Driving in the United States

Right

The same in every state. Road traffic law is state law, so the citation is Californian: the Vehicle Code requires a vehicle to be driven on the right half of the roadway. No state differs.

Checked 9 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Texas 75 mph The commission may set 80 or 85 where the road is designed for it — the highest signed limits in the country. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
• California 65 mph The general maximum unless 70 is posted. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Texas 70 mph The statutory maximum unless the commission raises it for a numbered highway. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
• California 55 mph On a two-lane undivided highway, and for anything towing a trailer. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Texas 30 mph The default through an urban district unless zoned otherwise. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• California 0.08 % BAC Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• California 0.04 % BAC Commercial vehicles, and passenger-for-hire driving. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

Depends on where your licence is from

Depends on your licence country and on the state. Not every state requires an International Driving Permit, and the US does not issue them to visitors — get one at home before travelling. Check the destination state's motor vehicle department.

Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• California Not allowed Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• California Allowed, with restrictions Adults may use hands-free mode. Drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• California Allowed After a complete stop at the limit line, yielding to pedestrians, unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Texas Required for rider and passenger Rider and passenger. A person aged 21 or over may ride without a helmet only if they have completed an approved motorcycle safety course or hold health insurance that covers motorcycle injuries. Police may not stop a rider just to check this. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• California Required for rider and passenger Driver and any passenger, on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or moped. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Texas
  • Engine up to 50 cc
  • Power up to 5 hp
  • Top speed up to 30 mph
  Texas does not count a moped as a motorcycle, so any class of driver licence covers one; that rule is Transportation Code 521.085, which takes its meaning of motorcycle from this definitions chapter. A moped must sit inside all three limits: it cannot reach more than 30 mph in a mile, its engine cannot produce more than five brake horsepower, and if it has a combustion engine that engine is 50 cc or less and drives through a transmission with no gear shifting. Only the horsepower and speed limits apply to an electric machine. Anything larger is a motorcycle and needs a Class M licence. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• California None — you need a motorcycle licence A car licence (Class C) covers no moped or motorcycle. A moped (top speed 30 mph, under 4 brake horsepower) needs a Class M2 licence or endorsement; anything larger needs Class M1. One exception: the holder of a California licence of any class may ride a rented moped for up to 48 hours without the M2 endorsement. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Texas 15 years From 15 a person may hold a restricted Class M licence for motorcycles of 250 cc or less, which also covers a moped. The restriction lifts at 16. An ordinary car licence, which covers mopeds too, is issued from 16. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• California 16 years Riders under 21 must first complete a training course and hold an instruction permit for six months. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• California Nothing beyond a helmet The DMV Motorcycle Handbook says the only item required by law is a DOT-compliant helmet. Eye protection, jacket, gloves and boots are recommended, not required. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Texas Not allowed Since 1 September 2023 a motorcycle may not be ridden between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, or pass a vehicle inside the same lane. Two motorcycles may ride side by side in one lane. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• California Allowed Lane splitting, riding a two-wheeled motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles, is legal. The Highway Patrol publishes safety guidelines, which are advice rather than law. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

No single national answer — it depends on the region:

• Texas Required at all times At least one headlamp must be lit whenever a motorcycle is ridden. Motorcycles made before model year 1975 are exempt. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
• California Required at all times A motorcycle first registered from 1978 must have a headlamp that switches on with the engine and stays lit while the engine runs. Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

911

Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source