Can You Turn Right on Red in Indiana? Rules and Penalties

You can turn right on red in Indiana after making a complete stop, so long as no sign at the intersection prohibits it and you yield to pedestrians and cross-traffic before moving. The rule comes from Indiana Code 9-21-3-7, and it applies by default at every signalized intersection in the state.¹

How to Make the Turn Legally

Every step below is required. Skip one and a lawful turn becomes a citable violation.

Stop completely. Come to a full stop before the stop line. If there’s no stop line, stop before the crosswalk. If there’s no crosswalk either, stop before entering the intersection. A rolling stop does not count.¹
Yield to pedestrians. Anyone lawfully in an adjacent crosswalk has the right-of-way. Wait until they’ve cleared your path.¹
Yield to cross-traffic. Any vehicle already using the intersection has the right-of-way. If an approaching car is close enough to create a hazard, stay put.¹
Stay close to the curb. Indiana law requires both the approach and the turn itself to hug the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway as closely as practical. Swinging wide into a far lane can get you ticketed even if you stopped and yielded.²

The most common way drivers get caught is the incomplete stop. If your wheels never fully stop rolling, that’s a violation even when the intersection is empty.

When the Turn Is Prohibited

A “No Turn on Red” sign at the intersection overrides the default. When one is posted, the turn is illegal regardless of conditions.¹

Local governments can also restrict turns on red by ordinance. Indianapolis passed one in 2023 creating “Pedestrian Safety Priority Areas” where the city can install no-turn-on-red restrictions at intersections when crash data supports them.³ Other Indiana cities have similar authority. School zones, busy downtown corridors, and intersections with poor sight lines are the usual places these restrictions show up, so check for signage even at intersections you know well.

The One-Way Street Exception for Left Turns

Indiana permits a left turn on red in one narrow situation: when you’re turning from the left lane of a one-way street onto another one-way street flowing in the same direction as your turn. The same stop-and-yield rules apply.¹

If either street carries two-way traffic, the left on red is not allowed. A posted sign can prohibit it even when both streets are one-way.

Penalties for an Illegal Turn

An illegal turn on red is a Class C infraction. The maximum judgment depends on your recent driving record in the county where you’re cited:

No prior moving violations in the past five years in that county: up to $35.50, plus court costs.
One prior moving violation in the past five years: up to $250.50, plus court costs.
Two or more prior moving violations in the past five years: up to $500, plus court costs.⁴

If you admit the violation or plead no contest before or on your court date, the maximum judgment is capped at $35.50 plus court costs regardless of your history. The escalating amounts apply when you contest the ticket and lose.⁴

Court costs stacked on top of the judgment can exceed the fine itself. A conviction also adds points to your driving record, which the Indiana BMV tracks for two years and which can lead to license suspension when they accumulate.⁵

How Enforcement Works

Indiana bans automated red light cameras and speed cameras statewide. Every right-on-red citation in the state comes from a law enforcement officer who personally observes the violation. The camera ban has been a recurring topic in the legislature, so the rule could change in a future session.

1
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-21-3-7 – Signals Exhibiting Colored Lights or Arrows; Requirements; Explanation of Colors
2
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-21-8-21 – Intersections; Right and Left Turns
3
Indy.gov. No Turn on Red
4
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-28-5-4 – Judgment for Infractions
5
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Driver Record Points