Is Lane Splitting Legal in Minnesota? (2026 Rules and Limits)

Yes, within limits. Since July 1, 2025, Minnesota has allowed a motorcycle to pass other vehicles in the same direction at low speed, under Minn. Stat. 169.974, subd. 5(g): the motorcycle may go no faster than 25 miles per hour and no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant lanes. Outside those conditions, and in the four places the statute excludes (roundabouts, school zones, single-lane work zones and queued freeway or expressway on-ramps), the general ban in subd. 5(f) still applies. For how other states treat the same maneuvers, see our guide to lane splitting laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-08. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Minnesota state law: the motorcycle lane rules in Minn. Stat. 169.974, subd. 5 (as amended by Laws 2024, chapter 127, and Laws 2025, First Special Session chapter 8), the driving rules in Minn. Stat. 169.18 (passing on the right, laned roadways and impeding a motorcycle), the general traffic penalty in Minn. Stat. 169.89, and the Minnesota Judicial Branch statewide payables list. It does not cover city ordinances, driver's license points, insurance consequences, or the law of other states.

Splitting, filtering, shoulders and riding two abreast

These words describe different maneuvers. Lane splitting usually means riding between lanes while traffic is moving; lane filtering means moving between vehicles while traffic is stopped. Paragraphs (f) through (h) of the statute do not use either word. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) does, and it treats both as legal under the 2025 rules.

What the statute says

Minnesota's rule has three parts: a ban, an exception, and a list of places where the exception does not work.

The general ban in paragraph (f)

Paragraph (f) of Minn. Stat. 169.974, subd. 5 reads:

"(f) Except under the conditions specified in paragraph (g), no person may operate a motorcycle: (1) between lanes of moving or stationary vehicles headed in the same direction of travel; (2) abreast of moving or stationary vehicles within the same traffic lane; or (3) to overtake or pass another vehicle within the same traffic lane."

The ban names moving and stationary vehicles alike. So riding between lanes, whether traffic is flowing or stopped, is a violation unless the rider is inside the conditions of paragraph (g).

The exception in paragraph (g)

Paragraph (g) is the authorization. It reads:

"(g) A person may operate a motorcycle and overtake and pass another vehicle in the same direction of travel and within the same traffic lane if the motorcycle is operated: (1) at not more than 25 miles per hour; and (2) no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant traffic lanes."

The two speed limits are joined by "and," so a rider must meet both at once. A pass under 25 mph can still fall outside the exception if it is more than 15 mph faster than the traffic in the relevant lanes, and a pass that is within 15 mph of traffic still falls outside it above 25 mph.

Where the exception never applies

Paragraph (h) takes four locations out of the exception by narrowing what counts as a traffic lane:

"(h) For the purposes of paragraph (g), traffic lane does not include: (1) the approach, drive-through, or exit of a roundabout; (2) a school zone established under section 169.14, subdivision 5a; (3) a work zone where only a single travel lane is available for use; or (4) an on-ramp to a freeway or expressway with or without an active control device where moving or stationary vehicles are queued in one or more traffic lanes."

In those places the paragraph (g) exception is unavailable, and the paragraph (f) ban governs. The on-ramp exclusion applies whether or not a ramp meter or other active control device is operating, and whether the queued vehicles are moving or stopped.

Police officers

Under paragraph (k), paragraphs (e) and (f) "do not apply to police officers in the performance of their official duties."

The wording question: within the same traffic lane, or between lanes?

The text of paragraph (g) authorizes passing "within the same traffic lane." It does not say "between lanes." The ban in paragraph (f), though, opens with "Except under the conditions specified in paragraph (g)," and that opening covers all three of its items, including riding between lanes in item (1).

Official sources read the 2025 rules as covering riding between lanes:

• The Legislature. In Laws 2024, chapter 127, article 3, section 122, the Legislature directed the commissioner of public safety to run a statewide campaign "to alert drivers and the public on how motorcycles may safely overtake and pass a vehicle within the same lane or between parallel lanes," with the information to be "consistent with the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 169.974, subdivision 5."
• The Department of Public Safety. The DPS Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center states: "Lane splitting and lane filtering was legal in Minnesota as of July 1, 2025."

DPS describes the two maneuvers this way. Lane splitting "is allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction and traffic is moving," at no more than 25 miles per hour and no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant lanes. Lane filtering "is allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction and traffic is NOT moving," and "allows a motorcycle to move through traffic that is stopped, such as at a traffic light or traffic jam," under the condition of "No more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant traffic lanes."

The "two or more lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction" condition is DPS's description; paragraph (g) does not state it. Readers should treat the DPS page as the state agency's explanation of the law, not as the statute itself.

When lane splitting or filtering becomes a violation

Because paragraph (f) stays in force, a rider who steps outside paragraph (g) is back under the ban. That includes:

• Passing between lanes at more than 25 mph.
• Passing at more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic in the relevant traffic lanes, whether that traffic is moving or stopped.
• Splitting or filtering at a roundabout, in a school zone, in a work zone with only one travel lane open, or on a freeway or expressway on-ramp where vehicles are queued.

Paragraph (g) does not mention the shoulder, and no part of subdivision 5 authorizes shoulder riding. The general passing rule in Minn. Stat. 169.18, subd. 4 lets a driver pass on the right only in listed situations and only "under conditions permitting such movement in safety," and adds: "In no event shall such movement be made by driving in a bicycle lane or onto the shoulder, whether paved or unpaved, or off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the roadway."

The general laned-roadway rule also applies. Under 169.18, subd. 7(1), 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 the lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety."

Rules for drivers sharing the road with motorcycles

The 2025 change also put a duty on other drivers. Minn. Stat. 169.18, subd. 13 provides: "An operator of a motor vehicle must not intentionally impede or attempt to prevent the operation of a motorcycle when the motorcycle is operated under the conditions specified in section 169.974, subdivision 5, paragraph (g)." The session law made this subdivision effective July 1, 2025, for violations committed on or after that date.

The duty is limited to intentional conduct, and it protects only a rider who is within the paragraph (g) conditions.

Two older rules still apply. Under 169.974, subd. 5(i), motorcycles "are entitled to the full use of a traffic lane and no motor vehicle may be driven or operated in a manner so as to deprive a motorcycle of the full use of a traffic lane." Under subd. 5(e), motorcycles "may, with the consent of both drivers, be operated not more than two abreast in a single traffic lane if the vehicles fit safely within the designated space of the lane."

Penalties and fines

Neither 169.974, subd. 5 nor 169.18 sets its own penalty, so the general chapter 169 penalty applies. Under Minn. Stat. 169.89, a violation of the chapter is a petty misdemeanor unless the chapter says otherwise. A person convicted of a petty misdemeanor "is not subject to imprisonment but shall be punished by a fine of not more than $300."

The same section makes the violation a misdemeanor in two situations: when it is "committed in a manner or under circumstances so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or property," or when it is preceded by two or more petty misdemeanor convictions within the preceding 12 months. According to the Minnesota Judicial Branch, a misdemeanor conviction can bring up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. The 2026 payables list says an offense enhanced to a misdemeanor because it endangered a person or property is not payable at the scheduled fine, and a citation is presumed payable "unless the endangerment box is checked."

What the court fine schedule shows

The Minnesota Judicial Branch publishes a statewide payables list. The 2026 edition, effective January 1, 2026, states that all petty misdemeanor offenses are payable and that in 2026 "the fine amount for petty misdemeanor offenses is $50," unless the list specifies a different amount, plus surcharges and a law library fee.

The 2026 list has rows for the lane rules added in 2025:

The total shown leaves the county law library fee at zero; that fee varies by county. These are payable amounts set by the courts, not statutory maximums.

Paying the ticket is a guilty plea

The Minnesota Judicial Branch's fine payment page warns: "IF YOU PAY THE FINE(S), YOU ARE ENTERING A GUILTY PLEA to this offense(s)," and "A guilty plea will result in a conviction. Conviction will be entered for all offenses charged on the citation, and a fine will be imposed for each offense." The 2026 payables list marks the motorcycle lane rows above for certification to the Department of Public Safety, and the court page says the Department of Public Safety may be notified of a conviction, depending on the offense. This page does not state any further driver record consequence.

Work zones

A single-lane work zone is one of the places where the paragraph (g) exception does not apply. The 2026 payables list shows higher work-zone amounts for speeding in a work zone (169.14, subd. 5d) and for flagger violations (169.06, subd. 4a), each at $300 plus a $75 surcharge. It shows no separate work-zone amount for the motorcycle lane or passing-on-the-right rows above.

Does the law expire?

No. Neither Minn. Stat. 169.974 nor the 2024 and 2025 session laws that added paragraphs (f), (g) and (h) contains an expiration date for the lane-sharing exception. Paragraphs (f) and (g) came from Laws 2024, chapter 127, article 3, section 61, effective July 1, 2025. The list of excluded locations in paragraph (h) came from Laws 2025, First Special Session chapter 8, article 2, section 36, also effective July 1, 2025.

After a crash

Whether a rider stayed within paragraph (g) is one fact in a crash claim; it does not settle fault on its own. For how fault, insurance and deadlines work after a motorcycle crash, see our guide to Minnesota motorcycle accident laws. For the broader rules on vehicle crashes in the state, see Minnesota car accident laws.

Related pages

• Lane splitting laws by state
• Minnesota motorcycle accident laws
• Minnesota car accident laws
• Iowa lane splitting laws
• Wisconsin lane splitting laws

This article provides general legal information about Minnesota law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Minnesota or the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Last updated: 2026-10-08.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lane splitting legal in Minnesota?

Yes, within limits, since July 1, 2025. Minn. Stat. 169.974, subd. 5(g) allows a motorcycle to pass vehicles going the same direction at not more than 25 mph and no more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic in the relevant lanes, except at roundabouts, school zones, single-lane work zones and queued freeway or expressway on-ramps.

Is lane filtering legal in Minnesota?

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says lane filtering through stopped traffic has been legal since July 1, 2025, subject to the limit of no more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic in the relevant lanes. The statute itself, 169.974, subd. 5(g), describes passing within the same traffic lane and does not use the word filtering.

How fast can you lane split in Minnesota?

Not more than 25 mph, and no more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic in the relevant traffic lanes. Minn. Stat. 169.974, subd. 5(g) requires both limits at the same time.

Where is lane splitting not allowed in Minnesota?

Under Minn. Stat. 169.974, subd. 5(h), the exception does not apply at the approach, drive-through or exit of a roundabout, in a school zone, in a work zone where only a single travel lane is available, or on a freeway or expressway on-ramp where moving or stationary vehicles are queued.

Can motorcycles ride on the shoulder in Minnesota?

Not to pass traffic. Minn. Stat. 169.18, subd. 4 says passing on the right shall in no event be made by driving in a bicycle lane or onto the shoulder, whether paved or unpaved, or off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the roadway.

Can a driver block a motorcycle that is lane splitting in Minnesota?

Not intentionally. Minn. Stat. 169.18, subd. 13 says a motor vehicle operator must not intentionally impede or attempt to prevent the operation of a motorcycle operated under the conditions in 169.974, subd. 5(g).

What is the fine for illegal lane splitting in Minnesota?

A violation is a petty misdemeanor with a fine of not more than $300 under Minn. Stat. 169.89. The 2026 court payables list sets the payable amount for a 169.974, subd. 5(f) or 5(g) violation at a $50 fine plus a $75 surcharge, or $125 before any county law library fee.

Does the Minnesota lane splitting law expire?

No. Minn. Stat. 169.974 and the 2024 and 2025 session laws that created the exception contain no expiration date for it.

Can two motorcycles ride side by side in Minnesota?

Yes, with the consent of both drivers and if the motorcycles fit safely within the lane. Minn. Stat. 169.974, subd. 5(e) allows not more than two abreast in a single traffic lane.