Double solid yellow lane markings mean that:
- Neither lane may pass. ✓
- Both lanes may pass.
- The lane to the right may pass.
Answer: A. Neither lane may pass.
Double solid yellow lane markings mean neither lane may pass: you must stay to the right of these lines and not cross them to pass.
Why this is the answer
The California handbook says drivers should not pass over double solid yellow lines and should stay on the right side of them. It lists limited exceptions, such as following signs when your side is closed or blocked, entering a carpool lane through a designated left entrance, or turning left across a single set of double yellow lines to enter or exit a driveway or private road or make a U-turn. Those exceptions do not make passing legal. So the general rule for these markings is that passing is not allowed for either lane.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Both lanes may pass. — Both lanes may pass is wrong because the handbook prohibits crossing these lines to pass; only the narrow exceptions listed are allowed, and passing is not one of them.
- C. The lane to the right may pass. — The lane to the right may pass is wrong because staying to the right of the lines does not create a passing permission for that lane; the rule against crossing the double solid yellow lines applies generally.
Remember it
Picture double solid yellow as a wall between directions: stay on your side unless a listed exception applies.