — property damage
$10,000 [4]
Motorcycle helmet
Required for all riders [5]
Move-over law
Yes — required to move over / slow for emergency vehicles [6]
Studded tires
Allowed seasonally (see notes) [7]

Permitted Oct 16 – Apr 30 per VTL §375(35-a)

Marijuana in vehicle
Open container / consumption in vehicle illegal [8]

Open-container prohibited; consumption and smoking in vehicle illegal per VTL §1227

Primary resources for New York

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 If a link is broken, or you believe a fact is outdated, please let us know.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] NY Driver's Manual — Chapter 4: Traffic Control (speed) — NY DMV · accessed 2026-04-23
  2. [2] NY DMV — Occupant Restraint Law — NY DMV · accessed 2026-04-23
  3. [3] NY DMV — Cell Phone & Texting — NY DMV · accessed 2026-04-23
  4. [4] NY DFS — Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements — NYDFS · accessed 2026-04-23
  5. [5] NY Vehicle & Traffic Law §381 — Motorcycle Helmet — NY Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23
  6. [6] NHTSA — Move Over, It's the Law — NHTSA · accessed 2026-04-23
  7. [7] NY VTL §375(35-a) — Studded Tires — NY Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23

    Permitted Oct 16 – Apr 30

  8. [8] NY GTSC — Cannabis & Driving (VTL §1227) — NY GTSC · accessed 2026-04-23