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Truck Lane Rule
No. CA
Statewide truck law
California Truck Lane Restrictions
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.
Rule typeStatewide
The ruleAny vehicle subject to Veh. Code 22406 must use the lane Caltrans designates by sign, or the far-right lane where no lane is designated
FineBase fine $100 first offense, about $238 after penalty assessments, then $200 second and $250 third within a year, plus 1.5 DMV points.
StatuteCal. Veh. Code 21655; 22348(c) (covered vehicles defined in 22406)
01
The rule
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.
02
Where & when
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.
03
Penalties
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.
California Truck Lane FAQ
Can a truck drive in the left lane in California?
Not as a cruising lane. Any vehicle subject to Veh. Code 22406 must use the lane Caltrans designates by sign, or the far-right lane where no lane is designated (Veh. Code 22348(c), 21655(b)). That is broader than an axle count: a motortruck or truck tractor with three or more axles, but also any motortruck or truck tractor drawing another vehicle no matter how many axles it has, any passenger vehicle or bus drawing another vehicle, a schoolbus carrying pupils, a farm labor vehicle carrying passengers, a vehicle hauling explosives, and a trailer bus. On a divided highway with four or more marked lanes in your direction where no lane has been designated, you may also use the lane immediately left of the right-hand lane. Riding one lane too far left is the classic 'third-lane' violation.. See Cal. Veh. Code 21655; 22348(c) (covered vehicles defined in 22406). You may still use it to pass, turn left, or when directed.
Is there a truck lane restriction in California?
Yes. Any vehicle subject to Veh. Code 22406 must use the lane Caltrans designates by sign, or the far-right lane where no lane is designated (Veh. Code 22348(c), 21655(b)). That is broader than an axle count: a motortruck or truck tractor with three or more axles, but also any motortruck or truck tractor drawing another vehicle no matter how many axles it has, any passenger vehicle or bus drawing another vehicle, a schoolbus carrying pupils, a farm labor vehicle carrying passengers, a vehicle hauling explosives, and a trailer bus. On a divided highway with four or more marked lanes in your direction where no lane has been designated, you may also use the lane immediately left of the right-hand lane. Riding one lane too far left is the classic 'third-lane' violation. It applies on 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..
What is the fine for a lane violation in California?
Base fine $100 first offense, about $238 after penalty assessments, then $200 second and $250 third within a year, plus 1.5 DMV points.
Reference information for planning, not legal advice. Traffic laws change and this can be out of date, so always confirm the current statute and obey posted signs before you rely on it. Last reviewed July 2026. Source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=21655.. See our Terms & Disclaimer.
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