Motorcycles and Lanes
HRS 291C-153 — a motorcycle gets the full lane, and riding between lanes is not allowed
Every motorcycle is entitled to full use of a lane, and no motor vehicle is driven so as to deprive a motorcycle of it, except where motorcycles ride two abreast in one lane.
Who handles this in Hawaii: Hawaii State Bar Association, Lawyer Referral and Information Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
- No one operates a motorcycle between lanes of traffic, or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.
- A motorcyclist does not overtake and pass in the same lane as the vehicle being passed.
- Motorcycles ride no more than two abreast in a single lane.
- Police officers on duty are exempt from the passing and between-lanes rules.
On any road marked into lanes, every vehicle stays as nearly as practicable within a single lane, and moves out of it only after the driver has made sure the move is safe.
Sources for this section (2)
- HRS 291C-153 — Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic
- HRS 291C-49 — Driving on roadways laned for traffic
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.