What Minnesota’s Move Over Law Means for Drivers and Why It Exists
Published: December 4, 2025
MINNESOTA – When you see flashing or hazard lights on the shoulder in Minnesota, the law is clear: move over or slow down.
Minnesota’s Move Over Law, formally known as the Ted Foss Move Over Law, was enacted in 2001 after State Patrol Corporal Theodore “Ted” Foss was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer while conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 90 near Lewiston, Minnesota, in August 2000. Foss was standing on the shoulder when a passing vehicle slammed into his squad car, the stopped van, and Foss himself, leaving behind his wife and two young children.
In the wake of that tragedy, lawmakers enacted a statewide requirement to prevent similar crashes and protect anyone who has to work or stop on the side of the road.
What the Law Requires
The Move Over provisions are found in Minnesota Statutes § 169.18, subdivisions 11 and 11a. At their core, they require drivers to change lanes and/or slow down any time they approach a vehicle stopped on or next to the roadway with its emergency, flashing, or hazard lights activated.
On roads with two or more lanes in the same direction:
Drivers must move to the lane farthest away from the stopped vehicle, if it’s possible and safe to do so.
On roads with more than two lanes, that means leaving one full empty lane between your vehicle and the stopped vehicle.
Suppose traffic or conditions make a lane change unsafe, for example, in heavy congestion or on a narrow bridge. In that case, drivers are still required to slow to a reasonable and prudent speed and pass with extra caution until they are completely clear of the situation.
The original law focused on “authorized vehicles,” including:
Police, fire, and ambulance units
Tow trucks and freeway service patrol
Road maintenance and construction vehicles
Utility, garbage, and recycling trucks
Over time, lawmakers have expanded that definition to make sure the law covers a wide range of people who work alongside traffic.
2023 Expansion: Stalled and Disabled Vehicles
A significant update took effect on July 1, 2023. The Legislature added new language requiring drivers to slow down or move over for any stalled or disabled vehicle that:
has hazard lights flashing, or
has one or more people visibly outside the vehicle on or next to the road
That means the Move Over concept no longer protects just squad cars and snowplows; it now applies to families with a flat tire, delivery drivers, or anyone forced onto the shoulder. State safety officials say the change reflects what troopers and tow operators have been seeing for years: every person on the shoulder is vulnerable when other drivers speed by just a few feet away.
Fines and Consequences
Violating the Move Over Law is a petty misdemeanor in Minnesota, carrying no jail time but a fine of up to $300, plus surcharges.
If a driver’s failure to move over or slow down contributes to a crash, especially one involving injuries or death, more serious charges under other traffic and criminal statutes may follow.
Ongoing Enforcement in Ted Foss’s Memory
Each year on August 31, the anniversary of Ted Foss’s death, law enforcement agencies across Minnesota conduct a Ted Foss Move Over Enforcement and Education Day, a one-day campaign focused specifically on Move Over violations. On the 25th anniversary of the death of Minnesota State Trooper Ted Foss, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety reported that officers wrote 178 Move Over citations in that single day, nearly double the total from the previous year.
Troopers and safety advocates say those numbers are a reminder that the law only works if drivers take it seriously.
What Drivers Should Remember
For Minnesota motorists and those traveling through the State of Minnesota, the takeaway is simple:
See flashing or hazard lights ahead?
Check your mirrors and signal early.
Move over one full lane away from the shoulder if it’s safe.
If you can’t move over, slow down significantly and pass with caution.
Whether it’s a squad car writing a ticket, a plow operator clearing snow, a tow truck hooking up a disabled vehicle, or a family changing a tire, Minnesota’s Move Over Law is designed to create space and buy a few crucial feet of safety between fast-moving traffic and the people who have no choice but to be on the shoulder.
As State Patrol officials often remind drivers, honoring the Ted Foss Move Over Law is about more than avoiding a ticket; it’s about making sure everyone on the roadside gets to go home.
