Truck Lane Restrictions by State
Where a state keeps trucks out of the left lane or holds them to the right, the roads it covers, and the fine. Covers left-lane laws and keep-right rules for all 50 states and DC. Reference only, not legal advice.
17Statewide Laws
12Posted Corridors
22Keep-Right Only
51Jurisdictions
01
The basics
Truck lane rules vs. keep-right
Nearly every state has a keep-right-except-to-pass law that applies to all traffic. That is not the one that catches truckers. What matters is whether a state adds a truck-specific restriction, and there are two kinds. A statewide rule is written into the state's code and applies on every qualifying road, sign or no sign (17 states). A posted rule has no blanket statute, but the DOT or tollway signs specific corridors and enforces them, so it applies only where you see the sign (12 states). The other 22 rely on keep-right alone.
The restriction is not absolute. In almost every state you may enter the left lane to pass, to set up a left turn or exit, when police or signs direct you, or to make room for merging traffic. What you cannot do is cruise there. The ticket is yours alone, and a lane stop is an easy reason for an officer to start a full inspection.
02
By state
Lane rules for all 50 states and DC
Tap a state for the full rule: the lane trigger, the roads it covers, the exceptions, the statute, and the fine. Statewide means a state law bars trucks from the lane everywhere it qualifies; Posted only means the restriction applies where the DOT signs it; Keep-right only means the state relies on the general slower-traffic rule.
| State | Rule type | The rule | Fine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama AL | Keep-right only | No truck-specific ban. General keep-right: slower-than-normal traffic keeps right | Up to about $100 on the keep-right rule (first offense). Left-lane Anti-Road Rage tickets land in the speeding-ticket range, up to about $200. |
| Alaska AK | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. Alaska has a general keep-right rule that applies to every vehicle. | Minor traffic offense. Scheduled bail is about $30 plus a surcharge, payable without a court appearance. |
| Arizona AZ | Posted only | Enabling rule, posted-only. A motor vehicle or combination with a declared gross weight over 26,000 pounds | Civil traffic violation. Base fine plus mandatory state surcharges; totals run to roughly $250-$375 depending on the court that writes the ticket. |
| Arkansas AR | Statewide | Vehicles with more than two axles may not use the far-left lane on designated six-lane interstates | Up to $100. |
| California CA | Statewide | Trucks and other vehicles with three or more axles | Base fine $100 first offense, about $238 after penalty assessments, then $200 second and $250 third within a year, plus 1.5 DMV points. |
| Colorado CO | Posted only | Corridor rule, not statewide. On posted high-risk segments of I-70, a commercial vehicle | Class A traffic infraction. About $100 fine plus 4 points against the driver's license. |
| Connecticut CT | Statewide | Commercial-registered vehicles, buses, school buses, and any vehicle towing a trailer are barred from the far-left lane on divided limited-access highways with three or more lanes in the same direction, but only on segments the state traffic authority has designated and posted | $88 flat infraction under the statute. Court fees push the real total higher. |
| Delaware DE | Posted only | A truck rule that runs by corridor, not statewide. On the express-highway portions of SR-1 and I-495, a vehicle over 26,000 lb GVWR must stay in the right lane, except to pass or to enter, leave, or continue on the road | $25 to $75 for a first occurrence (21 Del. C. 4114A). |
| District of Columbia DC | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. Trucks follow the same general keep-right rule as all vehicles. The District controls trucks by route, not by lane. | Civil moving-infraction fine; the amount varies. Driving a truck off a designated route carries its own DCMR penalty. |
| Florida FL | Posted only | No statewide truck-lane statute | About $121 minimum plus 3 points on a CDL for disobeying a posted truck-lane sign (Fla. Stat. 316.074). |
| Georgia GA | Statewide | Any truck | Around $107 to $165 plus 3 points. It is a misdemeanor, and the exact amount varies by county with surcharges. |
| Hawaii HI | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. The general keep-right rule covers all vehicles. | Minor traffic infraction with a modest court-set fine. No truck-lane penalty because there's no truck-lane rule. |
| Idaho ID | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. The only rule that applies is the general keep-right: any vehicle moving slower than normal traffic must drive in the right-hand lane and use the left lane only to pass or turn left. On four-or-more-lane two-way highways, don't drive left of center except where marked. | Failure to keep right is a traffic infraction. A fixed penalty plus court costs (on the order of $90 total). No license points for the infraction itself. Exact schedule amount not separately confirmed. |
| Illinois IL | Posted only | No standalone truck-lane statute, but IDOT and the Illinois Tollway post enforceable "No Trucks Left Lane" restrictions on many multi-lane interstates, using the authority in 625 ILCS 5/11-709 | Petty offense, up to $1,000, cited under 625 ILCS 5/11-709 (improper lane usage) or 11-305 (disobeying a posted sign); a mandatory $100 to $1,000 in a work zone. For a CDL it is a "serious violation" - two in three years means disqualification. |
| Indiana IN | Statewide | On an interstate highway, a truck must stay in the far-right lane. Where the interstate has three or more lanes in your direction, a truck must stay in the two far-right lanes. This covers trucks, truck tractors, road tractors, trailers, semitrailers, and pole trailers | Class C infraction, up to $500 if you contest it and lose. If the violation causes bodily injury in a crash it becomes a Class A infraction, up to $10,000. |
| Iowa IA | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. Trucks follow the general keep-right rule: drive on the right half of the road, and if you are slower than the normal speed of traffic, stay in the right lane except to pass or turn left. No weight or vehicle-class trigger. | Scheduled fine of $135 under Iowa Code 805.8A, plus the state criminal surcharge and court costs. (Older schedules listed $100; the current scheduled amount is $135.) |
| Kansas KS | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction, but Kansas has a real keep-right rule that applies to ALL vehicles. On a highway outside city limits with three or more lanes in the same direction, no vehicle may run in the far-left lane except to pass, turn left, follow a traffic-control device, or comply with law. It is not aimed at trucks by weight or class. | $75 uniform fine under the statewide fine schedule (K.S.A. 8-2118), plus court costs. Doubles in a posted road construction zone. |
| Kentucky KY | Statewide | Truck tractors, trailers, and semitrailers may not use the far-left lane on any highway with three or more lanes in the same direction, except when entering or leaving the highway, yielding to traffic merging on, or when conditions make the right or center lanes unsafe. | $20 to $100 (KRS 189.990). |
| Louisiana LA | Posted only | No statewide truck-lane statute | Fines are doubled in the safety corridor (La. R.S. 32:268), and the bridge uses automated cameras. |
| Maine ME | Posted only | No statewide truck ban, but the Maine Turnpike bars trucks from the far-left lane on its three-lane sections. Keep to the two right lanes and pass in the middle lane | Traffic infraction with a court-set fine, commonly around $137; the general keep-right range runs about $25 to $500. |
| Maryland MD | Posted only | No blanket statewide truck-lane ban, but Md. Transp. 21-309 | A traffic violation with a court-set fine; the posted sign carries the force of law. |
| Massachusetts MA | Statewide | Heavy commercial vehicles over 2.5 tons | Up to $100 (M.G.L. c.89 5). |
| Michigan MI | Statewide | A truck over 10,000 pounds gross weight, a truck tractor, or any tractor-trailer or semitrailer combination must drive only in the two lanes farthest to the right | Civil infraction. The scheduled fine sits around $130; with court costs and the state assessment the total is usually about $150 to $200, and it varies by district court. |
| Minnesota MN | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. Trucks run under the general rules: drive on the right half, keep right when you are slower than traffic, and move out of the leftmost lane so faster vehicles can pass. No weight or vehicle-class trigger anywhere in the section. | Petty misdemeanor. No jail; fine up to $300, plus the state surcharge and court costs. Typical payable amount is well under the max. |
| Mississippi MS | Keep-right only | No truck-specific ban. General keep-right: slower-than-normal traffic keeps to the right lane, and no vehicle may run continuously in the far-left lane of a multilane road when it impedes traffic. | Up to about $100 (general misdemeanor traffic penalty). |
| Missouri MO | Statewide | A truck registered for a gross weight over 48,000 pounds may not drive in the far-left lane on an interstate, freeway, or expressway inside an urbanized area that has three or more lanes running the same direction | The base offense is a Class C misdemeanor, not a simple ticket. That is up to 15 days and a fine up to $750 (RSMo 304.015(9)). It rises to a Class B misdemeanor if it creates an immediate crash risk, and a Class A misdemeanor if a crash results. |
| Montana MT | Keep-right only | No truck-specific ban. The general keep-right applies to all vehicles: on any roadway with two or more lanes in your direction you must drive in the right lane, except to overtake and pass or when you're traveling faster than the traffic flow. | Misdemeanor traffic violation. General penalty runs $10 to $500 (MCA 61-8-711). |
| Nebraska NE | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. Trucks follow the general keep-right rule: drive on the right half of the road, and if you are slower than the normal speed of traffic, stay in the right-hand lane except to pass or turn left. No weight or vehicle-class trigger. | Traffic infraction. The scheduled waiver fine for 60-6,131 is about $25 plus roughly $49 in court costs. Repeat infractions carry higher statutory maximums. Not a heavily penalized offense. |
| Nevada NV | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. Trucks follow the same rules as every other driver: don't camp in the left lane. | Misdemeanor traffic violation. Fines are modest, commonly in the $50 to $250 range depending on the court, plus demerit points. |
| New Hampshire NH | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane ban. Slower traffic keeps right, and no vehicle may run continuously in the left lane of a multilane road when it holds up traffic at or below the speed limit | $50 plus the state penalty assessment (about $62 total). |
| New Jersey NJ | Statewide | Truck-specific: a truck of 10,000 lbs registered gross weight or more may not be driven in the farthest-left lane on a roadway with three or more lanes in the same direction. Exceptions: preparing for a left turn | $100 to $300 plus a $50 surcharge. |
| New Mexico NM | Statewide | Statewide truck statute since July 1, 2023. A truck tractor may not use the left lane of any highway with two or more lanes in the same direction, except to pass, turn left, or when directed | $250 for a first or second offense, $500 for a third (NMSA 66-7-376). |
| New York NY | Posted only | No statewide Vehicle & Traffic Law truck-lane ban, but the NY Thruway bars trucks. Thruway regulation 21 NYCRR 103.6 keeps trucks, buses, and any vehicle towing a trailer out of the extreme-left lane across the whole Thruway, and NYSDOT posts enforceable truck-lane signs on other 3+ lane corridors. | A traffic violation with a fine, state surcharge, and points; enforced by State Police. |
| North Carolina NC | Statewide | New as of December 1, 2025. A vehicle rated 26,001 lb GVWR or more may not use the left-most lane of a controlled-access highway with six or more lanes | An infraction, up to $100 plus costs. |
| North Dakota ND | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. Trucks follow the same general keep-right rule as every vehicle: if you are moving slower than traffic, stay in the right lane or as close to the right edge as practical, and use the left lane only to pass or set up a left turn. No weight, axle, or vehicle-class trigger. | About $20. North Dakota has the lowest traffic fines in the country. The related 'driving on the left half when not passing' violation is a $20 noncriminal fee and 2 points. |
| Ohio OH | Posted only | No statewide truck-lane statute | Disobeying a posted lane sign is charged under ORC 4511.33, a minor misdemeanor; the fine varies by court. |
| Oklahoma OK | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane ban. The left-lane rule applies to all vehicles: on a road divided into four or more lanes you may not impede the normal flow of traffic in the left lane, except to pass, turn left, or when road configuration or traffic conditions require another lane. | The base statutory range is small, but real-world tickets run about $235 to $255 with court costs, and DPS may add 2 points to your license. |
| Oregon OR | Statewide | Any camper, any vehicle towing a trailer, and any vehicle with a registration weight of 10,000 lbs or more must drive in the right lane on every roadway with two or more lanes in the same direction. You may leave the right lane to pass, turn left, respond to an emergency, avoid merging traffic, or follow a traffic control device. | Class B traffic violation. Presumptive fine $265; range runs from a $135 minimum up to $1,000. It doubles in a work or school zone. |
| Pennsylvania PA | Statewide | Truck-specific: no vehicle or combination over 10,000 lbs may be driven in the left lane of a limited-access highway that has three or more lanes in the same direction, except when preparing for a legally permitted left turn at an intersection, exit, or private drive. On any limited-access highway with two or more lanes each way, all vehicles keep right except to pass. | Summary offense. Base fine about $25 plus court costs, so the total owed runs higher. |
| Rhode Island RI | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane ban. Any vehicle moving slower than the normal speed of traffic must stay in the right-hand lane, except to pass or set up a left turn | Around $85 base, roughly $100 with costs, under the traffic-violation schedule (R.I. Gen. Laws 31-41.1-4). |
| South Carolina SC | Keep-right only | No truck-specific restriction. All vehicles keep right if slower than traffic | Move Right (56-5-1885): up to $25, no court costs, civil violation, not criminal. General keep-right fines vary by county. |
| South Dakota SD | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane restriction. The general rule applies to all vehicles: drive on the right half of the road, and if you are a slow-moving vehicle, keep as close to the right edge as practical except when passing. No weight or truck-class carve-out. | Violation of SDCL 32-26-1 is a Class 2 misdemeanor. The statutory ceiling is up to 30 days in jail and/or up to $500, though a routine ticket is handled well below that. Treat the $500 figure as the max, not the typical payable amount. |
| Tennessee TN | Posted only | TDOT can direct truck tractors and semitrailers to specific lanes, marked by highway signs, on interstates and multilane divided highways with three or more lanes in each direction. Where those signs are posted you must follow them, except when passing another vehicle. | Up to $50 (Class C misdemeanor, fine-only, no jail term). |
| Texas TX | Posted only | TxDOT or a city can restrict through trucks by vehicle class to the right two or more lanes on a controlled-access highway that has three or more travel lanes in each direction. It only takes effect where signs are posted. Restricted trucks may still use any lane to pass and to enter or exit the highway. | $1 to $200 (general traffic penalty, Tex. Transp. Code 542.401). Texas has no license points system. |
| Utah UT | Statewide | A vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 18,001 pounds or more may not use the leftmost general-purpose lane on a freeway with three or more general-purpose lanes in the same direction | Infraction. The Uniform Fine Schedule base amount is modest; the statutory ceiling for an infraction runs up to roughly $750 for an individual. Exact bail-schedule amount not separately confirmed. |
| Vermont VT | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane ban. Slower-than-traffic vehicles keep right, and every vehicle drives on the right half of the road except to pass, turn, or where lanes are marked otherwise | Two-point moving violation with a civil fine set by the Judicial Bureau. |
| Virginia VA | Statewide | A commercial motor vehicle may not use the left-most lane of an interstate with more than two lanes each way where the posted limit is 65 mph or higher | A traffic infraction. Buses, school buses, and vehicles setting up for a left exit or doing maintenance are exempt. |
| Washington WA | Statewide | Two statewide truck rules | A traffic infraction; WSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement writes it. |
| West Virginia WV | Keep-right only | No truck-specific restriction. Any vehicle slower than normal traffic must keep to the right lane except to pass or turn left | Misdemeanor: up to $100 the first time, up to $200 on a second conviction within a year, and up to $500 after that. |
| Wisconsin WI | Keep-right only | No truck-specific lane ban. The rule that applies is the general one: if you're moving slower than the normal speed of traffic, drive in the right lane, and use the left lane only to pass or turn left | Forfeiture of $30 to $300 plus court costs and surcharges (Wis. Stat. 346.17). It rises to $500 if the violation causes great bodily harm and $1,000 if it causes a death. |
| Wyoming WY | Keep-right only | No truck-specific ban. The general keep-right applies to every vehicle: any vehicle moving slower than normal traffic keeps to the right lane and uses the left only to pass or turn left. | Low-level misdemeanor traffic violation. The statutory ceiling for a general traffic misdemeanor runs up to $750, but a real keep-right ticket is far lower. Exact keep-right amount not separately confirmed. |
Sources: state DOT and DMV pages; the cited state traffic codes; FindLaw survey of left-lane laws; AAA Digest of Motor Laws. Last reviewed July 2026. Lane rules change and some are posted only on specific corridors, so confirm the sign and the state agency before you rely on a figure.
03
Statewide vs posted
Where a truck lane rule applies
Statewide, by statute (17): Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. On these you follow the rule on any qualifying road, sign or no sign.
Posted corridors only (12): Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. Here the left lane is open to pass unless a truck-lane sign is up, and where it is, the sign is binding. Open a state for the exact corridors.
Truck Lane Restriction FAQ
Which states keep trucks out of the left lane?
29 states restrict trucks from the left lane. 17 do it by statute, statewide, with no sign required: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Another 12 have no standalone statute but post enforceable truck-lane signs on specific corridors: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. The remaining 22 rely only on the general keep-right rule.
Can a truck ever use the left lane in a restricted state?
Yes, but only for a legal reason. In almost every restricted state you may move into the left lane to pass, to make or prepare for a left turn or exit, when directed by police or signs, or to let merging traffic on. You cannot cruise there. Get back right once the reason is gone.
What is the difference between a truck lane rule and keep-right?
Keep-right-except-to-pass applies to every vehicle and is a slower-traffic rule. A truck lane restriction is aimed at trucks by weight or class and bars them from a lane even when they are moving with traffic. Get caught cruising the left lane in a truck-rule state and it is your ticket, not the car next to you.
Do these rules apply in cities or just rural interstates?
It varies. Some states apply the restriction on any road with enough lanes; others only post it on specific urban corridors. A few metros add their own rule, like Atlanta routing through-trucks onto the I-285 bypass. The state page notes where the rule bites.
How much is a left-lane ticket for a truck?
It ranges from about $50 to a few hundred dollars plus surcharges and points, depending on the state. New Jersey runs $100 to $300 plus a surcharge; Louisiana can reach a $100 minimum with jail on the books for repeat offenders. The bigger cost is the CSA points and the inspection a stop invites.
04
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