New Delaware Driving Laws 2024 to 2026: Move Over and Left Lane

Which stopped vehicles the move over law covers

• Authorized emergency vehicles with alternately flashing red or blue lights, alone or with white.
• DelDOT vehicles with flashing amber, or red and amber, lights.
• Tow trucks with flashing amber, white, or amber and white lights.
• Public utility vehicles with flashing amber, white, or amber and white lights.
• Any stationary vehicle that shows warning signals, such as hazard lights, road flares, traffic cones, caution signs or other warning signs.

1. 1

   Spot the warning signals early

   Look for flashing lights, hazard lights, flares, cones or signs ahead. You must then do one of two things.

2. 2

   Change lanes if you can

   On a road with at least 4 lanes and at least 2 lanes in your direction, move to a lane that is not next to the stopped vehicle. Do it only when traffic lets you do it safely.

3. 3

   Slow down if you cannot change lanes

   If a lane change is impossible or unsafe, pass at a safe speed. On a road posted 50 mph or more, that speed must be at least 20 mph below the limit.

A quick example: 55 mph and a car with hazard lights

You drive on a highway posted 55 mph, and a car ahead sits stopped with its hazard lights on. Traffic blocks the next lane, so you cannot move over. The limit is 50 mph or more, so slow to at least 20 mph under it: 55 − 20 = 35 mph or less, and lower if that is still not safe. Our free stationary car with hazard lights question uses this case.

What the Driver Manual says about moving over

The current Delaware Driver Manual (July 2026) still uses the wording from before the September 2024 change. It tells you to move over a lane, or to "reduce to a safe speed" if a lane change is impossible or unsafe, with no 20 mph figure and no fine steps. Follow the law in section 4134. The 2024 act also told the Department of Transportation to make move over awareness part of all driver training courses.

The left lane law on SR 1 and I-495

The left lane law covers only the parts of State Route 1 and Interstate 495 that are an express highway or a controlled-access facility. There, a vehicle may not travel in the left lane unless one of the exceptions below applies. A vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds must use the right-hand lane. It may leave that lane for the passing and other exceptions, but not for the 100-foot one. A first occurrence carries a civil penalty of $25 to $75, and a later one $57.50 to $95. Practice the keep-right habit with our free slower traffic lane question.

When you may use the left lane on SR 1 and I-495

• No vehicle is less than 100 feet behind you in the same lane.
• You overtake and pass another vehicle that goes the same way, under the passing rules.
• You must enter, leave or continue on the roadway.
• An obstruction, an emergency, or traffic conditions or congestion make it necessary.
• You must comply with another law or regulation.

Other changes in 2025 and 2026

The 8-year Class D license fee went up to $50 on October 1, 2025 (see Class D cost and the retest waiting period). From August 1, 2026, a driver education teacher may certify a student for a Driver Education or Level 1 Learner's Permit only if the student was in tenth grade or higher by September 30 of the course school year and passed at least 5 credits on the latest report card (2026 driver education rules). A Red Clay School District bus that has and uses stop arm cameras need not turn on its amber lamps about 10 seconds before the red lamps.

Delaware move over and left lane law: common questions