Six states currently allow motorcyclists to ride between lanes of traffic under specific conditions. Utah, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, and Minnesota have passed lane filtering laws that let a two-wheeled motorcycle pass stopped (and in Montana, slow-moving) vehicles. California is the only state that permits lane splitting, the broader practice of riding between rows of vehicles that may still be moving. Every other state treats the maneuver as an illegal lane use.
The rules differ enough that a maneuver legal in Montana can get you cited in Arizona, so the specific state statute controls.
Filtering and Splitting Are Not the Same
Lane filtering means passing between vehicles that are stopped, typically at a red light or in gridlocked traffic. Lane splitting refers to riding between rows of vehicles that may still be moving. The five filtering states permit only the first; California permits both.
Utah
Utah legalized filtering in 2019, the first state to do so. A rider on a two-wheeled motorcycle may filter between stopped vehicles on roads with a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less, or on highway off-ramps. The motorcycle cannot exceed 15 miles per hour, and the overtaken vehicles must be completely stopped. Filtering on on-ramps is prohibited, and the move must be safe under the circumstances.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-6a-704 – Overtaking and Passing Vehicles Proceeding in Same Direction
Montana
Montana’s law has been in effect since 2021 and is the most permissive outside California. A rider may filter past vehicles that are either stopped or moving at no more than 10 miles per hour. The motorcycle itself cannot exceed 20 miles per hour. The lanes must be wide enough for the motorcycle to pass safely, and conditions must support safe operation.2Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 61-8-392 – Lane Filtering for Motorcycles – Definition
Arizona
Arizona’s filtering provision took effect in 2022 and tracks Utah’s closely. A two-wheeled motorcycle may overtake stopped vehicles in the same lane on roads with a speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less, at a speed no greater than 15 miles per hour, and only when the movement can be made safely. The road must have at least two adjacent lanes traveling in the same direction.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-903 – Operation of Motorcycle on Laned Roadway; Exceptions
Colorado
Colorado signed its filtering law in April 2024. A two-wheeled motorcycle may pass another stopped vehicle in the same lane, provided the vehicles in adjacent same-direction lanes are also stopped, the road has lanes wide enough for safe passage, and the motorcycle travels at 15 miles per hour or less. Riders must pass on the left. They cannot use the right shoulder, pass to the right of a vehicle in the farthest right-hand lane on a non-limited-access highway, or cross into oncoming traffic.4Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-1503 – Operation of Motorcycles and Autocycles on Roadways Laned for Traffic
Colorado’s statute includes a sunset clause and is scheduled to be repealed on September 1, 2027, unless the legislature renews it.4Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-1503 – Operation of Motorcycles and Autocycles on Roadways Laned for Traffic Colorado also distinguishes filtering from splitting explicitly; splitting between moving vehicles remains illegal.5Colorado State Patrol. Colorado Lane Filtering vs. Lane Splitting
Minnesota
Minnesota’s filtering law took effect on July 1, 2025, making it the newest state to legalize the practice. As in the other filtering states, the maneuver is restricted to specific speed and traffic conditions.
California: Lane Splitting, Not Just Filtering
California’s rule is categorically different. California Vehicle Code 21658.1 defines lane splitting as riding between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane, on both divided and undivided roads.6California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 21658.1 – Lane Splitting California riders can split through traffic that is actively moving.
The statute sets no speed cap. The California Highway Patrol is authorized to develop educational safety guidelines, and its current guidance notes that danger increases with higher speed differentials and higher overall speeds.7California Highway Patrol. California Motorcyclist Safety Earlier CHP guidance suggested keeping the speed differential under 10 miles per hour and avoiding splitting when traffic exceeds 30 miles per hour; those specifics were removed from the CHP website, though the underlying principle still applies.
The CHP also advises that splitting between the two leftmost lanes is typically safer than splitting between other lanes, and that riding on the shoulder does not count as lane splitting and remains illegal.7California Highway Patrol. California Motorcyclist Safety Because the statute uses a safety standard rather than hard numbers, officers have significant discretion in deciding whether to cite a rider.
Conditions That Apply in Every Filtering State
The thresholds differ, but the filtering statutes share a core set of requirements. Use these as a baseline and confirm the specific numbers for the state you are riding in.
- Surrounding vehicles must be completely stopped. Montana is the only exception, allowing filtering past vehicles moving at 10 miles per hour or less.
- The motorcycle’s speed is capped. Four states set the limit at 15 miles per hour; Montana allows 20.
- The road must have at least two adjacent lanes traveling in the same direction. Single-lane roads are off-limits.
- The lane must be wide enough for the motorcycle to pass without creating a hazard.
- Every statute includes a general safety requirement. Rain, poor visibility, construction, or unpredictable road surfaces weigh against filtering even when the other conditions are met.
- Only two-wheeled motorcycles qualify. Trikes and autocycles are excluded.
Road speed limits matter too. Utah and Arizona both restrict filtering to roads posted at 45 miles per hour or less,1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-6a-704 – Overtaking and Passing Vehicles Proceeding in Same Direction3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-903 – Operation of Motorcycle on Laned Roadway; Exceptions which means filtering on a highway with a 55 mph limit is illegal in those states even if traffic is dead stopped.
Hawaii Is Not a Filtering State
Hawaii is sometimes listed alongside filtering states, but that is no longer accurate. Act 218, passed in 2018 and effective January 2019, authorized the Department of Transportation to designate specific road shoulders where motorcycles could ride during congestion. The law carried a sunset clause and expired on December 31, 2020. It was never renewed. Even while active, it did not permit filtering or splitting between lanes of traffic.8Hawaii Department of Transportation. Motorcycles, Motor Scooters and Mopeds FAQs Hawaii currently prohibits all forms of filtering and splitting.
States That Prohibit Filtering
Every state not listed above treats filtering as an illegal lane change. A few come up often.
Florida gives motorcycles full use of a lane and specifically prohibits operating a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent rows of vehicles. The violation is a noncriminal traffic infraction punished as a moving violation.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.209 – Operating Motorcycles on Roadways Laned for Traffic
Washington prohibits both overtaking in the same lane and operating a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or adjacent rows of vehicles. The only exception is for police officers performing official duties.10Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.61.608 – Operating Motorcycles on Roadways Laned for Traffic
Maryland bans lane splitting and requires motorcyclists to use adjacent lanes when passing other vehicles.11Zero Deaths Maryland. Maryland Motorcycle Safety Laws
Oregon has come close. Governor Kate Brown vetoed a lane splitting bill in 2021, a similar proposal passed the Oregon Senate in 2023 but died in committee, and House Bill 3542 died in committee in June 2025 when the session ended without a vote.
What Could Change
The direction of travel is toward more states permitting filtering. Utah’s 2019 law was followed by four more within six years, and Oregon has introduced the measure repeatedly. The one near-term change to watch is Colorado’s September 2027 sunset. If the legislature does not renew the statute, Colorado drops off the list. Until then, check the current law for every state on your route before you cross a border; the rules change at the state line, and so does your exposure to a citation.