Turn on red varying by state: a guide for those outside this forum

[hotdogPi]

Wikipedia has a list of states allowing left on red. However, there's no list of which states require right on red to be made from the rightmost lane and which ones allow/disallow right on red arrow. We could create a table so that people from all over the internet can see the differences by state; we just need to create the table first.

I'm not sure whether each province in Canada is allowed to make their own rules or not.

[hbelkins]

Wikipedia has a list of states allowing left on red. However, there's no list of which states require right on red to be made from the rightmost lane and which ones allow/disallow right on red arrow. We could create a table so that people from all over the internet can see the differences by state; we just need to create the table first.

I'm not sure whether each province in Canada is allowed to make their own rules or not.

Pretty sure Kentucky allows both right turns on red from turn lanes other than rightmost (unless signage prohibits the movement, because I have seen such signs) and right turns on red arrows.

Kentucky definitely allows left turn on red but only from one one-way street onto another.

[Max Rockatansky]

Give it a try with the right turn in Mexico and see how long you can go without being pulled over.

[US 89]

Utah allows a right turn on a red light from the rightmost lane or any lane marked as a right-turn lane unless a sign says otherwise.

It is illegal to turn right on a red arrow, though the vast majority of red right arrows come with a "NO TURN ON RED" sign anyway.

Interestingly it is legal to turn left on a red arrow (or a red light) from a one-way to a one-way street. However, as far as I know there are no signalized intersections between two one-way streets in Utah.

Relevant law: Utah Code 41-6a-305

[roadman65]

Then New York City it's illegal period to turn right on red.

[oscar]

Then New York City it's illegal period to turn right on red.

Same for Montreal. But I don't know about other cities in Quebec. It helps that Montreal is on an island, so it's easy to post the RTOR prohibition at every entrance to the city.

[cu2010]

Then New York City it's illegal period to turn right on red.

\
Same for Montreal. But I don't know about other cities in Quebec. It helps that Montreal is on an island, so it's easy to post the RTOR prohibition at every entrance to the city.

Quebec used to have a blanket turn on red prohibition, but it was largely repealed in 2003...now only the Island of Montreal has a blanket prohibition.

[1995hoo]

Then New York City it's illegal period to turn right on red.

Unless a sign authorizes it, that is. As of August 2019, there were 336 such locations–198 in Staten Island, 58 in Brooklyn, 55 in Queens, 19 in the Bronx, and 6 in Manhattan. There were also nine locations where you could go left on red–seven on Cross Bay Boulevard in Broad Channel and two on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Harlem. Here's one of the ones in Broad Channel.



Virginia prohibits right on a red arrow. The law was changed within the past several years because it used to be permitted.

I'm not aware of any law in Virginia prohibiting turns from other than the curb lane, but in practice it's prohibited because VDOT is religious about posting signage prohibiting said movement and the independent cities, at least the ones I frequent, seem to follow the same principle. The signs' wording varies wildly, though. The unintended side effect of this practice is that when there are multiple right-turn lanes, traffic always stacks up in the far right lane from which right on red is allowed while the other turn lanes sit largely empty.

[7/8]

Ontario allows right turn on red from any right turn lane: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commentary/is-it-legal-to-make-a-right-on-a-red-from-the-leftmost-right-turn-lane/article32972655/

Some municipalities (like Waterloo Region) use no-right-on-red signs when there's multiple right turn lanes, while others I've seen in the GTA don't prohibit it.

There are no red arrows in Ontario, so that part's irrelevant.

[formulanone]

For Alabama and Mississippi; unless otherwise posted, any right turn lane may turn right on red.

Alabama is a little vague on this:

Traffic Signals / RED:
"Remain stopped until signal turns to green. Right turn, and in certain instances, left turn movements after stopping are permitted."

"You may make a left turn after stopping if you are driving on a one-way street and the street you turn left onto is a one-way street with traffic moving from right to left."

(There's nothing in the manual about red arrows, let alone flashing yellow arrows.)

Florida permits right turn on red only from the rightmost lane; it's almost always signed as "right lane only" if multiple right turn lanes exist. (I'd learned to drive in Florida, so right on red from any lane other than the rightmost spooks me because I'm not expecting it.) I think Florida law does not permit left turns on red unless it is a flashing red light (ball, arrow) after a stop, or one is neither crossing a line/median nor stop stripe to do so (this is a extremely rare occurrence; basically a handful of U-turns), or on a motorcycle whereby the traffic light sensor is not triggering a protected left turn signal*.

* anecdotal, the word from from a police officer

[gonealookin]

Nevada:  It's covered by NRS484B.307:

NRS 484B.307  Traffic controlled by official traffic-control devices exhibiting different colored lights: Rights and duties of vehicular traffic and pedestrians depending upon particular signal displayed; exceptions for person driving motorcycle, moped or trimobile or riding bicycle, electric bicycle or electric scooter; signals placed over individual lanes; certain restrictions upon local authorities; additional penalty for violation committed in pedestrian safety zone.
...
8.  Where the signal is a steady red signal alone:
(a) Vehicular traffic facing the signal must stop before entering the crosswalk on the nearest side of the intersection where the sign or pavement marking indicates where the stop must be made, or in the absence of any such crosswalk, sign or marking, then before entering the intersection, and, except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (c) and (d), must remain stopped or standing until the green signal is shown.
...
(c) After complying with the requirement to stop, vehicular traffic facing such a signal and situated on the extreme right of the highway may proceed into the intersection for a right turn only when the intersecting highway is two-directional or one-way to the right, or vehicular traffic facing such a signal and situated on the extreme left of a one-way highway may proceed into the intersection for a left turn only when the intersecting highway is one-way to the left, but must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection.

Bold and italics added; I would interpret "the extreme right of the highway" to mean the right-most lane only.

Special circumstances are covered by signage and signals.  Here's one I can think of in Sparks where a right turn is prohibited by signage and separate signal even with the green allowing traffic to proceed straight through the intersection, in this case because there's a through bike path on the right which is separated from the vehicular traffic lane by an island.

[BuildTheRussian]

Here in Russia, you can only turn right on red if there's a green arrow displayed alongside the red light (treated as a Yield sign in that case) ,
or if there's this sign ,
which requires vehicles to yield to everybody before they may turn right on red.
Most of the time when there's a green arrow, the movement is non-conflicting. Sometimes though it's used to let vehicles turn right on red.

[1995hoo]

....

Florida permits right turn on red only from the rightmost lane; it's almost always signed if multiple turn lanes exist. (I'd learned to drive in Florida, so right on red from any lane other than the rightmost spooks me because I'm not expecting it.) I think Florida law does not permit left turns on red ....

Florida appears to allow left on red from a one-way to another one-way.

[formulanone]

....

Florida permits right turn on red only from the rightmost lane; it's almost always signed if multiple turn lanes exist. (I'd learned to drive in Florida, so right on red from any lane other than the rightmost spooks me because I'm not expecting it.) I think Florida law does not permit left turns on red ....

Florida appears to allow left on red from a one-way to another one-way.

Kind of figured that was 50-state legal, except where exceptions posted. I'll amend the "only" out.

[GaryV]

A Michigan example.  https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5178352,-83.1868342,3a,49.5y,100.5h,77.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sig8xyIlt0iP_P7vEit7WsQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

I'm not sure if NTOR is because of the 2 turning lanes, or because Woodward is at an angle and you have to crane your neck around to see oncoming traffic.

[Great Lakes Roads]

For Indiana, the law allows motorists to make a right turn after stopping at a red light unless there's a sign indicating the turn is prohibited.

[1995hoo]

....

Florida permits right turn on red only from the rightmost lane; it's almost always signed if multiple turn lanes exist. (I'd learned to drive in Florida, so right on red from any lane other than the rightmost spooks me because I'm not expecting it.) I think Florida law does not permit left turns on red ....

Florida appears to allow left on red from a one-way to another one-way.

Kind of figured that was 50-state legal, except where exceptions posted. I'll amend the "only" out.

It's not legal in all states. I know North Carolina bans it (which frustrated me big time when I lived in Durham). DC doesn't allow it either, though of course DC is not a state.

[roadman65]

In New York it helps to know that NYC uses strictly 1950s era mast arms(and old analog click box controllers still, but another story) and the rest of the state uses span wire. So if you are in question look at the signal wires or mast arms along city borders, hence Nassau- Queens and Westchester- Bronx. 

The best place to see the difference is where US 1 enters NYC, as you have a NYC mast arm and a neighbor's span wire within eyesight of each other.  So you know which one is blanketed and which one isn't.  Even on NY 27 where NYCs first signal west of Valley Stream, NY and Valley Stream's first signal east of NYC that are over a mile apart, the former has yellow heads on mast arms while the latter is dark green heads on span wiring to denote you crossed the city line between the two laws.

[Rothman]

In New York it helps to know that NYC uses strictly 1950s era mast arms(and old analog click box controllers still, but another story) and the rest of the state uses span wire. So if you are in question look at the signal wires or mast arms along city borders, hence Nassau- Queens and Westchester- Bronx. 

The best place to see the difference is where US 1 enters NYC, as you have a NYC mast arm and a neighbor's span wire within eyesight of each other.  So you know which one is blanketed and which one isn't.  Even on NY 27 where NYCs first signal west of Valley Stream, NY and Valley Stream's first signal east of NYC that are over a mile apart, the former has yellow heads on mast arms while the latter is dark green heads on span wiring to denote you crossed the city line between the two laws.

It's not that simple.  Lots of mast arms upstate, despite use of span wire.

[roadman65]

In New York it helps to know that NYC uses strictly 1950s era mast arms(and old analog click box controllers still, but another story) and the rest of the state uses span wire. So if you are in question look at the signal wires or mast arms along city borders, hence Nassau- Queens and Westchester- Bronx. 

The best place to see the difference is where US 1 enters NYC, as you have a NYC mast arm and a neighbor's span wire within eyesight of each other.  So you know which one is blanketed and which one isn't.  Even on NY 27 where NYCs first signal west of Valley Stream, NY and Valley Stream's first signal east of NYC that are over a mile apart, the former has yellow heads on mast arms while the latter is dark green heads on span wiring to denote you crossed the city line between the two laws.

It's not that simple.  Lots of mast arms upstate, despite use of span wire.

Not 1950 vintage era mast arms they don't. Even Yonkers has mast arms, but not the same as the Bronx down the street.

[Rothman]

In New York it helps to know that NYC uses strictly 1950s era mast arms(and old analog click box controllers still, but another story) and the rest of the state uses span wire. So if you are in question look at the signal wires or mast arms along city borders, hence Nassau- Queens and Westchester- Bronx. 

The best place to see the difference is where US 1 enters NYC, as you have a NYC mast arm and a neighbor's span wire within eyesight of each other.  So you know which one is blanketed and which one isn't.  Even on NY 27 where NYCs first signal west of Valley Stream, NY and Valley Stream's first signal east of NYC that are over a mile apart, the former has yellow heads on mast arms while the latter is dark green heads on span wiring to denote you crossed the city line between the two laws.

It's not that simple.  Lots of mast arms upstate, despite use of span wire.

Not 1950 vintage era mast arms they don't. Even Yonkers has mast arms, but not the same as the Bronx down the street.

315 W 1st St
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EDeFLKSvyE9iuvvx7

[US20IL64]

I do see too many who think "right on red" means just flying through turn, not stopping or watching out for cars with green light! 

But, parts of Chicago city have "No turn... 7am-7pm", which is somewhat generous.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

In New York it helps to know that NYC uses strictly 1950s era mast arms(and old analog click box controllers still, but another story) and the rest of the state uses span wire. So if you are in question look at the signal wires or mast arms along city borders, hence Nassau- Queens and Westchester- Bronx. 

The best place to see the difference is where US 1 enters NYC, as you have a NYC mast arm and a neighbor's span wire within eyesight of each other.  So you know which one is blanketed and which one isn't.  Even on NY 27 where NYCs first signal west of Valley Stream, NY and Valley Stream's first signal east of NYC that are over a mile apart, the former has yellow heads on mast arms while the latter is dark green heads on span wiring to denote you crossed the city line between the two laws.

It's not that simple.  Lots of mast arms upstate, despite use of span wire.

Not 1950 vintage era mast arms they don't. Even Yonkers has mast arms, but not the same as the Bronx down the street.

315 W 1st St
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EDeFLKSvyE9iuvvx7

That's clearly different from the NYC design which uses guy wires and a curved mast arm, this is a truss arm that looks more like something you'd see in NJ.

[Rothman]

In New York it helps to know that NYC uses strictly 1950s era mast arms(and old analog click box controllers still, but another story) and the rest of the state uses span wire. So if you are in question look at the signal wires or mast arms along city borders, hence Nassau- Queens and Westchester- Bronx. 

The best place to see the difference is where US 1 enters NYC, as you have a NYC mast arm and a neighbor's span wire within eyesight of each other.  So you know which one is blanketed and which one isn't.  Even on NY 27 where NYCs first signal west of Valley Stream, NY and Valley Stream's first signal east of NYC that are over a mile apart, the former has yellow heads on mast arms while the latter is dark green heads on span wiring to denote you crossed the city line between the two laws.

It's not that simple.  Lots of mast arms upstate, despite use of span wire.

Not 1950 vintage era mast arms they don't. Even Yonkers has mast arms, but not the same as the Bronx down the street.

315 W 1st St
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EDeFLKSvyE9iuvvx7

That's clearly different from the NYC design which uses guy wires and a curved mast arm, this is a truss arm that looks more like something you'd see in NJ.

Good for Roadgeeks, not for the traveling public.

[1995hoo]

I do see too many who think "right on red" means just flying through turn, not stopping or watching out for cars with green light! 

But, parts of Chicago city have "No turn... 7am-7pm", which is somewhat generous.

People refusing to stop, or to yield to other traffic, is a serious problem around here. People think they're entitled to go right on red regardless of whether there is other traffic, people turning left from the other direction with a green arrow, etc. The fundamental principle is that you still have a red light, so the presumption is that you must stop and you cannot go unless and until the way is clear. We have some intersections here, but not all that many, with the 7 AM to 7 PM restriction you note. I feel like that might need to be more common to try to rein in some of the bad behavior, though no doubt the restriction would be widely ignored. Then you have some areas where they almost need to have the restriction be during evening hours.