What is the speed limit on a residential street when no sign is posted, state by state?
Every state’s answer, and the District of Columbia’s, from its own manual or code: 38 have a rule on this, quoted below with where it is written; 13 say nothing on it.
Statutes fetched between 5 and 8 October 2026; manuals fetched between 6 September and 4 October 2026. How the answers are made
| State | The rule | Where it is written | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Where no other limit is posted, Alaska's speed limit in a residential district is 25 mph. | Alaska Driver Manual, p.34 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Arizona | When no limit is posted, the speed limit in any business or residential district is 25 mph. | Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, p.40 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| California | The speed limit in a business or residential district is 25 mph unless otherwise posted. | California Driver’s Handbook, p.52 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Colorado | Unless otherwise posted, the Colorado speed limit in any residence district is 30 mph. | Colorado Driver Handbook, p.12 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Delaware | The Delaware speed limit in business and residential districts is 25 mph. | Delaware Driver Manual, p.93 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on District of Columbia city streets is 20 miles per hour. | DC Driver Manual, p.80 | 16 Sep 2026 |
| Florida | Unless otherwise posted, the standard speed limit in a municipal, business or residential area is 30 MPH. | Official Florida Driver License Handbook, p.68 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Georgia | Unless a sign says otherwise, the maximum speed in any urban or residential district in Georgia is 30 miles per hour. | Georgia Driver's Manual, p.47 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Idaho | The maximum speed in any residential, business or urban district is 35 miles per hour unless otherwise posted. | July 2026 Idaho Driver's Handbook, p.68 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Illinois | Unless a sign says otherwise, the Illinois speed limit in city and town areas is 30 mph. | Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, p.24 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Indiana | In most urban residential areas, vehicles may not go faster than 30 mph or the posted limit. | Indiana Driver's Manual, p.41 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Iowa | Where no speed limit is posted, the limit in a residential district or school district is 25 mph. | Iowa Driver's License Manual, p.42 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kansas | Unless otherwise posted, the maximum speed in any Kansas urban district is 30 mph. | Kansas Driving Handbook, p.16 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kentucky | Where a Kentucky speed limit is not posted, 35 mph is the limit in a business or residential district. | Kentucky Driver Manual, p.49 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Maine | Unless posted otherwise, the maximum speed in a Maine business district, residential district or built-up area is 25 mph. | Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.81 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Maryland | Where no other limit is set, the maximum speed is 30 mph on all highways in a business district and on undivided highways in a residential district, and 35 mph on divided highways in a residential district. | Maryland law, Md. Code, Transp. § 21-801.1(b) | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Unless posted otherwise, your speed is not reasonable and proper above 30 mph in a thickly settled or business district. | Massachusetts Driver's Manual, p.79 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Michigan | (e) Twenty-five miles per hour on a highway segment that is part of the local street system as designated by a local jurisdiction and approved by the state transportation commission under 1951 PA 51, MCL 247.651 to 247.675, and that is within land that is zoned for residential use by the governing body of an incorporated city or village under the Michigan zoning enabling act, 2006 PA 110, MCL 125.3101 to 125.3702, unless another speed is fixed and posted. | Michigan law, Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.627(2)(e) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Missouri | The speed limit in any Missouri city, town, or village is 25 mph unless a sign posts something else. | Missouri Driver Guide, p.50 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nebraska | Unless another limit is posted, the speed limit in a Nebraska residential district is 25 MPH. | Nebraska Driver’s Manual, p.52 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nevada | The handbook lists 25 mph as the speed limit for business and residential areas. | Nevada Driver Handbook, p.35 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Jersey | The New Jersey speed limit is 25 mph in school zones and in business or residential districts unless a sign says otherwise. | New Jersey Driver Manual, p.62 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Mexico | The maximum speed in business or residential areas is 30 mph unless posted otherwise. | New Mexico Driver Manual, p.12 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| New York | A driver must obey the speed limit, and where no limit is posted they must drive no more than 55 mph. | New York State Driver's Manual, p.47 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Carolina | Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit is 35 mph in cities and towns. | North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.53 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Dakota | In North Dakota, the maximum speed in a business or residential district is 25 mph, unless otherwise posted. | North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, p.20 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Ohio | The speed limit on streets within a municipal corporation is twenty-five miles per hour. | Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws, p.12 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Oregon | The speed limit is 25 mph in residential districts, in public parks, and on ocean shores where vehicles are permitted. | 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual, p.19 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | (a) General rule.--Except when a special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with section 3361 (relating to driving vehicle at safe speed), the limits specified in this section or established under this subchapter shall be maximum lawful speeds and no person shall drive a vehicle at a speed in excess of the following maximum limits: (1) 35 miles per hour in any urban district. (1.1) 65 miles per hour or 70 miles per hour for all vehicles on freeways where the department has posted a 65-miles-per-hour or 70-miles-per-hour speed limit. (1.2) 25 miles per hour in a residence district if the highway: (i) is not a numbered traffic route; and (ii) is functionally classified by the department as a local highway. (2) 55 miles per hour in other locations. (3) Any other maximum speed limit established under this subchapter. | Pennsylvania law, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3362(a) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island law sets the speed limit at 25 mph in residential areas. | Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.35 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| South Dakota | In urban areas which are not zoned or posted as provided in § 32-25-7, the maximum lawful speed shall be twenty-five miles per hour. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. | South Dakota law, SDCL § 32-25-12 | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Utah | The Utah speed limit in any business or residential area is 25 miles per hour where no sign is posted. | Utah Driver Handbook 2026-2027, p.44 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Vermont | The maximum speed for any vehicle on all Vermont roads is 50 mph, or as posted. | 2025 Vermont Driver's Manual, p.28 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Virginia | Unless a sign says otherwise, the speed limit for cars and motorcycles is 25 miles an hour in school, business and residential areas. | Virginia Driver's Manual, p.15 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Washington | (2) Except when a special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with subsection (1) of this section, the limits specified in this section or established as hereinafter authorized shall be maximum lawful speeds, and no person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed in excess of such maximum limits. (a) Twenty-five miles per hour on city and town streets; (b) Fifty miles per hour on county roads; (c) Sixty miles per hour on state highways. The maximum speed limits set forth in this section may be altered as authorized in RCW 46.61.405, 46.61.410, and 46.61.415. | Washington law, RCW 46.61.400(2) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| West Virginia | The speed limit in a business or residential area is 25 miles an hour. | West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.42 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit in Wisconsin residential areas is 25 mph. | Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook, p.10 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Wyoming | Unless another limit is posted, the speed limit in Wyoming residential and business areas is 30 mph. | Wyoming Rules of the Road Driver License Manual, p.41 | 14 Sep 2026 |
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No rule found
No rule found in the manual or code of: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas.
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