Where Can You Take a Legal Free Left Turn?

In most states (not all), it’s legal for drivers to take a free left on a red light onto a one-way street. And in five states, that includes turning left from a two-way street. Here’s what you need to know when traveling to other states.

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It’s the summer of the great Covid-19 road trip! With fewer people traveling by air, many of us across the U.S. and Canada have decided to take a road trip instead. (Before you go, read our 5 tips to a great road trip).

We have a tendency to assume that the rules of the road are the same from one state or province to another. And that’s mostly correct.

But if you’re stopped at a red light and want to turn left onto a one-way street, it may be legal. Or it might not be. The correct answer depends on where you are.

Making a Right Turn on Red

Most everyone with a drivers license, and even many without one, are familiar with the free right turn. These laws exist throughout the United States and Canada. Drivers are allowed to make a right turn on a red light, after first coming to a complete stop (at a stop line, if there is one) and waiting until it’s safe to proceed.

New York City does not permit a right turn on red. Their default rule is to prohibit this practice, unless a sign says otherwise. Canada has one outlier, as well. The Quebec government does not permit free right turns on the island of Montreal.

There are exceptions, of course. The signs that say “No Turn on Red” should be self-explanatory. Some states also use red arrows at traffic lights. If you’re at an intersection, and the arrow pointing right is red, don’t turn until the light changes.

Legal Free Lefts Are Less Common

Just 42 states allow drivers to take a legal free left turn onto a one-way street. Free lefts are legal throughout Canada, except for some parts of Quebec, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Because they aren’t permitted everywhere, it’s up to you to know the rules wherever you go.

I suppose you could play it safe and just wait for a green light, but do you really want to be THAT person? The one who’s sitting at the light when it’s perfectly fine to go? I guess that’s one way to learn the rules, when the car behind you starts honking.

Free Left: One-Way to One-Way

In states and provinces that allow free lefts, the standard practice is to allow left turns from a one-way street to another one-way street. With no oncoming traffic, a legal free left is no different than a legal free right. Just come to a complete stop, and then proceed when it’s safe to do so.

Again, it is legal to make a free left from a one-way to another one-way street in 42 states and nearly all of Canada, unless there’s a sign or signal (red arrow) that indicates otherwise. But check this list to see where free lefts are NOT legal:

• South Dakota (local jurisdictions can allow)
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• New Jersey
• Maine
• New Hampshire
• District of Columbia
• Guam

Free lefts are prohibited in places where free rights are banned, like New York City and on the island of Montreal.

Free Left: Two-Way to a One-Way

I learned to drive in Washington state, and this question was on the written portion of my driving test. It is perfectly legal to take a free left from a two-way street onto a one-way street. I’ve done it my entire life, in fact, and had assumed that it’s legal everywhere.

It is NOT legal everywhere.

In fact, just 5 U.S. states and 1 Canadian province allow drivers to take a legal free left from a two-way street to a one-way street:

• Washington
• Oregon
• Idaho
• Alaska
• Michigan
• British Columbia

Not counting Michigan, all of these states/provinces are interconnected and in the Northwest.

Final Thoughts

If you’re heading out on a road trip, know the rules in the places you’re going. We’ve all heard the phrase before: “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”

Most of the time, you’ll be fine with the rules you’ve learned at home. But the free left rules are all over the place. They are strictest in the Northeast, and most lenient in the Northwest. This post can be your reference to when and where you can take a legal free left.