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

No. Lane splitting and lane filtering are both illegal in Maine: 29-A M.R.S. section 2062(6) provides that "A person may not operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles," and the subsection has no exception. A violation is a traffic infraction, not a crime, and the Violations Bureau schedule for infractions on or after September 24, 2025 lists $152 for riding between lanes when the ticket is answered "not contested." Passing on the shoulder is barred as well, because section 2070 says an operator may not overtake another vehicle "by driving off the pavement or main traveled portion of the way." 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 Maine state law in Title 29-A of the Maine Revised Statutes: the motorcycle rules in section 2062, the lane rules in 2051, the passing rules in 2070, the basic speed rule in 2074, the traffic infraction rules in 101 and 103, demerit points under 2458 and the Secretary of State's point rule, and the driving to endanger crime in 2413, with the Title 17-A sections that set criminal sentence ranges. It also covers the Maine Judicial Branch Violations Bureau schedule. It does not cover municipal ordinances, insurance consequences, or the law of other states.

What Maine's law says about riding between lanes

Maine's motorcycle lane rules are in 29-A M.R.S. section 2062, "Motorcycles." Subsection 6, headed "Between lines," is the ban:

"6. Between lines. A person may not operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles."

"Between lanes of traffic" covers lane splitting, riding along the line between two lanes of moving vehicles. "Between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles" covers lane filtering, moving up between rows of cars stopped at a light. The subsection draws no line between moving and stopped traffic.

Maine's wording tracks subsection (c) of section 11-1303 in the 1968 revision of the Uniform Vehicle Code, a model traffic code, which reads "No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles."

Subsection 6 contains no exception. The carve-outs in section 2062 are in subsection 5, which covers passing within the same lane, and they do not reach subsection 6.

Splitting, filtering, shoulders and riding two abreast

Passing in the same lane

Subsection 5 reads: "A motorcycle operator may not overtake or pass in the lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken, except for passing a bicycle or a roller skier. This subsection does not apply to a law enforcement officer performing an officer's duties."

It covers a rider who slips past a car without crossing a lane line, staying inside the car's own lane.

Full use of a lane and riding two abreast

Subsection 4 protects the rider's space:

"A. An operator of a motorcycle other than a moped may fully use a lane. B. More than 2 motorcycles may not be operated abreast within the same lane, and an autocycle may not be operated abreast with any motor vehicle within the same lane. C. A motor vehicle may not be driven in such a manner as to deprive a motorcycle of the full use of a lane."

Paragraph C binds car drivers as well as riders.

Riding on the shoulder and passing on the right

Maine's traffic code measures the shoulder question against "the way." Section 101 defines a "way" as "the entire width between boundary lines of a road, highway, parkway, street or bridge used for vehicular traffic, whether public or private." Within that width, the passing statute draws the line at the pavement and the main traveled portion.

Section 2070(1) states the general rule: "An operator of a vehicle passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction must pass to the left at a safe distance and may not return to the right until safely clear of the passed vehicle. An operator may not overtake another vehicle by driving off the pavement or main traveled portion of the way."

Section 2070(6) allows passing on the right in three situations only:

"An operator may pass a vehicle on the right only under the following conditions: A. When the vehicle to be passed is making or about to make a left turn; B. On a way with unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles and of sufficient width for 2 or more lines of traffic in each direction; or C. On a way on which traffic is restricted to one direction, when the roadway is free from obstructions and of sufficient width for 2 or more lines of traffic. An operator may pass on the right only under conditions permitting that movement in safety. An operator may not overtake by driving off the pavement or main traveled portion of the way."

The same subsection lets a person on a bicycle or roller skis pass a vehicle on the right "at the bicyclist's or roller skier's own risk." That allowance does not extend to motorcycles.

Staying in a single lane

Section 2051 applies "When a public way has been divided into 2 or more clearly marked lanes for traffic." Under subsection 1, "A vehicle must be operated as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane," and under subsection 1-A, "A vehicle may not be moved from a lane until the operator has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety." These rules apply to every vehicle, and they sit alongside the motorcycle-specific ban in 2062(6).

What happens if you are caught lane splitting in Maine

A traffic infraction, not a crime

Section 2062 has no penalty clause of its own, so the general rule for traffic infractions in 29-A M.R.S. section 103 applies:

"A traffic infraction is not a crime. The penalty for a traffic infraction may not be deemed for any purpose a penal or criminal punishment. ... The exclusive penalty for a traffic infraction is a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $500, unless specifically authorized, or suspension of a license, or both."

The scheduled amount

The Maine Judicial Branch Violations Bureau schedule, in effect for traffic infractions occurring on and after September 24, 2025, lists these amounts:

The schedule says the amounts include "all statutory surcharges" and are the amounts the Violations Bureau accepts "if paid with an answer of 'not contested' filed in a timely manner." A rider who contests the ticket and is found to have committed the infraction faces the section 103 range instead: a fine of $25 to $500, unless another statute authorizes a different amount, a license suspension, or both.

Paying counts as an adjudication

Section 101 defines "adjudication" as "a finding by a court that a person has committed a traffic infraction" and says it "includes the acceptance by the clerk of the violations bureau or any judicial division of an answer of not contested." Paying the ticket with a "not contested" answer therefore puts an adjudication on the rider's record.

Demerit points

Under 29-A M.R.S. 2458(3), the Secretary of State assigns demerit points "for convictions or adjudications of violations of statutes or rules governing the operation of motor vehicles." The Bureau of Motor Vehicles point rule, 29-250 C.M.R. chapter 1, assigns points by category, including 6 for "Pass on Right," 6 for "Improper or Erratic Lane Change," 2 for "Lane Conviction" and 2 for "Other Moving Violation." No category in the rule names riding between lanes, so this page does not state a point value for a 2062(6) adjudication. Under the rule, a driver who accumulates 12 demerit points within one year may have the license suspended for up to 15 days.

Other rules and heavier charges

The crime of driving to endanger and reckless conduct are separate charges with their own elements; whether a particular ride meets them depends on the facts. A stop for lane splitting can also involve the general speed rule:

A rider who splits lanes commits the 2062(6) infraction. The crime of driving to endanger requires more: criminal negligence and driving that endangers a person or another's property, as section 2413 sets out.

Recent changes to these rules

Section 2062 was enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, and subsection 6 carries only that 1993 history tag. The section was last amended in 2019 (PL 2019, c. 345), which changed the two-abreast paragraph. Section 2051 was last amended in 2007 and section 2070 in 2023, when PL 2023, c. 122 added a different subsection about stationary vehicles. In 2025, PL 2025, c. 199 amended the maximum-speed subsection of section 2074, and PL 2025, c. 173 amended the notice subsection of section 2413; neither changed the between-lanes, lane-change or passing rules, and the endangerment offense itself was not changed.

Federal law and lane splitting

We found no federal statute or regulation that addresses lane splitting; the rules come from state traffic law. The federal motorcyclist safety grant rule, 23 CFR 1300.25, sets criteria for training, motorist-awareness and impaired-riding programs and says nothing about lane use, and NHTSA's motorcycle safety guidance does not mention splitting or filtering. Maine's own statute controls.

If a crash happens while splitting or filtering

Riding between lanes violates 2062(6), and that fact can come up after a collision. How it bears on fault, insurance and an injury claim is covered in our guide to Maine motorcycle accident laws. For the rules that apply to crashes generally, see Maine car accident laws.

Related pages

• Lane splitting laws by state
• Maine motorcycle accident laws
• Maine car accident laws

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

Last updated: 2026-10-09.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lane splitting legal in Maine?

No. 29-A M.R.S. 2062(6) provides that a person may not operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.

Is lane filtering legal in Maine?

No. The ban in 2062(6) covers riding between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles and has no exception for stopped traffic.

Can motorcycles ride on the shoulder in Maine?

Not to pass. 29-A M.R.S. 2070(1) and (6) say an operator may not overtake another vehicle by driving off the pavement or main traveled portion of the way.

What is the fine for lane splitting in Maine?

The Violations Bureau schedule for infractions on or after September 24, 2025 lists $152, including statutory surcharges, for a timely not contested answer. If the ticket is contested and the infraction is found, 29-A M.R.S. 103 allows a fine of $25 to $500, a license suspension, or both.

Can two motorcycles ride side by side in Maine?

Yes. 29-A M.R.S. 2062(4)(B) bars operating more than 2 motorcycles abreast in the same lane, so two abreast is within the rule. An autocycle may not ride abreast with any motor vehicle in the same lane.

Can lane splitting be driving to endanger in Maine?

Only if the riding meets the elements of 29-A M.R.S. 2413: driving with criminal negligence in a manner that endangers a person or another's property. That is a Class E crime with a fine of not less than $575 and a 30 to 180 day license suspension.