No. Lane splitting remains illegal in Alabama as of 2026, with no legislative or regulatory changes permitting the practice. The Alabama Department of Public Safety enforces this prohibition under state traffic statutes, citing safety risks and lack of formalized guidelines. Local law enforcement agencies, including the Birmingham Police Department, actively cite motorcyclists for lane filtering or splitting violations.
Key Regulations for Lane Splitting in Alabama
- Statutory Prohibition: Alabama Code § 32-5A-88 explicitly prohibits motorcycles from overtaking or passing vehicles within the same lane, effectively banning lane splitting.
- Local Enforcement Priorities: Municipalities like Huntsville and Mobile direct patrol officers to prioritize lane-splitting citations, particularly in high-traffic corridors such as I-65 and I-10.
- No Exceptions for Traffic Congestion: Unlike California’s permissive lane-splitting laws, Alabama does not recognize exceptions for slow-moving or stopped traffic, rendering the practice uniformly illegal statewide.
The Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program, overseen by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, reinforces this stance through public awareness campaigns, emphasizing the absence of legal frameworks to shield riders from liability. Recent lobbying efforts by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation of Alabama failed to advance legislation in the 2025 session, leaving the ban intact. Riders violating this statute face fines up to $200 and potential license points, per municipal court precedents.