Yes, in every state you may turn right on a red light after you come to a full stop at the stop line and yield to pedestrians and cross traffic, unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted. The big exception is New York City, where right on red is banned unless a sign allows it.
No Turn on RedMUTCD R10-11
Stop Here on RedMUTCD R10-6How to turn right on red, correctly
- Stop fully at the white stop line, or before the crosswalk if there is no line.
- Look left for cross traffic coming toward you, and right for people in the crosswalk you are about to cross.
- Look left again. Cars coming from the left are the ones that hit right-on-red drivers.
- Turn into the nearest lane only when both are clear.
When you can't turn right on red
- A NO TURN ON RED sign is posted (sometimes it has times on it).
- The light for your lane is a red arrow pointing right, in some states.
- You are in New York City, unless a sign says you may.
- Someone is in the crosswalk, or cross traffic is close.
Why the stop matters so much
Right-on-red crashes follow a pattern. The driver turning right is looking left, at the cars, and rolls forward while doing it. The person stepping off the curb on the right, or a cyclist coming along the crosswalk, is never checked. A full stop at the line gives you time to look both ways before the car moves, and it puts the front of your car behind the crosswalk instead of in it.
Two more habits help. First, don't creep into the crosswalk while you wait for a gap in traffic; people walking will have to go around you, often into traffic. Second, if a truck or bus in the lane to your left blocks your view, wait for the green. A turn you can't see is a turn you shouldn't make.
Right on red vs left on red
Many states also allow a left turn on red from a one-way street onto another one-way street going left. Not all do, so treat it as a state-by-state rule.
Practice it
Practice red-light turns in Signal LabStart ›See the rule with its sources on rules of the road. For turning left on a flashing arrow, read flashing yellow arrow meaning.
