California Vehicle Code

{{Short description|Legal statute for California, US}}

{{California law}}

The California Vehicle Code, informally referred to as the Veh. Code or the CVC, is a legal code which contains almost all statutes relating to the operation, ownership and registration of vehicles (including bicycles{{Cite web|url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=21200.|title=California Vehicle Code § 21200|publisher=California Office of Legislative Counsel|access-date=2018-04-10}} and even animals when riding on a public roadway{{Cite web|url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=21050.&lawCode=VEH|title=California Vehicle Code § 21050|publisher=California Office of Legislative Counsel|access-date=2018-04-10}}) in the state of California in the United States. It is one of the 29 California Codes enacted by the California State Legislature.

The Vehicle Code's "Rules of the Road" generally apply to operating vehicles, bicycles, and animals on a public roadway, except for provisions which by their very nature can have no application. The Vehicle Code also contains statutes concerning the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Highway Patrol.{{Cite web |title=California Vehicle Code {{!}} California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages (CATSIP) |url=https://catsip.berkeley.edu/laws-plans-and-policies/explore-laws/california-vehicle-code |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=catsip.berkeley.edu}}

The Vehicle Code includes various topics from defining the size of license plates to criminal law sections relating to the theft and misuse of motor vehicles.{{Cite web |date=March 26, 2024 |title=MOTOR VEHICLE ACT [RSBC 1996] CHAPTER 318 |url=https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96318_00_multi |website=bclaws.gov.bc.ca}} The Vehicle Code is one of 29 codes{{Cite web|url=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml|title=California Codes|publisher=California Office of Legislative Counsel|access-date=2019-01-01}} containing general statutes adopted by the California legislature and that have either been signed into law by the governor or that have become law without the governor's signature.