Move-Over Laws by State
Who you must move over or slow down for in each state, the action the law requires, and the fine if you blow past. All 50 states and DC have one, and the fines run from about $275 to $10,000. Reference only, not legal advice.
51Have a Law
27Cover Any Vehicle
20MPH Typical Slow-Down
$275-10KFine Range
01
The basics
Move over, or slow down
Every state and DC has a move-over law. The rule is the same shape everywhere: when you come up on a vehicle stopped on the shoulder with its lights flashing, you move over a lane to give it room. If traffic or the road makes that unsafe, you slow down instead, usually to 20 mph under the limit. In a loaded truck that fallback matters, because you often cannot change lanes clean.
What changes state to state is who counts and what it costs. The law started with police, then added fire, EMS, tow trucks, utility crews, and highway maintenance. The newer trend, and the one to watch, is states extending the duty to any disabled vehicle showing hazards. The fines are all over the map, from a couple hundred dollars to five figures, and injuring a responder turns a cheap ticket into a criminal charge.
02
By state
Move-over rules for all 50 states and DC
Tap a state for the full rule: who you move over for, the required slow-down speed, the fine and how it escalates, and the statute. Any disabled vehicle means the duty covers any stopped vehicle with hazards on; Emergency / tow means it is limited to emergency and service vehicles.
| State | Who you move over for | First-offense fine | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama AL | Emergency / tow | $200 first offense, $250 second, $300 third plus a minimum 90-day license suspension | Ala. Code §32-5A-58.2 |
| Alaska AK | Emergency / tow | $150 for a first offense as an infraction (AS 28 | AS 28.35.185 |
| Arizona AZ | Any disabled vehicle | Civil penalty of $275 first offense, $500 for a second within 5 years, $1,000 for a third or later within 5 years | ARS § 28-775 |
| Arkansas AR | Emergency / tow | A conviction runs $250 to $1,000, up to 90 days in county jail, up to 7 days of community service, and a license suspension of 90 days to six months | Ark. Code §27-51-310 |
| California CA | Any disabled vehicle | Infraction with a maximum fine of $50 (Cal | Cal. Veh. Code 21809 |
| Colorado CO | Any disabled vehicle | Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense, charged as careless driving: $150 to $300 and 4 points | CRS § 42-4-705 |
| Connecticut CT | Any disabled vehicle | A basic violation is an infraction (a standard traffic fine) | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-283b |
| Delaware DE | Any disabled vehicle | Up to $250 first offense, up to $500 second, up to $1,000 after that, with community service allowed in place of the fine | 21 Del. C. §4134 |
| District of Columbia DC | Emergency / tow | About $150 for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle | DCMR Title 18 §2210 |
| Florida FL | Any disabled vehicle | Noncriminal moving violation | Fla. Stat. § 316.126 |
| Georgia GA | Emergency / tow | Misdemeanor with 3 points | O.C.G.A. § 40-6-16 |
| Hawaii HI | Emergency / tow | Up to $200 for a first offense, up to $300 for a second within a year, and up to $500 for a third or later within a year (HRS 291C-27, general penalty HRS 291C-161) | HRS 291C-27 |
| Idaho ID | Emergency / tow | Infraction, about $90 and 3 points on a first offense | Idaho Code § 49-624 |
| Illinois IL | Emergency / tow | Scott's Law | 625 ILCS 5/11-907 |
| Indiana IN | Any disabled vehicle | Failing to move over for a disabled vehicle or a service vehicle (tow, utility, maintenance) is a Class B infraction, up to $1,000 | IC 9-21-8-35 |
| Iowa IA | Any disabled vehicle | Base scheduled fine $135 (roughly $200-plus with surcharge and court costs) | Iowa Code 321.323A |
| Kansas KS | Any disabled vehicle | $75 fine under the uniform fine schedule, plus court costs | K.S.A. 8-15,116 (created by SB 8, 2025) |
| Kentucky KY | Any disabled vehicle | Class B misdemeanor: $60 to $500 and up to 30 days in jail | KRS 189.930 |
| Louisiana LA | Emergency / tow | Fine not to exceed $200 | La. R.S. 32:125 |
| Maine ME | Emergency / tow | Traffic infraction with a minimum fine of $275, about $355 once court fees and surcharges are added | 29-A M.R.S. § 2054(9) |
| Maryland MD | Any disabled vehicle | Misdemeanor | Md. Transp. §21-405 |
| Massachusetts MA | Emergency / tow | Up to $100 | M.G.L. c. 89 § 7C |
| Michigan MI | Emergency / tow | Standard violation is a civil infraction: $400 fine and 2 points | MCL 257.653a (emergency vehicles); MCL 257.653b (solid-waste, utility, road-maintenance vehicles) |
| Minnesota MN | Any disabled vehicle | Petty misdemeanor: fine up to $300 plus about a $75 surcharge, no jail (a typical first-offense payable is around $130) | Minn. Stat. 169.18, subd. 11 and 11a |
| Mississippi MS | Emergency / tow | Up to $250 | Miss. Code §63-3-809 |
| Missouri MO | Emergency / tow | Class A misdemeanor: up to $2,000 and up to 1 year in jail | RSMo 304.022 |
| Montana MT | Emergency / tow | A violation is 'reckless endangerment of emergency personnel' (or highway workers) | MCA § 61-8-388 |
| Nebraska NE | Any disabled vehicle | First offense is a traffic infraction (fine up to $100 under the general infraction schedule) | Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-6,378 (amended by LB 530, 2025) |
| Nevada NV | Any disabled vehicle | A misdemeanor (NRS 484B | NRS 484B.607 |
| New Hampshire NH | Any disabled vehicle | $75 plus a penalty assessment for a first offense | N.H. RSA 265:37-a |
| New Jersey NJ | Any disabled vehicle | $100 to $500 | N.J.S.A. §39:4-92.2 |
| New Mexico NM | Emergency / tow | A $50 penalty assessment and 4 points (NMSA 66-7-332) | NMSA § 66-7-332 |
| New York NY | Any disabled vehicle | Up to $150 and 2 points on a first offense, plus an $88 to $93 state surcharge | NY VTL §1144-a |
| North Carolina NC | Emergency / tow | Base violation is a $250 infraction | N.C.G.S. § 20-157 |
| North Dakota ND | Any disabled vehicle | Blowing past an emergency or highway maintenance vehicle is $50 and 2 points | N.D.C.C. 39-10-26 |
| Ohio OH | Emergency / tow | First offense is a minor misdemeanor, but ORC 4511 | ORC 4511.213 |
| Oklahoma OK | Any disabled vehicle | First offense $1,000 | 47 O.S. §11-314 (Bernardo-Mills Law) |
| Oregon OR | Any disabled vehicle | Class B traffic violation with a presumptive fine of $265 (maximum $1,000) (ORS 811 | ORS 811.147 |
| Pennsylvania PA | Any disabled vehicle | $500 first offense, $1,000 second, $2,000 third or more, with a 90-day license suspension on the third | 75 Pa.C.S. §3327 |
| Rhode Island RI | Any disabled vehicle | $95 for a first offense, set by the state traffic-violation schedule (R | R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3 |
| South Carolina SC | Emergency / tow | Misdemeanor of endangering emergency services personnel | S.C. Code § 56-5-1538 |
| South Dakota SD | Any disabled vehicle | Class 2 misdemeanor: minimum $270 fine and up to 30 days in jail | SDCL 32-31-6.1 |
| Tennessee TN | Emergency / tow | First offense $250 to $500 and up to 30 days in jail | Tenn. Code §55-8-132 |
| Texas TX | Emergency / tow | First offense $500 to $1,250 | Tex. Transp. Code §545.157 |
| Utah UT | Any disabled vehicle | Infraction | Utah Code § 41-6a-904 |
| Vermont VT | Emergency / tow | About $335 and 5 license points for failing to move over (Judicial Bureau waiver amount; statutory range runs roughly $47 to $1,197) | 23 V.S.A. § 1050 |
| Virginia VA | Any disabled vehicle | Fail to move over for a police, fire, or EMS vehicle and it's reckless driving, a Class 1 misdemeanor: up to $2,500, up to 12 months in jail, and 6 demerit points | Va. Code § 46.2-861.1 |
| Washington WA | Emergency / tow | Flat $214 for a first offense, and it can't be waived, reduced, or suspended (base infraction penalty doubled under RCW 46 | RCW 46.61.212 |
| West Virginia WV | Any disabled vehicle | Misdemeanor | W.Va. Code § 17C-14-9a |
| Wisconsin WI | Any disabled vehicle | Noncriminal forfeiture of $30 to $300 for a first offense, plus a driver's license (operating privilege) suspension under s | Wis. Stat. 346.072 (2025 Act 54) |
| Wyoming WY | Emergency / tow | Misdemeanor under 31-5-1201 | Wyo. Stat. § 31-5-224 |
Sources: state DOT and DPS pages; the cited state statutes; NHTSA and AAA move-over summaries. Last reviewed July 2026. Laws are expanding fast, so confirm the current terms with the state agency before you rely on a figure.
Move-Over Law FAQ
What is the move-over law?
The move-over law says that when you approach a stopped vehicle with its lights flashing on the shoulder, you must move over one lane to give it room. If you cannot change lanes safely, you slow down, usually to about 20 mph below the limit. Every state and DC has one. It started with police and now reaches tow trucks, utility crews, and in many states any disabled vehicle showing hazards.
Which states make you move over for any disabled vehicle?
27 states and DC now extend the move-over duty to any stopped vehicle with its hazard lights on, not just emergency and service vehicles. The rest still limit it to police, fire, EMS, tow, utility, and highway-maintenance vehicles. When in doubt, move over for anything stopped with lights on. Check the state page for the exact wording.
What is the fine for not moving over?
It swings wildly by state. Arizona runs about $275, Michigan $400, Pennsylvania $500 to $2,000, Texas up to $1,250 and up to $4,000 with injury, and Illinois "Scott's Law" starts at $250 and can reach $10,000. Most states add points, and hurting or killing a responder turns it into a misdemeanor or felony.
What if I cannot change lanes safely in a truck?
Then you slow down. Every move-over law has a fallback for when traffic or a lack of lanes makes moving over unsafe: reduce your speed, usually to 20 mph under the posted limit, or to a fixed low speed on slower roads. Signal early, check your mirrors, and give the shoulder as much room as you can.
Does hitting a worker or responder mean jail?
In most states, yes. Causing injury to a police officer, firefighter, medic, tow operator, or road worker in a move-over violation is commonly a misdemeanor, and a death can be a felony with prison time. Illinois, Texas, and Pennsylvania all escalate this way. The base ticket is cheap next to what an injury charge costs a CDL.
03
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