Is Lane Splitting Legal in Oklahoma? Rules and Penalties (2026)

Lane splitting and lane filtering are illegal in Oklahoma. Under 47 O.S. 11-1103(D), "No driver of a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, motorized scooter, motorized bicycle, or electric-assisted bicycle shall pass other vehicles between lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction," and the only exception is for the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle. A violation is a misdemeanor under 47 O.S. 17-101, punishable on a first conviction by a fine of $5 to $500 or up to 10 days in jail. For how other states handle it, 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 Oklahoma state law in Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes: the between-lanes ban in 11-1103(D), the bicycle and scooter rules in 11-1205, passing on the right in 11-304, laned roadways in 11-309, the roadway and shoulder definitions in 1-158, the speed rule in 11-801, the work-zone provisions in 11-806 and 11-1303, reckless driving in 11-901, the full-attention rule in 11-901b, the general penalty in 17-101, and 2024 House Bill 3582. It does not cover city ordinances, court costs, insurance consequences, fault in a crash, or the law of other states.

What 47 O.S. 11-1103(D) says

Section 11-1103 of Title 47 deals with motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, motorized scooters and motorized bicycles. Subsection D is the lane rule:

"D. No driver of a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, motorized scooter, motorized bicycle, or electric-assisted bicycle shall pass other vehicles between lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction. This subsection shall not apply to the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle."

Three points follow from the text:

• It covers more than motorcycles. The ban reaches motor-driven cycles, motorized scooters, motorized bicycles and electric-assisted bicycles as well.
• It has no stopped-traffic exception. The subsection does not distinguish moving traffic from stopped or slow traffic, so riding between rows of cars waiting at a light (filtering) is covered by the same words as splitting moving traffic.
• The only exemption is for emergency vehicles. The last sentence of 11-1103(D) exempts "the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle" and no one else.

The section was added in 1961 and was last amended by Laws 2019, c. 43, section 3, effective November 1, 2019.

Bicycle and scooter riders have a parallel rule. Under 47 O.S. 11-1205(C), "No person operating a bicycle or motorized scooter shall pass other vehicles between lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction." Subsection D of the same section limits bicycles and motorized scooters to two abreast and requires riders two abreast on a laned roadway to "ride within a single lane." Title 47 has no matching section that gives motorcycles full use of a lane or limits how many motorcycles may ride abreast. For scooter rules more broadly, see Oklahoma e-scooter laws.

The lane-change and passing rules

Two general rules apply to every vehicle on Oklahoma roads, including motorcycles.

Staying in a lane. On a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes, 47 O.S. 11-309 provides:

"1. A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane; 2. A vehicle shall not be moved from the lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety and then given a signal, not less than the last one hundred (100) feet traveled by the vehicle, of his or her intention to change lanes;"

Section 11-309 states that a person convicted of violating it "shall be punished as provided for in Section 17-101 of this title."

Passing on the right. 47 O.S. 11-304(a) allows passing on the right only in three situations: when the vehicle being passed is making or about to make a left turn; on a street or highway with unobstructed pavement, not occupied by parked vehicles, wide enough for two or more lines of moving vehicles in each direction; or on a one-way roadway that is free from obstructions and wide enough for two or more lines of moving vehicles. Subsection (b) adds two limits:

"(b) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. In no event shall such movement be made by driving off the pavement or main traveled portion of the roadway."

Can you ride on the shoulder?

Not to pass. Title 47 defines both terms in 47 O.S. 1-158. The roadway is "That portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the shoulder." The shoulder is "The portion of the roadway contiguous with the traveled way for accommodation of stopped vehicles, for emergency use, and for lateral support of base and surface courses." (The shoulder definition uses the word "roadway" even though the roadway definition excludes the shoulder; the statute reads that way.)

Because 11-304(b) says passing on the right may "in no event" be made "by driving off the pavement or main traveled portion of the roadway," using the shoulder to get around traffic falls outside what the passing statute allows.

What happens if you are caught

The general misdemeanor penalty

Neither 11-1103 nor 11-304 sets a penalty of its own. Under 47 O.S. 17-101(A), "It is a misdemeanor for any person to violate any of the provisions of this title unless such violation is by this title or other law of this state declared to be a felony." Both sections fall within sections 10-101 through 14-121 of Title 47, so subsection (B)(1) sets the punishment:

"Every person convicted of a misdemeanor for a violation of any of the provisions of Sections 10-101 through 14-121 or Sections 16-101 through 16-114 of this title for which another penalty is not provided shall upon conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not less than Five Dollars ($5.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) days; for a second such conviction within one (1) year after the first conviction by imprisonment for not more than twenty (20) days; upon a third or subsequent conviction within one (1) year after the first conviction by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment."

The same penalty applies to a lane violation under 11-309. The statute sets a range; the amount due on a particular citation, including any court costs, comes from the court named on it.

Paying by mail can count as a guilty plea. Under 17-101(B)(2), where a jail sentence is not mandatory, the district attorney may permit a guilty plea by written statement, and "A remittance covering the fine and costs may be considered and received with the same force and effect as a written plea of guilty."

Points on your license

Title 47 refers to the Oklahoma Mandatory Point System, but its text does not list point values, and this page does not state a point value for an 11-1103(D) violation. Service Oklahoma maintains the driving record; ask it or the court on your citation how a conviction will be recorded.

Work zones

Oklahoma's work-zone fine doubling is limited to speeding. Under 47 O.S. 11-806(C), "Violation of the posted speed limit in the repair, maintenance, or construction zone shall result in the doubling of the appropriate fine." It does not double fines for lane or passing violations.

A separate offense can apply in a work zone. Under 47 O.S. 11-1303(A)(4), endangerment of a highway worker includes "Driving through or around a construction or maintenance area by any lane not clearly designated to motorists for the flow of traffic through or around the construction or maintenance area" when the act occurs within a maintenance or construction zone. If no highway worker is injured or killed, 11-1303(B) makes the person subject to a fine of "not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00)," "in addition to any other penalty authorized by law." Under 11-1303(D), this offense applies only when one or more highway workers were in the construction or maintenance area at the time.

Speed, reckless driving and full attention

Reckless driving, the speed-for-conditions rule and the full-attention rule are each a separate charge with its own elements; whether a particular ride meets them depends on the facts.

Section 11-801(E) also requires "an appropriate reduced speed" when "special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other traffic, or by reason of weather or highway conditions." Section 11-801 was last amended by Laws 2025, c. 197, effective November 1, 2025; the text quoted here is the compiled version published by the Legislature.

Section 11-901b limits when an officer may write that citation: only when the officer observes that the operator "is involved in an accident" or is driving "in such a manner that poses an articulable danger to other persons on the roadway that is not otherwise specified in statute." Title 47 contains no offense named aggressive driving.

The failed lane filtering bill

Oklahoma lawmakers have considered allowing filtering. 2024 House Bill 3582, as introduced, defined lane filtering as "the act of a two-wheeled motorcycle overtaking and passing another vehicle or vehicles that are stopped in the same lane and direction of travel as the overtaking motorcycle," with the motorcycle "not operated at a speed in excess of ten (10) miles per hour" (introduced text).

The floor substitute the House voted on was narrower: it covered only vehicles stopped at a traffic signal or stop sign, on a straight roadway with two lanes in the same direction and a permanent posted limit of 45 mph or less, and it barred filtering in construction zones.

The bill did not become law. The House amended it by floor substitute and then rejected it on third reading on March 13, 2024, by 33 ayes to 62 nays; a notice to reconsider the vote was served, and the motion expired on March 14, 2024. Section 11-1103(D) still has no filtering exception.

Federal law and lane splitting

We found no federal statute or regulation that addresses lane splitting; the rules come from state traffic law.

If a crash happens

How a lane violation bears on fault and an injury claim is covered in our guide to Oklahoma motorcycle accident laws. For the crash rules that apply to every driver, see Oklahoma car accident laws.

Related pages

• Lane splitting laws by state
• Oklahoma motorcycle accident laws
• Oklahoma e-scooter laws
• Oklahoma car accident laws

This article provides general legal information about Oklahoma law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Oklahoma or the court named on your citation.

Last updated: 2026-10-09.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lane splitting legal in Oklahoma?

No. 47 O.S. 11-1103(D) bars a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, motorized scooter, motorized bicycle or electric-assisted bicycle from passing other vehicles between lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction. Only authorized emergency vehicles are exempt.

Is lane filtering at a red light legal in Oklahoma?

No. Section 11-1103(D) has no exception for stopped traffic. A 2024 bill to allow limited filtering, House Bill 3582, failed in the House 33 to 62.

What is the fine for lane splitting in Oklahoma?

Under 47 O.S. 17-101(B)(1), a first conviction is punishable by a fine of $5 to $500 or up to 10 days in jail. A second conviction within a year carries up to 20 days, a third or later up to 6 months, and the statute allows both fine and jail.

Can motorcycles ride on the shoulder in Oklahoma?

Not to pass. 47 O.S. 11-304(b) says passing on the right may in no event be made by driving off the pavement or main traveled portion of the roadway, and 1-158 defines the roadway as excluding the shoulder.

Can two motorcycles ride side by side in one lane in Oklahoma?

Title 47 has no section limiting how many motorcycles may ride abreast. Its two-abreast rule, 47 O.S. 11-1205(D), applies to bicycles and motorized scooters.

Does Oklahoma double fines in work zones for lane violations?

No. 47 O.S. 11-806(C) doubles the fine only for violating the posted work-zone speed limit. Driving through a construction area by a lane not clearly designated for traffic can be endangerment of a highway worker under 11-1303 when workers are present, with a fine of up to $1,000 if no worker is hurt.