California No Chase Law
Agency discretion
Does California have a no-chase law? No — California has no statewide law restricting police pursuits. Each department sets its own chase policy.
What governs pursuits in California
Cal. Veh. Code § 17004.7
California Vehicle Code § 17004.7 does not restrict when a pursuit may occur; it is a policy-adoption/immunity statute that grants a public agency civil-liability immunity for pursuit-related injuries/deaths IF the agency adopts, trains on, and certifies officers to a written pursuit policy meeting specified minimum standards (defining pursuit, authorizing circumstances, intervention tactics like PIT/ramming/roadblocks, and termination criteria). It does not itself cap pursuits to violent felonies or set statewide go/no-go rules — those specifics are left to each agency's own policy (e.g., CHP, LAPD each write their own).
Will police chase a motorcycle in California?
No California statute singles out motorcycles; agencies apply their own §17004.7-compliant policy criteria (offense severity, speed, traffic/pedestrian risk) to decide whether to pursue a motorcycle, with officer/supervisor discretion to terminate if risk outweighs the need for capture.
No US state has a literal law forbidding officers from chasing motorcycles. What riders call a "no-chase law" is nearly always a department policy that tells officers to break off a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the arrest — and fleeing remains a crime in California regardless. See the state-by-state motorcycle guide for how this works everywhere.
Sources
- law.justia.com/codes/california/code-veh/division-9/chapter-1/article-1/section-
- california.public.law/codes/vehicle_code_section_17004.7
- jones-mayer.com/vol-33-no-25-california-supreme-court-upholds-public-agency-purs
Verified as of August 2026. Department policies can change without notice — check the agency's published policy for current break-off criteria.