California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices Branch

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As of September 26, 2006, the California Department of Transportation has adopted the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (FHWA’s MUTCD 2003 Revision 1, as amended for use in California), also called the California MUTCD, to prescribe uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices in California. This action was taken pursuant to the provisions of the California Vehicle Code Section 21400 and the recommendation of the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC).

This combined document, the California MUTCD incorporates FHWA’s MUTCD 2003 Revision 1 dated November 20, 2004 and the MUTCD 2003 California Supplement dated May 20, 2004. It also incorporates all policies on traffic control devices issued by the California Department of Transportation that have been issued since May 20, 2004 and other editorial, errata and format changes that were necessary to update the previous documents.

The California MUTCD supersedes and replaces the previously adopted (on May 20, 2004) MUTCD 2003 Edition and the MUTCD 2003 California Supplement as well as Chapters 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 and the traffic signals portion of chapter 9 of the 1996 Caltrans Traffic Manual, as amended, and all previous editions thereof. It does not supersede the Department’s Standard Plans, Standard Specifications or the Special Provisions publications.

The non-traffic control device topics of the 1996 Caltrans Traffic Manual (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7 and the lighting portion of chapter 9) are being retained in their current form until they are assimilated into other manuals or guidelines not yet determined. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7 and the lighting portion of chapter 9 of the Caltrans