California · Vehicle Code

VEH §34517: (a) With respect to a commercial motor vehicle from another country, a person shall not operate the vehicle outside the boundaries of a designated commercial zone unless the required operating authori

Infraction

What this law says, in plain English

A person cannot operate a foreign commercial motor vehicle outside a designated commercial zone without authorization from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Violation is an infraction with a $1,000 fine and possible vehicle impoundment.

Read the full statutory text

(a) With respect to a commercial motor vehicle from another country, a person shall not operate the vehicle outside the boundaries of a designated commercial zone unless the required operating authority from the United States Secretary of the Department of Transportation has first been obtained. (b) A violation of subdivision (a) is an infraction punishable by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000). (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, shall issue a citation for a violation of subdivision (a) to the driver of the vehicle and order the driver of the vehicle to return the vehicle to its country of origin. The peace officer may impound a vehicle cited pursuant to this section and its cargo until the citation and all charges related to the impoundment are cleared. The impoundment charges are the responsibility of the vehicle’s owner. (d) As used in this section, “designated commercial zone” means a commercial zone, as defined in Part 372 (commencing with Section 372.101) of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.