Kentucky No Chase Law
Agency discretion
Does Kentucky have a no-chase law? No — Kentucky has no statewide law restricting police pursuits. Each department sets its own chase policy.
What governs pursuits in Kentucky
KRS 61.298 ("Jill's Law" — requires agencies to adopt a written pursuit policy)
Kentucky's KRS 61.298 ("Jill's Law", effective 2020) requires every law enforcement agency to adopt, review annually, and train officers on a written vehicle pursuit policy — but it does not itself dictate when pursuits may occur; that's set agency-by-agency. Louisville Metro PD's SOP 12-1 is an example of a locally-written pursuit policy. No statewide substantive restriction (e.g., limiting pursuits to violent felonies) exists in Kentucky law.
Will police chase a motorcycle in Kentucky?
No statewide rule on motorcycles; individual department policies (like LMPD's SOP 12-1) set risk-based criteria that officers apply case-by-case to any vehicle type, including motorcycles.
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 Kentucky regardless. See the state-by-state motorcycle guide for how this works everywhere.
Recent changes
No major 2023-2026 statutory change found beyond ongoing agency-level policy bills discussed in committee; KRS 61.298 dates to 2020.
Sources
- apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=50370
- lmpd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4576/SOP-12-1-Pursuits
- kaco.org/articles/police-pursuit-policy-bill-gets-committee-approval-heads-to-ho
Verified as of August 2026. Department policies can change without notice — check the agency's published policy for current break-off criteria.