Vehicle · Move over law
Move Over Law in Pennsylvania
When you must change lanes or slow down for a stopped emergency vehicle in Pennsylvania, which vehicles are covered, the fine for a violation, and what happens if you injure a responder. Cited to the statute.
What the move over law requires in Pennsylvania
The duty to change lanes, when you must slow down instead, which vehicles are covered, and the penalties for a violation.
Pennsylvania move-over fines and the list of covered vehicles were rewritten in 2020 and are amended from time to time. Confirm the current figures and covered vehicles for your citation date before relying on them.
| What the law requires | What it means |
|---|---|
| Move over a lane | Section 3327 requires you to pass an emergency response area in a lane not adjacent to it whenever that is possible, moving into a farther lane with due regard for safety and traffic. |
| Slow down if you cannot | If passing in a nonadjacent lane is impossible, illegal, or unsafe, you must pass the emergency response area at a speed of no more than 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit. |
| Covered vehicles | An emergency response area covers police, sheriff, and emergency vehicles, tow and recovery vehicles, coroner and medical examiner vehicles, and road maintenance or construction vehicles displaying lights, flares, or caution signals. The 2020 rewrite also added duties in relation to a stopped disabled vehicle. |
| Where it applies | The rule applies at an emergency response area on any road. The move-over duty applies where a nonadjacent lane is available, and the 20-mph-below slow-down duty applies where moving to a farther lane is impossible, illegal, or unsafe. |
| Penalties and enhancements | What it means |
|---|---|
| Base fine range | A violation is a summary offense with a fine of $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense, and $2,000 for a third or subsequent offense, plus court costs. The violation also carries two points on the driving record. |
| License suspension | A 90-day license suspension applies for a third or subsequent offense. The suspension is six months where the person injured or killed is an emergency service responder or was in or near a disabled vehicle. |
| Causing injury or death | A driver who injures or kills an emergency service responder, or a person in or near a disabled vehicle, faces an additional fine of up to $10,000 on top of the base penalty, along with the license suspension above. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps for the road and for a ticket in Pennsylvania. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Know the covered vehicles
Learn that tow trucks, coroner vehicles, road crews, and disabled vehicles are part of an emergency response area, not just police and fire, so you react to lights and flares in time.
- Move over early
Check your mirrors and signal to move to a farther lane as soon as you see the response area ahead. Slow to no more than 20 mph below the limit only if you cannot move over.
- Contest a ticket if you have grounds
With escalating fines and possible suspension, a Move Over charge is worth reviewing, especially if moving over was unsafe. A bar find-a-lawyer service can point you to help.
A move over violation is a traffic offense, and it becomes far more serious if a responder is hurt. A licensed traffic attorney can explain your options; the state bar can refer you to one.
→ Pennsylvania Bar Association, Find a LawyerThis is general legal information, not legal advice. The covered vehicles, the fine, and the enhancements turn on the exact statute and the facts, so confirm your situation against the code and talk to a lawyer.
What drivers in Pennsylvania get wrong about the move over law
Pennsylvania's move-over rule is 75 Pa.C.S. section 3327, known as the Move Over law and once called Steer Clear, rewritten in 2020. When you approach or pass an emergency response area, you must pass in a lane that is not next to it whenever that is possible. If moving to a farther lane is impossible, illegal, or unsafe, you must pass at a speed of no more than 20 miles per hour below the posted limit. An emergency response area covers police and emergency vehicles, tow and recovery vehicles, coroner vehicles, and road crews showing lights or flares, and the 2020 rewrite added duties around stopped disabled vehicles. A violation is a summary offense with fines that climb from $500 for a first offense to $1,000 for a second and $2,000 for a third, plus two points. A driver who injures or kills a responder, or a person in or near a disabled vehicle, faces an additional fine of up to $10,000. A 90-day license suspension applies for a third or later offense, and a six-month suspension applies where a responder or a person near a disabled vehicle is hurt or killed. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Common questions
What does the Move Over law require in Pennsylvania?
75 Pa.C.S. section 3327 requires you to pass an emergency response area in a lane that is not next to it when possible. If that is impossible, illegal, or unsafe, you must pass at a speed of no more than 20 mph below the posted limit.
Which vehicles are covered by Pennsylvania’s move-over law?
An emergency response area covers police and emergency vehicles, tow and recovery vehicles, coroner vehicles, and road maintenance or construction crews showing lights or flares. The 2020 rewrite also added duties in relation to stopped disabled vehicles.
What is the fine for not moving over in Pennsylvania?
A violation is a summary offense with a fine of $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for a third or later offense, plus court costs and two points on the driving record.
What happens if you hurt a responder by not moving over?
A driver who injures or kills an emergency service responder, or a person in or near a disabled vehicle, faces an additional fine of up to $10,000 and a license suspension, including a six-month suspension where the person hurt or killed is a responder or was near a disabled vehicle.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.