Is Lane Splitting Legal in Georgia? (2026 Motorcycle Law)

No. Lane splitting and lane filtering are both illegal in Georgia: O.C.G.A. 40-6-312(c) provides that "No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles," and the section makes no exception for stopped traffic. Only police officers performing their official duties are exempt. For how other states treat the same maneuvers, see our guide to lane splitting laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-09. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Georgia state law in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.): the motorcycle lane rules in 40-6-312, the general rule for motorcyclists in 40-6-310, the single-lane rule in 40-6-48, the motorcycle definition in 40-1-1, the passing and speed rules in 40-6-42, 40-6-43 and 40-6-180, and the penalty, point and traffic-violations-bureau rules in 40-6-1, 17-10-3, 40-6-390, 40-6-397, 17-10-4, 40-5-57 and 40-13-60. It does not cover city or county ordinances, insurance consequences, or the law of other states.

What Georgia's law says about riding between lanes

Georgia puts its motorcycle lane rules in one Code section, O.C.G.A. 40-6-312, "Operating motorcycle on roadway laned for traffic." Subsection (c) is the ban:

"(c) No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles."

The words "between lanes of traffic" cover lane splitting, riding along the line between two lanes of moving vehicles. The words "between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles" cover lane filtering, moving up between rows of cars stopped at a light or in a jam. Nothing in the section limits either phrase to moving traffic or to a particular speed.

Georgia's wording is the same as subsection (c) of section 11-1303 in the 1968 revision of the Uniform Vehicle Code, a model traffic code published by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances. Georgia has kept that model text without adding a filtering exception.

The section's only exception is subsection (f):

"(f) Subsections (b) and (c) of this Code section shall not apply to police officers in the performance of their official duties."

The exemption reaches the between-lanes ban and the same-lane passing ban. It does not reach the two-abreast limit in subsection (d), and it does not extend to any other rider.

Splitting, filtering, shoulders and riding two abreast

Passing in the same lane

Subsection (b) closes the gap that a lane-splitting ban alone might leave. It reads: "The operator of a motorcycle shall not overtake and pass in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken." A rider who squeezes past a car while staying inside that car's lane, rather than crossing the lane line, is still covered.

Full use of a lane and riding two abreast

Subsection (a) protects the rider's space as well as limiting it:

"(a) All motorcycles are entitled to full use of a lane, and no motor vehicle shall be driven in such a manner as to deprive any motorcycle of the full use of a lane. This subsection shall not apply to motorcycles operated two abreast in a single lane."

The rule runs against car drivers as well as riders: a motor vehicle may not be driven in a way that deprives a motorcycle of the full use of its lane.

Two riders may share a lane with each other. Subsection (d) sets the limit: "Motorcycles shall not be operated more than two abreast in a single lane." Under the last sentence of subsection (a), the full-use protection does not apply to motorcycles operated two abreast in a single lane.

The single-lane rule and a motorcyclist's general duties

Georgia's general rule for marked lanes applies to motorcycles too. O.C.G.A. 40-6-48(1) provides that on a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes, "A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from such lane until the driver has first ascertained that such movement can be made with safety."

O.C.G.A. 40-6-310 ties the two sets of rules together: every motorcyclist "shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle under this chapter except as to special regulations in this part and except as to those provisions of this chapter which by their nature can have no application." The motorcycle part, including 40-6-312, adds to the general rules rather than replacing them.

Those general rules include passing and speed. An overtaking driver must "pass to the left thereof at a safe distance" (40-6-42(1)). Passing on the right is allowed only around a vehicle making or about to make a left turn, or on a street or highway with unobstructed pavement wide enough for two or more lanes of moving vehicles in the rider's direction, and only "under conditions permitting such movement in safety" (40-6-43). That movement "shall not be made by driving off the roadway," and Georgia defines the roadway as the part of a highway used for vehicular travel, "exclusive of the berm or shoulder" (40-1-1). Speed must not be "greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions" (40-6-180).

Which vehicles count as motorcycles

Georgia's definitions section, O.C.G.A. 40-1-1, provides: "'Motorcycle' means every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, but excluding a tractor, all-terrain vehicle, and moped."

Because the definition reaches three wheels, a trike or other three-wheeled motorcycle is a motorcycle for 40-6-312, and the between-lanes ban applies to it. Mopeds, all-terrain vehicles and tractors fall outside that definition, but the single-lane rule in 40-6-48(1) applies to "A vehicle" on a laned roadway.

Penalty for lane splitting in Georgia

Section 40-6-312 does not set its own penalty. The default rule for the rules of the road is O.C.G.A. 40-6-1(a):

"It is unlawful and, unless otherwise declared in this chapter with respect to particular offenses, it is a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this chapter."

Georgia's general misdemeanor sentencing statute, O.C.G.A. 17-10-3(a)(1), which applies except as otherwise provided by law, allows punishment "By a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or by confinement in the county or other jail, county correctional institution, or such other places as counties may provide for maintenance of county inmates, for a total term not to exceed 12 months, or both."

Those are maximums. The Code section sets no fixed fine for riding between lanes, and within those limits the sentence is set by the court that hears the citation. If the ticket is handled through a court's traffic violations bureau, O.C.G.A. 40-13-60 provides that it "shall be characterized and classified as a traffic violation and shall not be considered as a misdemeanor," and the fine follows that bureau's schedule.

License points and heavier charges

Aggressive and reckless driving are separate charges with their own elements; whether a particular ride meets them depends on the facts. The table sets them out:

Under the Department of Driver Services rules, a driver with 15 points in a 24-month period has the license suspended (40-5-57). The point values match the department's current schedule. The fine and jail ranges for reckless and aggressive driving come from the Code text before 2022; the General Assembly may have changed them since, so check the official Code on the state's free-access site before relying on a figure.

If a crash happens while splitting or filtering

Riding between lanes is a violation of 40-6-312(c), and that fact can come up after a collision. How it affects fault, insurance and any injury claim is a separate question, covered in our guide to Georgia motorcycle accident laws. For the rules that apply to vehicle crashes generally, see Georgia car accident laws.

Related pages

• Lane splitting laws by state
• Georgia motorcycle accident laws
• Georgia car accident laws
• Florida lane splitting laws
• Alabama lane splitting laws

This article provides general legal information about Georgia law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Georgia.

Last updated: 2026-10-09.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lane splitting legal in Georgia?

No. O.C.G.A. 40-6-312(c) provides that no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.

Is lane filtering legal in Georgia at a red light?

No. The ban in O.C.G.A. 40-6-312(c) covers riding between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles and has no exception for stopped traffic; the only exception, in 40-6-312(f), is for police officers on official duty.

What is the penalty for lane splitting in Georgia?

40-6-312 sets no penalty of its own, so a violation is a misdemeanor under O.C.G.A. 40-6-1(a), punishable under 17-10-3(a)(1) by a fine of up to $1,000, confinement of up to 12 months, or both, unless the ticket is handled by a court's traffic violations bureau, which classifies it as a traffic violation (40-13-60). The amount actually imposed is set by the court. It also carries 3 license points. If the rider acts with intent to annoy, harass, molest, intimidate, injure or obstruct another person, the charge can be aggressive driving under 40-6-397, a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature with a fine of up to $5,000.

Can two motorcycles ride side by side in Georgia?

Yes. O.C.G.A. 40-6-312(d) bars operating motorcycles more than two abreast in a single lane, so two abreast is within the rule.

Can a motorcycle pass a car in the same lane in Georgia?

No. Under O.C.G.A. 40-6-312(b), the operator of a motorcycle shall not overtake and pass in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken.

Can a motorcycle ride on the shoulder to pass traffic in Georgia?

No. O.C.G.A. 40-6-43(b) says passing on the right shall not be made by driving off the roadway, and 40-1-1 defines the roadway to exclude the berm or shoulder.

Does Georgia's lane splitting ban apply to trikes?

Yes. Georgia's definition of motorcycle in O.C.G.A. 40-1-1 covers a motor vehicle designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, and 40-6-312(c) applies to any motorcycle.

Can a car share a lane with a motorcycle in Georgia?

No. O.C.G.A. 40-6-312(a) says no motor vehicle shall be driven in such a manner as to deprive any motorcycle of the full use of a lane.