§PlainStatute

Vehicle · Move over law

Move Over Law by State: When to Change Lanes or Slow Down

When each state makes you change lanes or slow down for a stopped emergency vehicle, which vehicles are covered, the fine, and the enhanced charge if you hurt a responder. Each cited to the statute.

6 of 50 states published. Every state has a move over law, but the covered vehicles, the slow-down speed, and the penalties differ a lot.Most laws started with police and fire and now reach tow trucks, utility crews, and, in some states, any vehicle stopped with its hazard lights on. Every page links to the statute.

Read this first: move over, or slow down if you can't

The move over law has two parts. When you approach a stopped vehicle that is protected by the law and showing its lights, you must change lanes away from it if you can do so safely. If you cannot move over, because traffic or the road will not allow it, you must slow down to the speed the statute sets, often a fixed number below the posted limit.

The part that trips people up is which vehicles are covered. These laws began with police, fire, and ambulances, but most states now include tow trucks and wreckers, utility and highway maintenance vehicles, and a few include any disabled vehicle displaying hazard lights or flares. The penalty is usually a fine, but it climbs sharply, to a serious criminal charge, if the violation injures or kills a responder. Every figure links to the statute, and pages still pending verification say so.

Pick your state

The core duty, the base penalty, and the statute on each card.

C

CA
California
Move over or slow down
In this state
Base penaltyUp to $50 base fine
Statute§ 21809

F

FL
Florida
Move over or slow down
In this state
Base penaltyAbout $60 to $158 fine
Statute§ 316.126

I

IL
Illinois
Move over or slow down
In this state
Base penalty$250 minimum fine
Statute625 ILCS 5/11-907

N

NY
New York
Move over or slow down
In this state
Base penaltyUp to $150 fine
Statute§ 1144-a

P

PA
Pennsylvania
Move over or slow down
In this state
Base penaltyUp to $500 first-offense fine
Statute§ 3327

T

TX
Texas
Move over or slow down
In this state
Base penalty$500 to $1,250 fine
Statute§ 545.157

What these pages are, and what they aren't

Each state page is a reference for the move over duty, the covered vehicles, and the penalties. They are deliberately not advice for your case: the covered vehicles and the enhancements turn on the exact statute and the facts, so each page links to the statute and a way to find a traffic attorney. This is legal information, not legal advice.