ARTICLE 1. Brake Requirements [26301. - 26311.]

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH 1.
in effect

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 26301. Section 26301.

Any motor vehicle first registered in this state after January 1, 1940, shall be equipped with power brakes if its gross weight exceeds 14,000 pounds, except that any such vehicle having a gross weight of less than 18,000 pounds may, in lieu of power brakes, be equipped with two-stage hydraulic actuators of a type designed to increase braking effect of its brakes.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 26301.5. Section 26301.5.

Every passenger vehicle manufactured and first registered after January 1, 1973, except motorcycles, shall be equipped with an emergency brake system so constructed that rupture or leakage-type failure of any single pressure component of the service brake system, except structural failures of the brake master cylinder body or effectiveness indicator body, shall not result in complete loss of function of the vehicle’s brakes when force on the brake pedal is continued.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 26302. Section 26302.

(a) Every trailer or semitrailer, manufactured and first registered after January 1, 1940, and having a gross weight of 6,000 pounds or more and which is operated at a speed of 20 miles per hour or over shall be equipped with brakes. (b) Every trailer or semitrailer manufactured and first registered after January 1, 1966, and having a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more shall be equipped with brakes on at least two wheels. (c) Every trailer or semitrailer manufactured after January 1, 1982, and equipped with air brakes shall be equipped with brakes on all wheels. (d) Brakes required on trailers or semitrailers shall be adequate, supplemental to the brakes on the towing vehicle, to enable the combination of vehicles to comply with the stopping distance requirements of Section 26454. (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any vehicle being used to support the boom or mast attached to a mobile crane or shovel.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 26303. Section 26303.

Every trailer coach and every camp trailer having a gross weight of 1,500 pounds or more, but exclusive of passengers, shall be equipped with brakes on at least two wheels which are adequate, supplemental to the brakes on the towing vehicle, to enable the combination of vehicles to comply with the stopping distance requirements of Section 26454.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 26304. Section 26304.

(a) Power brakes on any trailer or semitrailer manufactured after December 31, 1955, operated over public highways and required to be equipped with brakes shall be designed to be automatically applied upon breakaway from the towing vehicle and shall be capable of stopping and holding such vehicle stationary for not less than 15 minutes. (b) Every new truck or truck tractor manufactured after December 31, 1955, operated over public highways and used in towing a vehicle shall be equipped with service brakes capable of stopping the truck or truck tractor in the event of breakaway of the towed vehicle.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 26307. Section 26307.

No forklift truck manufactured after January 1, 1970, shall be towed behind another vehicle unless it is equipped with brakes on the wheels of the rearmost axle when the forklift truck is in the towing position, which brakes shall be adequate, supplemental to the brakes on the towing vehicle, to enable the combination of vehicles to comply with the stopping distance requirements of Section 26454.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 26311. Section 26311.

(a) Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with service brakes on all wheels in contact with the roadway, except as follows: (1) Trucks and truck tractors manufactured before July 25, 1980, having three or more axles need not have brakes on the front wheels, except when such vehicles are equipped with at least two steerable axles, the wheels of one such axle need not be equipped with brakes. (2) The final towed vehicle in a triple saddle-mount driveaway-towaway operation. (3) Any vehicle manufactured prior to 1930. (4) Any two-axle truck tractor manufactured prior to 1964. (5) Any sidecar attached to a motorcycle. (6) Any motorcycle manufactured prior to 1966. Such motorcycle shall be equipped with brakes on at least one wheel. (b) Any bus, truck, or truck tractor may be equipped with a manual or automatic means for reducing the braking effort on the front wheels. The manual means shall be used only when operating under adverse road conditions, such as wet, snowy, or icy roads. (c) Vehicles and combinations of vehicles exempted in subdivisions (a) and (b) from the requirements of brakes on all wheels shall comply with the stopping distance requirements of Section 26454.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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