Is Lane Splitting Legal in Rhode Island? (2026 Law)

Rhode Island law does not expressly allow or ban lane splitting. Neither the motorcycle chapter (31-10.1) nor the passing and lane-use chapter (31-15) of the Rhode Island General Laws contains a provision on riding between lanes or between rows of vehicles, so the general single-lane rule in R.I. Gen. Laws 31-15-11 and the passing-on-the-right limits in 31-15-5 apply to riders instead. A violation of either is a civil traffic violation listed at $100 on the schedule in R.I. Gen. Laws 31-41.1-4. For how other states handle the practice, 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 Rhode Island state law in the General Laws: the lane and passing rules in chapter 31-15 (31-15-1, 31-15-2, 31-15-4, 31-15-5, 31-15-11 and 31-15-16), the definitions in 31-1-3 and 31-1-23, the speed rule in 31-14-1, the work-zone rule in 31-14-12.1, the aggressive driving chapter 31-27.1, the reckless driving and penalty sections 31-27-4, 31-27-13 and 31-27-14, the repeat moving-violation section 31-27-24, the road rage enhancement enacted in 2026 (Casey's law), the Traffic Tribunal schedule and procedure in 31-41.1-4, 31-41.1-6 and 31-41.1-7, and four bills, 2025 H 5658 and S 540 and 2026 S 2732 and H 7354. It does not cover municipal ordinances, insurance consequences, driver-license point values, or the law of other states.

What Rhode Island law says about riding between lanes

Rhode Island has no lane splitting statute. Chapter 31-10.1, which holds the state's motorcycle rules, and chapter 31-15, which covers passing, use of lanes and rules of the road, contain no provision that lets a motorcycle ride between lanes of traffic or between rows of stopped vehicles, and none that names the practice to forbid it. Neither chapter has a rule about how many motorcycles may ride abreast in one lane.

Silence is not permission. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-1-3(n), a motorcycle is one of the "motor vehicles having not more than three (3) wheels in contact with the ground and a saddle on which the driver sits astride," so the lane and passing rules that bind every driver bind riders too.

The single-lane rule

The rule a lane splitting ticket would most likely rest on is R.I. Gen. Laws 31-15-11. It applies on any roadway with two or more marked lanes:

"Whenever any roadway has been divided into two (2) or more clearly marked lanes for traffic, the following rules in addition to all others consistent with them shall apply: (1) A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practical 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."

Subsection (4) of the same section says "Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4." Section 31-1-23(d) defines a laned roadway as "a roadway which is divided into two (2) or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic."

A separate keep-right rule, 31-15-2, requires a vehicle moving at less than the normal speed of traffic to use "the right-hand lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn."

Passing on the right and riding on the shoulder

Filtering forward means overtaking other vehicles. R.I. Gen. Laws 31-15-5 limits passing on the right:

"(a) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions: (1) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn; (2) Upon a one-way street, or upon any roadway on which traffic is restricted to one direction of movement, where the roadway is free from obstructions and of sufficient width for two (2) or more lines of moving vehicles. ... (b) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting the movement in safety. In no event shall the movement be made by driving off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the roadway."

Before applying that to the shoulder, note how Rhode Island defines the road. Under 31-1-23(h), the roadway is "that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, excluding the sidewalk, berm, or shoulder even when used by persons riding bicycles."

So the shoulder is not part of the roadway, and 31-15-5(b) forbids passing on the right by driving off the pavement or main-traveled portion. A second rule closes the break-down lane outright. R.I. Gen. Laws 31-15-16 says: "No person shall operate a motor vehicle for travel on the emergency break-down lane of any highway. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4."

A separate section, R.I. Gen. Laws 31-15-4, governs overtaking on the left: "The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall give a timely, audible signal and shall pass to the left at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle." The schedule lists overtaking on the left at $100.

What happens if you are stopped

Lane and passing violations in Rhode Island are civil, not criminal. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-13(a), it "is a civil violation for any person to violate any of the provisions of" chapters 1 through 27 of Title 31 unless the law makes the violation a felony or misdemeanor or punishes it with a fine of more than $500 or imprisonment. Subsection (b) sets a fallback fine of not more than $500 for a civil violation "unless another penalty is provided."

For these sections another penalty is provided: the violations schedule in 31-41.1-4. It lists:

The schedule lists subsection (a) of 31-15-5; the off-pavement rule in subsection (b) has no separate line. Under 31-41.1-4(c), a person who pays the fine administratively "shall not be subject to any additional costs or assessments," including the hearing fee, except for a technology surcharge.

Work zones

Fines double in a signed work zone. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-14-12.1(b), where construction or a maintenance operation is present and signs are posted, "the total of the fines, penalties, and costs assessed upon conviction shall be twice the amount otherwise set by the general laws" for a traffic violation, as defined by 31-41.1-4, in the temporary traffic control zone. Under 31-14-12.1(c), the zone runs from the first advance warning sign through the last traffic control device.

Contesting the ticket leads to a hearing before the Traffic Tribunal or a municipal court. Under 31-41.1-6(c), an order entered after an admission, or after a finding that the charge was established, "shall be civil in nature, and shall be treated as an adjudication that a violation has been committed." The judge or magistrate may include "any penalty authorized by any provisions of this title for the violation, including, but not limited to, license suspension," but "no penalty for it shall include imprisonment."

A driver licensed for more than three years whose violations are the first in the preceding three years may ask for a dismissal based on a good driving record under 31-41.1-7, paying a $35 administrative fee and a $25 surcharge. The Tribunal may not grant it more than six months after disposition, and it is not available for a violation involving an accident with property damage or personal injury.

Repeat moving violations

The bigger risk is accumulation. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-24(a), every person "convicted of moving violations on four (4) separate and distinct occasions within an eighteen (18) month period may be fined up to one thousand dollars ($1,000), and shall be ordered to attend sixty (60) hours of driver retraining, shall be ordered to perform sixty (60) hours of public community service, and the person's operator license in this state may be suspended up to one year or revoked by the court for a period of up to two (2) years."

The list of moving violations in 31-27-24(c) includes overtaking on the right (31-15-5), laned roadways (31-15-11), use of the emergency break-down lane (31-15-16) and aggressive driving (31-27.1-3). The section speaks of persons "convicted," while 31-41.1-6(c) calls a Tribunal order civil; how a paid ticket counts toward the four is a question for the Traffic Tribunal or a Rhode Island lawyer.

The statutes on this page do not set driver-license point values for these violations.

Speed for conditions

Rhode Island's basic speed rule, 31-14-1, reads: "No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. In every event, speed shall be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle, or other conveyance on or entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due care." The schedule lists it at $95.00.

Reckless driving

R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-4 makes it an offense to operate "a motor vehicle recklessly so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered." Reckless driving is a separate charge with its own elements; whether a particular ride meets them depends on the facts.

The section makes reckless driving a misdemeanor for the first conviction and a felony for the second and each later conviction. Its penalties come from the general sections:

The chapter 31-27 section list names driving so as to endanger (31-27-1 through 31-27-1.2), reckless driving (31-27-4) and street racing (31-27-22). It does not list a careless or inattentive driving section; aggressive driving has its own chapter, 31-27.1.

Aggressive driving

Under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27.1-3, aggressive driving means that a driver, "coincident to operating a motor vehicle in violation of chapter 14 of this title," the speed restrictions chapter, "engages in conduct which violates two (2) or more of the following sections of law." The nine listed items are obedience to traffic control devices (31-13-4), overtaking on the right (31-15-5), driving within a traffic lane (31-15-1), following too closely (31-15-12), the yielding right-of-way sections, the entering-the-roadway sections, the turn signal sections, the school bus, special stop, stop sign and yield sign rules of chapter 31-20, and use of the emergency break-down lane (31-15-16). Aggressive driving is a separate charge with its own elements; whether a particular ride meets them depends on the facts.

Under 31-27.1-4, the fine is not less than $260 nor more than $500. A person convicted of a first offense "may be required to attend an educational program approved by the division of motor vehicles" and "may be subject to a minimum thirty (30) days suspension" of the license. The lesser included offenses may also be prosecuted separately, and cases are heard by the Traffic Tribunal.

Road rage: Casey's law (2026)

In 2026 the General Assembly created a new section, 31-27-26, on the enhancement of an offense for road rage (Casey's law), through P.L. 2026, ch. 167 (H 8384 Sub A) and ch. 168 (S 3169 Sub A as amended). Both were enacted June 22, 2026, and took effect upon passage. The section defines road rage as "the operation or use of a motor vehicle, or behavior on the part of the operator or passenger of a motor vehicle that is intentionally aggressive, harassing, threatening, intimidating, or dangerous and that is directed toward another motor vehicle operator or passenger" on a public highway or roadway.

It "does not create a separate offense but provides an additional enhanced sentence for the underlying offense." It reaches misdemeanors and felonies only, so it does not attach to a civil lane-use or passing violation. When the prosecutor seeks the enhancement and the judge or jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt that the offense was committed as a result of road rage, the person may be subject to:

• Misdemeanor committed as a result of road rage: in addition to any other penalty, a fine of up to $1,000, suspension of the operator's license for up to one year, or both.
• Felony committed as a result of road rage: an additional term of imprisonment of not less than two years and not more than 15 years, a mandatory fine of no less than $1,000, and suspension of the license for not more than five years or revocation for up to two years.

The lane splitting and filtering bills

Several recent bills would have changed the rule; none is law. 2025 House Bill 5658 would have added a section 31-15-20.1 headed "Lane splitting permitted":

"(a) Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any motorcycle may be permitted to split lanes provided, that: (1) Traffic is stopped or travelling at a speed of no greater than ten miles per hour (10 mph). ... (4) The posted speed limit on the highway being traveled is greater than fifty miles per hour (50 mph)."

Its effective-date clause said the act "shall take effect upon passage and shall sunset on January 31, 2026."

2026 Senate Bill 2732 took a narrower approach, lane filtering only:

"(a) The operator of a two (2)-wheeled motorcycle may engage in lane filtering when: (1) The operator of a two (2) wheeled motorcycle is on a road with lanes wide enough to pass safely; (2) The overtaking motorcycle is not operated at a speed in excess of twenty miles per hour (20 mph) when overtaking the stopped or slow-moving vehicle; and (3) Conditions permit continued reasonable and prudent operation of the motorcycle while lane filtering. (b) As used in this section, "lane filtering" means the act of overtaking and passing another vehicle that is stopped or traveling at a speed not in excess of ten miles per hour (10 mph) in the same direction of travel and in the same lane."

The same filtering text was filed in the House as 2026 House Bill 7354 and in the Senate in 2025 as Senate Bill 540.

Chapter 31-15 as published contains no section 31-15-20.1 and no filtering section, and no 2026 public law enacts lane splitting or lane filtering.

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

A citation under 31-15-11 or 31-15-5 can matter after a collision. How a lane or passing violation bears on fault and an injury claim is covered in our guide to Rhode Island motorcycle accident laws. For the reporting and claim rules that apply to every driver, see Rhode Island car accident laws.

Related pages

• Lane splitting laws by state
• Rhode Island motorcycle accident laws
• Rhode Island car accident laws
• Massachusetts lane splitting laws
• Connecticut lane splitting laws

This article provides general legal information about Rhode Island law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Rhode Island or the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.

Last updated: 2026-10-09.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lane splitting legal in Rhode Island?

No Rhode Island statute expressly allows or bans it. The general rules apply: R.I. Gen. Laws 31-15-11(1) requires a vehicle to stay as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane on a marked multi-lane roadway, and 31-15-5 limits passing on the right.

Is lane filtering legal in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has no filtering law. 2026 Senate Bill 2732 and House Bill 7354 would have allowed two-wheeled motorcycles to filter at no more than 20 mph past vehicles stopped or moving at 10 mph or less, but chapter 31-15 contains no such section.

Can motorcycles ride on the shoulder in Rhode Island?

Not to pass or travel. R.I. Gen. Laws 31-15-5(b) bars passing on the right by driving off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the roadway, 31-1-23(h) excludes the shoulder from the roadway, and 31-15-16 bars travel in the emergency break-down lane.

What is the fine for a lane violation in Rhode Island?

The Traffic Tribunal schedule in R.I. Gen. Laws 31-41.1-4 lists $100 for a laned roadway violation under 31-15-11 and $100 for overtaking on the right under 31-15-5(a). Paying administratively adds no other costs except a technology surcharge.

Can a lane splitting ticket lead to jail in Rhode Island?

Not for the civil lane or passing violation itself: under R.I. Gen. Laws 31-41.1-6(c), no penalty for an adjudicated civil violation may include imprisonment. Reckless driving under 31-27-4 is a separate misdemeanor charge with its own elements, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Does Rhode Island have a road rage law?

Yes. Casey's law, new section 31-27-26 enacted June 22, 2026, allows an enhanced sentence when the judge or jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt that a misdemeanor or felony was committed as a result of road rage. For a misdemeanor, the person may be subject to a fine of up to $1,000, a license suspension of up to one year, or both. It does not create a separate offense.