CaliforniaCalifornia law exempts Highway Patrol-authorized emergency vehicles from tolls even without exempt plates
A new California law lets emergency vehicles authorized by the California Highway Patrol skip tolls, even without an exempt license plate, when they meet the law's other conditions.
What it does
Emergency vehicles authorized by the Highway Patrol, even without an exempt plate, would not have to pay tolls while on an emergency response, if they meet the other conditions.
Argument forLetting Highway Patrol-authorized vehicles skip tolls could avoid delays and charges for responders who lack an exempt plate, helping them arrive sooner.
Argument againstToll operators may collect less money, and they might have to ask for dispatch records to check whether a vehicle really qualified.
More detail
An authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from tolls if it displays an exempt plate or is authorized as an emergency vehicle by the California Highway Patrol, and meets the other listed conditions. It covers tolls on bridges, toll roads, and high-occupancy toll lanes, and applies to fire, police, sheriff, and ambulance vehicles. The vehicle must be marked as an emergency vehicle, with a red or blue warning light and public agency identification or Ambulance. It must be responding to or returning from an urgent or emergency call, and the driver must decide the toll facility will likely improve response time. A vehicle returning from a call must still pay on high-occupancy toll lanes.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 18Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 300, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 18Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 15Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 1
- Vote recorded AB 2372 Hoover Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 31Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 7026.).Major
- Aug 11In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Aug 10Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 5323.).Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Consent Calendar 2nd. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 4Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Aug 3From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 23
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 4From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on TRANS.Major
- May 27Referred to Com. on TRANS.Minor
- May 14In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 2372 Hoover Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- May 14Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5056.)Passed Assembly
- May 7Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- May 6From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 6).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 14From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 13
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 7Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.Minor
- Apr 6From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 17Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.Minor
- Mar 16From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 16Referred to Com. on TRANS.Minor
- Feb 20From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
- Feb 19Read first time. To print.Introduced
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