Right-of-way in California starts with arrival order. At an all-way stop, the driver who stopped first goes first; if two arrive together, the one on the left lets the one on the right go. Where a road ends at a T with no sign, cross traffic on the road that continues has priority. Turning left, you give way to oncoming cars near enough to be a danger. And a person on foot in any crosswalk, painted or not, is owed the right-of-way.

The DMV handbook adds the part that matters most: never assume another driver will give you the right-of-way, and give yours up whenever doing so helps prevent a collision. The rules below say who must wait. None of them gives anyone a license to force the issue.

Who goes first: the short version

Where you are	Priority goes to	Rule
Stop signs on every corner	The first driver to stop; for a tie, the driver on the right	CVC 21800(c); Handbook Section 7
No signs or signals	A car already in the intersection; for a tie, the car on the right	CVC 21800(a) and (b)
A road that ends at a T, no signs	Traffic on the road that continues	CVC 21800(b); Handbook Section 7
Turning left across oncoming traffic	Oncoming vehicles close enough to be a hazard	CVC 21801
Signal out of order	Treat it as stop signs in all directions	CVC 21800(d); Handbook Section 7
Entering a roundabout	Traffic already circling	Handbook Section 7
Crosswalk, marked or unmarked	The pedestrian	CVC 21950
Siren and red lights behind you	The emergency vehicle: pull to the right edge and stop	Handbook Section 7

All-way stops

Stop completely at the limit line. With no line, stop before the crosswalk, and with no crosswalk, before the intersection itself. Then go in the order the cars stopped. When two cars stop at the same moment, Vehicle Code 21800(c) gives priority to the car on the right, so the driver on the left waits.

There is one case where the right-hand rule does not settle it: two cars facing each other, one going straight and one turning left. The statute leaves that case out, and 21801 takes over: the left-turning driver waits.

If you honestly cannot tell who stopped first, catch the other driver's eye and let them go. Then move off cleanly. On the drive test, the DMV's scoring sheet expects a driver to take the right-of-way without causing confusion when it is theirs, so a long pause or a round of waving when you clearly arrived first can cost you too.

Junctions with no signs at all

Some neighborhood corners have no stop sign, no yield sign and no light. Here, a car that has already entered from another street keeps priority. If you arrive together, yield to the car on your right.

A T-shaped junction works differently. If your street ends where it meets another, you wait for traffic on the continuing street from either side, including a car approaching from your left. The handbook adds bicycles and pedestrians on the through road to the list of those who go first.

Where hedges, fences or parked cars hide the view at an unsigned corner, the handbook calls it a blind intersection, sets 15 mph as the limit, and tells you to creep forward until you can see. The DMV treats this seriously on the test: failing to move your head and eyes for a traffic check at an uncontrolled intersection when a hazard is present is listed among the DMV's Critical Driving Errors, any one of which ends the test with a fail.

Left turns across traffic

A green ball, or a flashing yellow arrow, means you may turn left after yielding, not that the road is yours. Vehicle Code 21801 requires a driver turning left, or making a U-turn, to give way to every oncoming vehicle close enough to be a hazard during the turn, and to keep giving way until the turn can be made with reasonable safety. People in the crosswalk you are turning across have priority too.

While you wait, keep the front wheels straight. If someone rear-ends you, straight wheels push you forward, not into the path of oncoming cars. And treat an oncoming car's right blinker as a guess, not a promise: wait until it actually starts to turn.

Two-way stops, yield signs and driveways

At a corner where only your street has a stop sign, stop first, then wait for a gap in the cross traffic. A yield sign asks you to slow down and be ready to stop for any vehicle, bicyclist or pedestrian. Pulling out of a driveway, a parking lot or an alley, you wait for traffic already on the road, and before crossing a sidewalk to get there, for anyone walking on it.

Roundabouts

The handbook's method: slow down on the approach, yield to everything already in the circle, then merge in, heading right, once there is room. Inside, everyone circles counter-clockwise, with no stopping and no passing, and you signal to change lanes or to leave. Missed your exit? Go around once more. With two lanes, choose by destination: for a right turn, the right lane; going straight, whichever lane; for a left, keep circling until your exit comes up. Roundabouts appear in City of Folsom planning, as our guide to building local driving skills describes.

Pedestrians and blind pedestrians

Under Vehicle Code 21950, drivers yield to anyone crossing in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, and must slow down and use due care when approaching them. Many crosswalks have no paint at all; the corner itself is the crossing. Where a limit line is painted ahead of the crosswalk, that line is where you stop.

When someone crosses away from a crosswalk, the handbook still asks you to slow down or stop so they can finish safely. Three habits keep new drivers out of trouble:

A car stopped at a crosswalk is a warning. Do not pass it; the driver may see someone you cannot.
A flashing hand still means wait. The handbook says drivers yield to pedestrians even while Don't Walk is flashing.
Stop short of the stripes. A car sitting in the crosswalk pushes people into traffic.

Someone walking with a white cane or a guide dog always has priority. Vehicle Code 21963 makes failing to yield to them a misdemeanor: up to six months in county jail, a fine of $500 to $1,000, or both. Do not honk. Be especially careful in a hybrid or electric car, which a blind pedestrian may not hear. When the person draws in the cane and steps back from the curb, the handbook says that usually means you may go.

Bicycles

Bicyclists share the road with the same rights and duties as drivers. To pass one going your way, Vehicle Code 21760 calls for a gap of at least three feet, and a lane change when another lane going your way is available and it is safe. The handbook adds that when you cannot give three feet, you hold back until you can.

Before a right turn where a bike lane runs alongside, merge into the bike lane behind any rider, no more than 200 feet before the corner, after looking over your right shoulder. Skipping that shoulder check is one of the DMV's Critical Driving Errors. The full sequence is in our guide to turns, U-turns and lane rules.

Emergency vehicles

When a police car, fire engine or ambulance comes up with a siren and red lights, move to the right edge of the road and stop until it has gone by. If you are already in an intersection, clear it first, then move over to the right the moment it is safe. Stay at least 300 feet back from an emergency vehicle running its siren or lights. Ignoring one on the drive test fails the test outright.

How we build the habit

Right-of-way is mostly about seeing early. In lessons, our instructors ask students to say the order out loud at each stop, so the instructor hears whether the student noticed the car that was already waiting, the walker at the corner and the rider in the bike lane. The habits we use are on how we teach, and the teen program is on teen driving lessons. To see how examiners score these moments, read how examiners score the drive test.

Quick answers

Who has the right-of-way at a 4-way stop in California? Whoever stopped first. When two drivers stop at the same time, the one on the left lets the one on the right go.

Who goes first at a T-intersection with no signs? Traffic on the road that continues. If your road ends at the T, you wait.

Does a car turning left have to yield? Yes, to oncoming vehicles close enough to be a hazard, until the turn can be made safely.

Do pedestrians have the right-of-way in an unmarked crosswalk? Yes. Drivers yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks at intersections.

How much space do I give a cyclist when passing? At least three feet, and a full lane change when another lane is available and it is safe.

Sources

Check the source. Requirements can change. Confirm current rules on the California DMV website before you apply.

SHAREText it

Right-of-Way in California: Stop Signs, Left Turns, Crosswalks and Bikes