California Truck Lane Restrictions

Which lanes a truck can use in California

California keeps three-or-more-axle trucks in the far-right lane, or in a lane Caltrans marks with signs (Veh. Code 21655 and 22348(c)). Where a highway has four or more lanes each way, you get the right two lanes. Riding one lane too far left is the classic 'third-lane' ticket. First offense runs about $238 with assessments plus 1.5 DMV points, climbing to $250 for a third strike inside a year.

Roads, exceptions, and signs

• Where it applies: Statewide on multilane highways. Caltrans posts designated truck lanes and 'Trucks OK 2 Lanes' signs on grades and urban freeways (Grapevine on I-5, Cajon Pass, Bay Area interstates). Off a signed grade, the default right-lane / right-two-lanes rule still applies.
• Both. Caltrans designates lanes with posted signs after an engineering study; where nothing is posted, the statutory right-lane / right-two-lanes rule still governs.
• General rule: California's general slower-traffic-keep-right rule (Veh. Code 21654) applies to everyone on top of the truck-lane law.
• The 'third-lane violation' is the most-written California commercial-driver citation. Trigger is 3+ axles, not a weight number.

What a lane violation costs

Base fine $100 first offense, about $238 after penalty assessments, then $200 second and $250 third within a year, plus 1.5 DMV points.

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