Right-of-way and intersections
You come up to a solid red light and want to turn right. No NO TURN ON RED sign is posted. What must you do?
- Stop at the stop or limit line, yield to pedestrians, and turn when it is safe. Correct answer
- Slow down and make the turn without stopping, as long as the way is clear.
- Wait for the green light, because a right turn on red needs a sign allowing it.
Why
California allows a right turn on a solid red light under conditions. There must be no NO TURN ON RED sign, you must first stop at the stop line or limit line, and you yield to pedestrians before turning when it is safe. Rolling through without stopping fails that test even on an empty street. You do not need a sign that permits the turn: it is allowed unless a sign forbids it. Where there is no limit line, stop before the crosswalk, and if there is no crosswalk either, stop before entering the intersection. A red arrow is a different signal, and you may not turn while it shows.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is Stop at the stop or limit line, yield to pedestrians, and turn when it is safe.
- Section 7. Laws and Rules of the Road › Traffic Control › Traffic Signals › Solid Red Light, page 33
- Section 6. Navigating the Roads › Turns › Right Turn Against a Red Light, page 18
- Section 6. Navigating the Roads › Turns › Right Turns, page 18
- Section 7. Laws and Rules of the Road › Traffic Control › Traffic Signals › Red Arrow, page 33
The rule behind this one
Right of way in California: who goes first goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on right-of-way and intersections
- Your light turns green, but a bicyclist who started across late is still in the intersection in front of you. What should you do?
- You pull up to an intersection with a STOP sign on every corner. A car on the cross street had already stopped there before you arrived. Who goes first?
- You are pulling out of a shopping center driveway onto a busy street. Who has to yield?
- You are about to make a right turn at an intersection. What does the handbook tell you to check for every time?