California
Driver Guide

Rules to remember

• Complete ban on handheld cell phone use - even at red lights
• HOV/Carpool lanes require 2+ occupants (some allow clean-air vehicles)
• Lane splitting for motorcycles is legal
• Smog check required for vehicle registration renewal
• Must yield to pedestrians at ALL intersections, marked or unmarked

Before you drive

California uses a graduated licensing system: learner's permit at 15.5, provisional license at 16. The state has strict emissions standards and requires many vehicles to pass a smog inspection. Minimum liability insurance is 30/60/15. DUI laws have zero tolerance for drivers under 21.