California Vehicle Code
Encyclopedia
The California Vehicle Code contains almost all statute
s relating to the operation, ownership and registration of vehicles (including bicycles) in the state
of California
in the United States
. It also contains statutes concerning the California Department of Motor Vehicles
and the California Highway Patrol
.
The Vehicle Code includes various criminal law
sections relating to the theft and misuse of motor vehicles. The Vehicle Code is one of 29 codes 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.
recodified the Vehicle Code (meaning that it was reorganized for clarity and numerous sections were renumbered).
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
s relating to the operation, ownership and registration of vehicles (including bicycles) in the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It also contains statutes concerning the California Department of Motor Vehicles
California Department of Motor Vehicles
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is the state agency responsible for the registration of motor vehicles and boats and the issuance of driver's licenses in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for regulating new car dealers , commercial cargo carriers, private driving...
and the California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
.
The Vehicle Code includes various criminal law
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
sections relating to the theft and misuse of motor vehicles. The Vehicle Code is one of 29 codes 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.
History
The Motor Vehicle Act of 1913 made driver's licenses mandatory for all motor vehicle operators in California as of December 31, 1913. That law as well as the Vehicle Acts of 1915 and 1923 were codified into the first version of the Vehicle Code in 1935. In 1959, the California State LegislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
recodified the Vehicle Code (meaning that it was reorganized for clarity and numerous sections were renumbered).