Alabama No Chase Law
Agency discretion
Does Alabama have a no-chase law? No — Alabama has no statewide law restricting police pursuits. Each department sets its own chase policy.
What governs pursuits in Alabama
Alabama has no statewide statute restricting when police may pursue; each agency (e.g., Alabama State Troopers, local PDs) sets its own pursuit policy. Alabama has one of the nation's highest per-capita rates of pursuit-related deaths. As of early 2026 the Tristan Hollis Memorial Act (SB120), which would limit pursuits to suspects believed to have committed violent felonies (murder, kidnapping, rape, robbery, etc.), had a public hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee but had not passed as of Feb 2026.
Will police chase a motorcycle in Alabama?
No Alabama law or known department policy singles out motorcycles for a no-chase rule; pursuit of a motorcycle is left to the pursuing officer's and agency's discretion under general pursuit policy, factoring in speed/safety risk like any other vehicle.
No US state has a literal law forbidding officers from chasing motorcycles. What riders call a "no-chase law" is nearly always a department policy that tells officers to break off a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the arrest — and fleeing remains a crime in Alabama regardless. See the state-by-state motorcycle guide for how this works everywhere.
Recent changes
2026: SB120 (Tristan Hollis Memorial Act) introduced to create a statewide violent-felony-only pursuit standard; as of Feb 2026 still in committee, not enacted.
Sources
- alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB120-int.
- waff.com/2026/01/18/alabama-lawmakers-propose-tristan-hollis-act-address-police-
- alreporter.com/2026/02/12/senate-committee-hears-public-input-on-bill-to-regulat
Verified as of August 2026. Department policies can change without notice — check the agency's published policy for current break-off criteria.