Article 3. Liability For Damage To Highway of California Vehicle Code >> Division 9. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 3.

(a) A person who willfully or negligently damages a street or highway, or its appurtenances, including, but not limited to, guardrails, signs, traffic signals, snow poles, and similar facilities, is liable for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement thereof.
  (b) A person who willfully damages or destroys a memorial sign placed by the Department of Transportation, including, but not limited to, a sign memorializing a victim under Section 101.10 of the Streets and Highways Code, is liable for that damage or destruction for the highest of the following amounts:
  (1) One thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500).
  (2) The actual repair cost or replacement cost, whichever is applicable.
  (c) A person who willfully or negligently causes or permits the contents of a vehicle to be deposited upon a street or highway, or its appurtenances, is liable for the reasonable costs of removing those contents from the street or highway or its appurtenances.
  (d) The liability stated in this section also applies to an owner of a vehicle operated with the owner's permission, as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 17150), and includes liability for the reasonable cost of necessary safety precautions, including, but not limited to, warning traffic, the removal of debris resulting from accidents, the removal of any materials, or providing detours.
  (e) The Department of Transportation and local authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions, may present claims for liability under this section, bring actions for recovery thereon, and settle and compromise, in their discretion, claims arising under this section.
  (f) If the Department of Transportation or a local authority provides services on a highway outside its jurisdiction, at the request of the department or the local authority that has jurisdiction over that highway, the department or the local authority may present a claim for liability for rendering this service under this section, bring actions for recovery thereon, and, in its discretion, settle and compromise the claim.

(a) Any person driving any vehicle, object, or contrivance over a highway or bridge is liable for all damages which the highway or bridge may sustain as a result of any illegal operation, driving or moving of the vehicle, object, or contrivance, or as a result of operating, driving, or moving any vehicle, object, or contrivance weighing in excess of the maximum weight specified in this code which is operated under a special permit issued by the Department of Transportation.
  (b) Whenever the driver is not the owner of the vehicle, object, or contrivance but is operating, driving, or moving the same with the express or implied permission of the owner, the owner and driver are jointly and severally liable for the damage.

The driver, or the owner and driver, jointly, as the case may be, are also liable for all damages that any highway or bridge sustains as the result of any operation, driving, or moving of any vehicle that exceeds any of the limitations imposed by Division 15 (commencing with Section 35000), Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 29000) of Division 13, Section 21461 with respect to a sign erected under Section 35655, and Sections 21712 and 23114 even though the vehicle is exempted from the limitations by Section 35001, 35104, 35105, 35106, 35108, 35250, 35400, 35414, or 36615.

Damages under Sections 17301 and 17302 may be recovered in a civil action brought by the authorities in control of the highway or bridge.