Is Lane Splitting Legal in Texas? (2026 Law)

No. Texas bans lane splitting. Transportation Code 545.0605(a)(3)(B), in effect since September 1, 2023, says the operator of a motorcycle may not "operate the motorcycle between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction," and subsection (a)(3)(C) adds that the operator may not "pass a motor vehicle while in the same lane as the vehicle being passed." The section has no exception for stopped or slow traffic, so filtering between cars at a light is not carved out either; only police officers on duty are exempt. Because the section sets no penalty of its own, a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $1 or more than $200 under Transportation Code 542.301(b) and 542.401, plus a $50 state traffic fine under 542.4031 on a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or a conviction. For how other states compare, 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 Texas state law: Transportation Code 545.0605 (motorcycles on laned roadways), the lane, passing and shoulder rules in 545.060, 545.057 and 545.058, the definitions in 541.201 and 541.302, the speed and reckless-driving sections 545.351, 545.352 and 545.401, the general penalty and work-zone sections 542.301, 542.401 and 542.404, the state traffic fine in 542.4031, the suspension rules in 521.292 and 521.293, Code of Criminal Procedure articles 27.14, 45A.351, 45A.352, 45A.353 and 45A.357, and the 2023 and 2025 motorcycle bills (HB 4122 and HB 2957). It does not cover city ordinances, individual court fine amounts or court costs, insurance consequences, or the law of other states.

What Texas law says about riding between lanes

Texas spells the rule out in Transportation Code 545.0605, titled "Operation of motorcycles on roadway laned for traffic." The section reads:

"(a) The operator of a motorcycle: (1) is entitled to full use of a lane and, except as otherwise provided by Subdivision (2), a motor vehicle may not be driven in a manner that deprives a motorcycle of the full use of a lane; (2) may operate the motorcycle two abreast in a single lane with another motorcycle; and (3) may not; (A) operate the motorcycle more than two abreast in a single lane with other motorcycles; (B) operate the motorcycle between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction; or (C) pass a motor vehicle while in the same lane as the vehicle being passed. (b) Subsection (a)(3) does not apply to a police officer in the performance of the officer's official duties."

The section is new. House Bill 4122 of the 88th Legislature, captioned "Relating to the operation and movement of motorcycles on a roadway laned for traffic," amended Subchapter B of Chapter 545 "by adding Section 545.0605," and its enrolled text provides: "This Act takes effect September 1, 2023." The section's history line shows no amendment since, and none of the 2025 acts that changed Chapter 545 touched it.

The only exemption is in subsection (b), for "a police officer in the performance of the officer's official duties."

The rule applies to every "motorcycle" as Transportation Code 541.201 defines it: "a motor vehicle, other than a tractor or moped, that is equipped with a rider's saddle and designed to have when propelled not more than three wheels on the ground."

The single-lane rule

A second, older rule applies to every driver on a laned road. Transportation Code 545.060(a) provides:

"(a) An operator on a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic: (1) shall drive as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane; and (2) may not move from the lane unless that movement can be made safely."

Subsection (d) adds that "Official traffic-control devices prohibiting the changing of lanes on sections of roadway may be installed." A "laned roadway," under 541.302(7), is "a roadway that is divided into at least two clearly marked lanes for vehicular travel."

Can motorcycles ride on the shoulder in Texas?

Only in limited situations. Start with the definitions in Transportation Code 541.302, which apply throughout the rules-of-the-road subtitle:

"(11) 'Roadway' means the portion of a highway, other than the berm or shoulder, that is improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel. If a highway includes at least two separate roadways, the term applies to each roadway separately. ... (15) 'Shoulder' means the portion of a highway that is: (A) adjacent to the roadway; (B) designed or ordinarily used for parking; (C) distinguished from the roadway by different design, construction, or marking; and (D) not intended for normal vehicular travel."

Passing on the right is governed by Transportation Code 545.057:

"(a) An operator may pass to the right of another vehicle only if conditions permit safely passing to the right and: (1) the vehicle being passed is making or about to make a left turn; and (2) the operator is: (A) on a highway having unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles and sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles in each direction; or (B) on a one-way street or on a roadway having traffic restricted to one direction of movement and the roadway is free from obstructions and wide enough for two or more lines of moving vehicles. (b) An operator may not pass to the right by leaving the main traveled portion of a roadway except as provided by Section 545.058."

The cross-referenced section, 545.058(a), is the shoulder rule:

"(a) An operator may drive on an improved shoulder to the right of the main traveled portion of a roadway if that operation is necessary and may be done safely, but only: (1) to stop, stand, or park; (2) to accelerate before entering the main traveled lane of traffic; (3) to decelerate before making a right turn; (4) to pass another vehicle that is slowing or stopped on the main traveled portion of the highway, disabled, or preparing to make a left turn; (5) to allow another vehicle traveling faster to pass; (6) as permitted or required by an official traffic-control device; or (7) to avoid a collision."

Item (4) allows an improved-shoulder pass of a vehicle that is slowing or stopped on the main traveled portion, but only when the shoulder use is necessary and can be done safely. It is not a general right to ride the shoulder past traffic, and section 545.058 does not single out motorcycles. Whether a particular shoulder pass met those conditions depends on the facts.

The left shoulder has a separate, narrower rule. Under 545.058(b), "An operator may drive on an improved shoulder to the left of the main traveled portion of a divided or limited-access or controlled-access highway if that operation may be done safely, but only: (1) to slow or stop when the vehicle is disabled and traffic or other circumstances prohibit the safe movement of the vehicle to the shoulder to the right of the main traveled portion of the roadway; (2) as permitted or required by an official traffic-control device; or (3) to avoid a collision."

Under subsection (c), the shoulder limits do not apply to an authorized emergency vehicle responding to a call, a police patrol, a bicycle, or a slow-moving vehicle as defined by section 547.001.

What happens if you are cited for lane splitting

Section 545.0605 contains no penalty clause, so the general rules in Chapter 542 apply. Transportation Code 542.301 makes it an offense to perform "an act prohibited" by the subtitle and says "Except as otherwise provided, an offense under this subtitle is a misdemeanor." Section 542.401 then sets the fine:

"A person convicted of an offense that is a misdemeanor under this subtitle for which another penalty is not provided shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1 or more than $200."

On top of that fine, Transportation Code 542.4031(a) requires a person who pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or is convicted of, an offense under the subtitle to "pay $50 as a state traffic fine." The statute sets the range; the justice or municipal court that handles the citation sets the fine within it, and court costs are separate.

Work zones. Under 542.404(a), if the offense is committed in a construction or maintenance work zone when workers are present, and the written notice to appear states on its face that workers were present, the minimum and maximum fines are each doubled. For a 542.401 offense that means not less than $2 or more than $400.

Paying the ticket is a conviction. Under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 27.14(c), in a fine-only misdemeanor case, "payment of a fine or an amount accepted by the court constitutes a finding of guilty in open court as though a plea of nolo contendere had been entered by the defendant."

The course option. Code of Criminal Procedure art. 45A.352 requires the judge to order "a driving safety course approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation or a course under the motorcycle operator training and safety program" when, among other conditions, the defendant elects course dismissal under that subchapter and "has not completed an approved driving safety course or motorcycle operator training course, as appropriate, within the 12-month period preceding the date of the offense." Under art. 45A.357(a), "A charge that is dismissed under this subchapter may not be part of a person's driving record or used for any purpose." The course option is not available to a person who holds, or held when the offense was committed, a commercial driver's license (art. 45A.351(c)), and under art. 45A.353 the right to take the course does not apply to an offense to which the work-zone rule in 542.404 applies. Eligibility depends on the full conditions of that subchapter, and the court decides whether they are met.

For each offense in the table, 542.4031(a) adds a $50 state traffic fine on a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or a conviction.

License consequences

Texas's Driver Responsibility Program surcharges no longer apply: House Bill 2048 of the 86th Legislature, "relating to the repeal of the driver responsibility program," took effect September 1, 2019. The license consequence the Transportation Code sets for repeated moving violations is the habitual-violator rule in section 521.292, which lists being a habitual violator among the grounds for suspension. Under 521.292(b), a person is a habitual violator with "four or more convictions that arise out of different transactions in 12 consecutive months, or seven or more convictions that arise out of different transactions in 24 months, if the convictions are for moving violations of the traffic laws of any state, Canadian province, or political subdivision," other than certain vehicle size and weight, oversize or overweight permit, and seat-belt offenses. Whether a particular lane conviction counts toward those totals depends on whether it is classed as a moving violation. A rider under 18 also faces suspension under 521.292(a)(8) after being "convicted of two or more moving violations committed within a 12-month period." Under section 521.293, "If the person does not request a hearing, the period of license suspension under Section 521.292 is 90 days."

Other charges a lane-splitting stop can involve

Each of these is a separate charge with its own elements, and whether a particular ride meets them depends on the facts.

• Speed for conditions, 545.351. "An operator may not drive at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances then existing," and must "control the speed of the vehicle as necessary to avoid colliding with another person or vehicle that is on or entering the highway in compliance with law and the duty of each person to use due care." Under 545.352(a), a speed above the posted or statutory limit "is prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable and prudent and that the speed is unlawful." The section has no penalty clause, so the $1 to $200 fine in 542.401 applies.
• Reckless driving, 545.401. "A person commits an offense if the person drives a vehicle in wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property." It is "a misdemeanor punishable by: (1) a fine not to exceed $200; (2) confinement in county jail for not more than 30 days; or (3) both the fine and the confinement."

Chapter 545 contains no general careless-driving, inattentive-driving or aggressive-driving offense.

The 2025 filtering bill: House Bill 2957

House Bill 2957 of the 89th Legislature proposed to rewrite 545.0605 to allow limited filtering. Its introduced text would have let a motorcycle operator ride "for a safe distance between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction" and "pass a motor vehicle while in the same lane as the vehicle being passed only if: (i) the operator is on a divided highway with at least two lanes of traffic in each direction; (ii) the vehicle being passed is stopped or moving at a speed of not more than 10 miles per hour; (iii) the motorcycle is operated at a speed of not more than 20 miles per hour when making the pass; and (iv) the pass can be made safely."

The bill did not become law. Its last action, on March 20, 2025, was "Referred to Transportation," and its House committee status is "In committee." Some online sources describe HB 2957 as enacted; the Legislature's own bill history shows otherwise, and 545.0605 still carries the 2023 text. The Texas Legislature does not meet in regular session again until 2027.

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 lane-splitting or passing charge can matter after a collision, but fault and injury claims follow their own rules. Those are covered in our guide to Texas motorcycle accident laws. For crash duties that apply to every driver, see Texas car accident laws.

Related pages

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

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

Last updated: 2026-10-09.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lane splitting legal in Texas?

No. Since September 1, 2023, Transportation Code 545.0605(a)(3)(B) has said a motorcycle operator may not ride between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Only police officers performing official duties are exempt.

Is lane filtering legal in Texas?

No exception allows it. Section 545.0605 has no stopped-traffic or low-speed exception, and (a)(3)(C) bars passing a vehicle while in the same lane. A 2025 bill to allow limited filtering, HB 2957, was referred to committee and did not become law.

What is the fine for lane splitting in Texas?

A violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of not less than $1 or more than $200 under Transportation Code 542.401. In a construction or maintenance work zone with workers present, noted on the citation, both limits double to $2 and $400 (542.404). A $50 state traffic fine is added on a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or a conviction (542.4031), and court costs are separate.

Can motorcycles ride on the shoulder in Texas?

Only on an improved shoulder, only when necessary and safe, and only for the seven purposes in Transportation Code 545.058(a), such as passing a vehicle that is slowing or stopped on the main traveled portion or avoiding a collision. On the left shoulder of a divided or limited-access highway, 545.058(b) allows only stopping a disabled vehicle, following an official traffic-control device, or avoiding a collision.

Can two motorcycles ride side by side in Texas?

Yes. Section 545.0605(a)(2) lets a motorcycle operator ride two abreast in a single lane with another motorcycle, and (a)(3)(A) prohibits riding more than two abreast.

Does a lane splitting ticket go on my Texas driving record?

Paying the fine is a finding of guilty under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 27.14(c). A charge dismissed after an approved driving safety or motorcycle operator training course under art. 45A.352 may not be part of the driving record (art. 45A.357(a)). The course option is not available to a commercial driver's license holder (art. 45A.351(c)), and there is no right to it for a work-zone offense under Transportation Code 542.404 (art. 45A.353).