Is Motorcycle Lane Splitting Legal in Georgia? What Riders Need to Know?

What Is Lane Splitting?

Picture this: you’re stuck in a snarling Atlanta traffic jam on a sweltering afternoon. A motorcycle glides between the rows of cars, slipping past bumpers to escape the gridlock. It’s a maneuver called lane splitting – but is it legal in Georgia? The answer is no, and this post will explain why.

Lane splitting is the practice of a motorcycle riding between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, typically to overtake slow or stopped vehicles. In other words, the motorcyclist uses the gap between lanes – essentially sharing lanes alongside cars – to move ahead in heavy traffic. A related term, lane filtering, usually refers to a similar maneuver at very low speeds or when cars are stopped (like weaving to the front of a line at a red light). Both involve the motorcycle crossing lane lines to squeeze between cars. This is different from lane sharing, which is when two motorcycles ride side-by-side in a single lane (a practice generally allowed in Georgia up to two bikes abreast).

Lane splitting can be tempting for riders because motorcycles are narrow and agile. Advocates argue it can even improve safety and traffic flow – for example, by reducing the chance of being rear-ended in stop-and-go traffic. Critics, however, contend that it’s dangerous, as drivers may not expect a bike to pass between lanes and could be startled or sideswiped. Georgia’s law comes down firmly on the side of the critics, as we’ll see next.

Georgia Law: Lane Splitting Is Illegal

Georgia is one of many states that explicitly prohibit lane splitting and lane filtering. Under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-312), “No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.” In plain English, a rider cannot legally ride a motorcycle alongside cars within the same lane or in the gap between lanes. If a motorcyclist wants to pass another vehicle, they must do so by fully changing lanes like any other car would.

This means the scenario we imagined – a bike darting between cars on I-75 – is against the law in Georgia. The only exception is for on-duty police officers, who are permitted to lane split when necessary in the performance of their official duties. Other than that narrow exception, lane splitting (and lane filtering) are traffic violations in Georgia.

Penalties: If a rider is caught lane splitting, they can face a ticket, fines, and even points on their license. In fact, lane splitting is a moving violation that can result in a fine (potentially on the order of a few hundred dollars) and put points on your driving record. Georgia uses a point system where accumulating too many points can lead to license suspension, so those “between the cars” shortcuts can carry real consequences.

No Recent Changes (and Past Attempts): As of 2025, there have been no recent changes to Georgia’s stance on lane splitting – it remains illegal. In 2015, there was an attempt to change this: Georgia House Bill 231 was introduced to legalize and regulate lane splitting under certain conditions (for example, allowing motorcycles to split lanes when traffic was slow or stopped, at speeds under 30 mph). However, that bill did not pass, and thus lane splitting continued to be banned. Since then, there haven’t been any successful legislative moves to allow lane splitting. In fact, as of 2024, there were no active bills in Georgia to permit lane splitting. Georgia’s position is in line with most U.S. states – only California explicitly allows full lane splitting statewide, and a few others have adopted limited versions of lane filtering in recent years, but Georgia has not joined that trend.

Negligence Per Se: When Breaking the Law Equals Negligence

A common cause of motorcycle accidents is cars changing lanes without checking their mirrors or blind spots. This can be especially dangerous for motorcyclists, who are more vulnerable than car drivers. If a motorcycle rider is lane splitting and gets hit by a car that didn’t see them, the situation becomes more complicated. The rider may be injured, but they were also breaking the law at the time of the accident. If the motorcyclist was lane splitting and got hit, the car driver may argue that the rider was at least partly to blame for the accident because they were breaking the law. This could lead to a situation where the motorcyclist has a difficult time proving that the car driver was at fault, and could get stuck with hefy medical bills and other costs.

In Georgia “Negligence Per Se” (pronounced “per say”) is a doctrine that essentially says: If you broke a safety law and hurt someone because of it, the law considers you negligent. In other words, the act of violating a law meant to protect people is automatically considered an unreasonable act. As one Georgia legal explainer puts it, negligence per se is the idea that “reasonable people don’t break safety rules, and therefore, if someone hurts you as a result of breaking a safety rule, that person is automatically liable.” In such cases, there’s no need to debate whether the person was acting as a “reasonable driver” or not – the law-breaking itself proves the point.

For example, speed limits and stop signals are safety rules. If a driver runs a red light (breaking the law) and crashes into you, negligence per se can apply: the driver’s legal violation is evidence of negligence by itself. Of course, it must also be shown that the violation is related to the cause of the accident and the type of harm the law was meant to prevent. But generally, when a traffic law is violated and causes a crash, Georgia courts can treat it as negligence per se.

Lane Splitting and Accident Liability in Georgia

Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule for injury claims, which affects how negligence per se plays out in terms of recovering damages. Under Georgia law, an injured person can still recover damages in a lawsuit even if they were partly at fault – as long as they were less than 50% at fault for the accident. However, their compensation would be reduced by their percentage of fault. If a motorcyclist was lane splitting and gets hit, the question will be how much of the blame falls on them due to that illegal act. Negligence per se doesn’t automatically make the motorcyclist 100% at fault, but it creates a strong presumption of fault. For example, a court might find that the lane-splitting rider was, say, 70% responsible for the collision and the car driver 30% responsible (perhaps because the car made an unsafe lane change without checking mirrors). In that scenario, under Georgia law, the rider would be barred from recovering damages from the driver, because the rider’s fault exceeds the 50% threshold. Even in a case where the motorcyclist’s share of fault is below 50%, any compensation they receive could be significantly reduced due to that negligence per se finding.

Key Takeaway: In Georgia, lane splitting not only risks a ticket, but it also seriously jeopardizes a motorcyclist’s legal position in any accident. It may be difficult to pursue a motorcyle accident injury case, even if the car driver was also at fault.

Conclusion: Play It Safe and Legal

For now, the law in Georgia is clear: lane splitting is illegal for civilian riders. No recent legislative changes have altered that, and no matter how appealing it might seem to cut through traffic, doing so could cost a motorcyclist both in fines and in reduced legal protection if a crash occurs. The concept of negligence per se means that courts won’t be sympathetic if an accident happens while you’re breaking the lane-splitting ban – the law will likely treat you as the negligent party from the start.

Morevoer, Georgia drivers are not accustomed to seeing motorcycles splitting lanes. This means that even if you’re a skilled rider, the risk of being involved in an accident increases significantly when you lane split. Drivers may not expect a motorcycle to be in between lanes, and they may not check their mirrors or blind spots before changing lanes. This can lead to serious accidents, injuries, and even fatalities.

If you’re a rider in Georgia, it’s best to stay within your lane and resist the urge to weave past cars, except in those states or situations where it’s explicitly allowed. Not only will this keep you on the right side of the law, but it also avoids putting yourself in a position where you could be automatically blamed for a wreck. And if you ever do find yourself involved in a motorcycle accident (lane splitting or not), it’s wise to consult with a legal professional to understand your rights and responsibilities. Ride safe, ride smart, and know the law – it’s as important as a helmet when it comes to protecting yourself on the road.