Minnesota’s lane splitting law

Last session the state legislature passed a law covering lane splitting and filtering, and that law takes effect a few months from now on July 1, 2025. There’s lots of speculation about it, and a lot of misinformation. This post is intended to answer some questions and (hopefully!) clear up the misinformation that I’ve heard spreading in the motorcycling community.

Usual disclaimer: None of this is legal advice, which I’m not qualified to give anyway. Want legal advice? Talk to an actual lawyer.

What’s Minnesota’s law on lane splitting for filtering?

Minnesota statute 169.974, Subd. 5 is the law we’re talking about here. The section on lane splitting is covered in section g.

What are “lane splitting” and “filtering?”

Lane splitting and filtering both involve a motorcyclist passing traffic, and both involve a motorcycle passing between two lanes of traffic that are pointed the same direction the bike’s going.

• lane splitting - cars are moving, and the motorcyclist is movint between two lines of cars moving in the same direction
• lane filtering (or just filtering) - cars are NOT moving, and the motorcyclist is passing between two lanes of traffic facing the same direction

An important point: the motorcycle is moving in the same direction as the cars to its immediate left and immediate right. If the lane of cars to your right is moving in the opposite direction of the lane of cars to your left, you are not lane splitting or filtering. What you’re doing is covered by different rules.

Traveling on the shoulder past a line of cars is also not lane splitting or filtering. That’s passing on the shoulder, which is generally illegal in Minnesota (“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.”).

So how does Minnesota lane splitting and filtering work?

In Minnesota you can lane split provided:

• You are going no more than 15mph faster than the cars you’re passing; and
• you are not going faster than 25mph overall.

That means you can filter (basically “lane split” between two lanes of stopped cars) no faster than 15mph (because 0 + 15 = 15, right?). All those cool videos of people in California, blasting past lines and lines of cars at 80mph? Yeah, that’s not a thing under Minnesota law.

UPDATE: Looks like there’s new information on lane splitting on the motorcycle safety web site!

What’s the point of lane splitting or filtering if you can’t ride fast?

I don’t know about your bike, but my bike lacks air conditioning and can get pretty warm sitting still or moving slowly in summer traffic. I also know people who ride air cooled V-twins, and those get a bit toasty, too. (Try doing no-go to slow on an Indian Springfield in 90+°F temperatures and tell me you don’t want to keep moving!) Lane splitting allows bikes to move where they can, even if other vehicles are stuck.

Filtering provides some potential additional safety, too. A bike at the end of a line of cars is more exposed to being rear-ended than one that’s moved up between cars. Bikes can be (are!) harder to see and the consequences of being rear-ended by that guy who was busy watching “The Rookie” on his phone are typically less severe for someone in a car than someone on a bike. It’s gonna suck for whoever gets hit, but that sort of thing can really ruin a motorcyclist’s day.

One other advantage: Bikes tends to accelerate from a stop more quickly than most cars in typical riding/driving situations. By putting the bikes up at the front (say, by letting them filter to the front at a red light), riders are able to move out quickly and impede traffic less by simply getting out of the way.

Both allow bikes to move more freely through traffic where it’s safe and practical to do so, which also potentially means it helps keep traffic moving for everyone.

Where can’t you lane split?

To me it looks like the law only works if there’s at least two lanes of traffic going in the same direction. Those of you living in areas where there’s only one lane going in each direction won’t have any lanes to split. It also looks like filtering might not work on those roads. (Again: not a lawyer.)

This law’s changing again, right?

There is an effort in the legislature right now (HF 663 and SF 910) to repeal the lane splitting law. To me this looks like something that’s in progress, not a done deal, so the law’s still on the books and takes effect on July 1, 2025.

If you have an opinion about whether this law should or shouldn’t be repealed, this is probably a really good time to contact your state legislators.

Other rumors about the law totally need a [citation needed] indicator. As near as I can tell, claims like “It’s gonna be replaced by a law just like California’s law!” or “They’re changing the speed from 25mph to 40mph!” have ZERO basis in fact.

So I should lane split or filter all the time, right?

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. YOU are responsible for your own safety.

It’s true the law says “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 [the lane splitting statute]….” It’s also true when it comes to “motorcycle vs. car” in a collision, it’s usually the car that wins.

Everybody using the roads is supposed to follow the law. It also true that some people simply don’t. Maybe they’re jerks, maybe they’re clueless, or maybe they’re just having a crappy day, but it’s likely that you will at some point encounter someone who wants to play games and impede your legal progress between lanes. Unless you’ve graduated from cop school, it’s likely not your job to try to enforce traffic laws and, given the size difference between most bikes and cars, attempts to “educate drivers on the fly” are probably not going to end well. (That said, if you have an opportunity to talk calmly with someone who seems to genuinely not understand this lane splitting stuff, that could be helpful.)

My suggestion is to make use of the law where it makes sense, do so safely, and try to keep your cool if someone else loses theirs.

Other questions that have come up

Q: Can I lane split in a roundabout?

A: If there’s a pair of lanes traveling in the same direction and traffic is moving slow enough, you probably can legally do so. That said, the people you’re sharing the road with might not expect it, and surprised motorists tend to be unpleasant motorists.

Q: Can I lane split between a dedicated right/left turn lane and a lane going straight?

A: I’m not sure. The law says you can pass between “lanes of moving or stationary vehicles headed in the same direction of travel…” (section g). Vehicles waiting in a turn lane are, while waiting to make their turn, heading in the same direction of travel, so this could be legal. It might not be advisable, though, but maybe you can ask if you happen to incur a roadside counseling session with law enforcement.

Note the pictures on the motorcycle safety website suggest you can’t.

Q: Can I split a pair of motorcycles that are riding side by side ([MN statute 169.974, Subd. 5e][https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.974#stat.169.974.5]) in the same lane?

A: Nope. First, the law says you can split lanes, not split a lane. Second, don’t put your fellow riders in jeopardy by being a jackass.

Q: Am I putting myself in more danger by lane splitting?

A: Possibly. Drivers in Minnesota are probably largely unaware of this new law, and all lane splitting that’s done in the state before July 1, 2025, is illegal. That means people will probably look at motorcyclists who lane split as law breakers undeserving of any consideration or cooperation on the road. Some will probably go out of their way to be inconsiderate or uncooperative… which we know can end poorly where cars and motorcycles mix.

Your best approach is to be predictable, easily observable, and deliberate in how you ride; to try to be helpful when faced with other road users who are clueless, distracted, or simply jerks; and to try to give the benefit of doubt when faced with a situation where you’re not completely sure whether someone was trying to do you wrong.

Are you going to lane split?

Eh, maybe. My bike’s got pretty wide hips, and I’d be nervous about possibly busting someone’s mirrors off. You know, like the Minneapolis mounted patrol officers used to do when they had that Clydesdale.