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DMV Permit · License and Registration

What is the 'move over law' and when does it apply?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Move over one lane (or slow down significantly if lane change is unsafe) when approaching emergency, police, fire, tow trucks, or road maintenance vehicles stopped on or near the road with warning lights activated

  1. A Only for police vehicles
  2. B Move over when any driver signals you are going too slow
  3. C Only on the highway, not city streets
  4. D Move over one lane (or slow down significantly if lane change is unsafe) when approaching emergency, police, fire, tow trucks, or road maintenance vehicles stopped on or near the road with warning lights activated

Why this is the answer

Move over law: All 50 states have move-over laws.

Requirement: When approaching a stationary emergency, police, fire, ambulance, tow truck, or road maintenance vehicle with warning lights activated — if possible, move one full lane away from the stopped vehicle; if lane change is not safely possible (traffic, curves, weather), slow down significantly below the speed limit and proceed with caution.

Why: Roadside worker fatalities from being struck by passing vehicles are tragically common; these workers are especially vulnerable when attending to accidents or breakdowns on high-speed roads; the move-over law gives them a safety buffer.

Violations: Fines vary by state and severity; some states make move-over violations a primary offense (can pull you over for it alone); fatal crashes from move-over violations carry serious criminal penalties.

Applies to: Both highway and non-highway roads in most states.

Source: DMV Handbook, Move Over Law

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About this topic: License and Registration

License and registration questions cover graduated licensing stages and restrictions, carrying your license and registration, address-change deadlines, and the point system and suspension rules. This is one of 11 Rules of the Road questions on license and registration, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our DMV Permit exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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State-specific guides

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