Skip to content

DIVISION 6. DRIVERS' LICENSES 12500-15326›CHAPTER 1. Issuance of Licenses, Expiration, and Renewal 12500-13008›ARTICLE 1. Persons Required to Be Licensed, Exemptions, and Age Limits 12500-12527

§ 12501

California Vehicle Code · 2020-11 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · California

The following persons are not required to obtain a driver’s license:

(a) An officer or employee of the United States, while operating a motor vehicle owned or controlled by the United States on the business of the United States, except when the motor vehicle being operated is a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Section 15210.

(b) Any person while driving or operating implements of husbandry incidentally operated or moved over a highway, except as provided in Section 36300 or 36305.

(c) Any person driving or operating an off-highway motor vehicle subject to identification, as defined in Section 38012, while driving or operating such motor vehicle as provided in Section 38025. Nothing in this subdivision authorizes operation of a motor vehicle by a person without a valid driver’s license upon any offstreet parking facility, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 12500.

(Amended by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1360, Sec. 10.)

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
▸Contents — California Vehicle Code

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.