In North Carolina, as of 2025, drivers are generally permitted to turn right on a red light after coming to a complete stop, unless otherwise posted. However, growing safety concerns are causing some cities to reconsider this rule.
General Rule
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) states that vehicles can turn right on a red light after a complete stop, yielding to traffic and pedestrians. This is permitted statewide unless a sign prohibits it. Making a left turn on a red light is illegal in North Carolina. A red arrow prohibits turning right on red.
Exceptions and Restrictions
- Signage: Intersections may have signs indicating “no turn on red,” in which case turning right on red is illegal.
- Yielding: Drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other vehicles before turning right on red.
- Red Arrow: A right turn on red is prohibited when a red arrow is displayed.
Concerns and Potential Changes
- Safety: Due to safety concerns, some cities are considering banning right turns on red because of an increase in pedestrians and cyclists, as well as larger vehicles that have difficulty seeing pedestrians.
- Raleigh: Raleigh is considering banning right turns on red in certain areas. Following a pedestrian death in January 2019, the city conducted a study and is implementing safety recommendations, including prohibiting right turns on red.
- Washington, D.C.: Washington, D.C., banned right turns on red in 2025, becoming the first major city to do so since 1937.
Penalties
- Tickets: Drivers making an illegal right turn on red may receive a ticket, which results in points on their license.
- Civil Infraction: If traffic cameras capture a driver running a red light, it is treated as a civil infraction with a $50 fine that does not add points to the driver’s license or affect insurance rates.
Contradictory EvidenceAlthough many believe banning right-on-red improves safety, some studies show right turn maneuvers are among the safest at intersections.
SOURCES:
- https://abc11.com/politics-raleigh-city-council-traffic-laws-downtown/12938073/
- https://www.charlotteinjurylawyersblog.com/is-it-legal-to-turn-right-on-red-in-north-carolina/
- https://www.cottenfirm.com/blog/2024/05/what-exactly-is-running-a-red-light-in-north-carolina/
- https://www.route-fifty.com/infrastructure/2022/10/major-city-moves-ban-right-turns-red/378098/
