us motorcycle helmet laws by state

Motorcycle helmet laws by state

The US States Motorcycle Helmet Laws Vary, but the majority of states require riders and passengers to wear a helmet. We recommend motorcycle riders to wear a helmet, regardless of your state’s helmet laws are mandatory or not.

As there is no federal/nationwide universal motorcycle helmet laws by states in the US, each of the 50 US states establish their own laws and regulations regarding when a motorcycle operator and passenger have to wear approved motorcycle helmets. And different states with different cultures and values, end up establishing in some cases very different motorcycle helmet laws that can make it a real challenge motorcycle riders traveling to another state to avoid violating motorcycle helmet laws.

Motorcycle Helmet Laws By State site will guide you to through the various US helmet laws to assist with planning a motorcycle trip across state lines and staying within the law. For an illustration of the various motorcycle helmet laws state by state, visit our map of state motorcycle helmet laws by state. 

US Motorcycle Helmet Laws Info Graphic
Our map illustrations provide a visual description of the various state’s motorcycle helmet usage laws.  Click on the image to visit the map.

Warning: every state’s motorcycle helmet laws have their own legal descriptions that may include nuances that are not fully reflected in the information on this site so riders wishing to ensure the most accurate and up to date motorcycle helmet law particulars, must consult directly with the applicable states information resources.  

 

96% of US states have motorcycle helmet laws
96% of US states have motorcycle helmet laws

Which States have motorcycle helmet laws?

The strictest US motorcycle helmet laws are found in states that have adopted what is referred to as the universal motorcycle helmet law while other state helmet laws allow for exemptions based on one or more factors.  Visit our summary of each of the state’s motorcycle laws .

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3 us states with no motorcycle helmet laws

Which states have no motorcycle helmet laws?

When it comes to states that have the least amount of laws and regulations regarding motorcycle helmet usage, there are three states that stand out as the only three of 50 that do not have any laws regarding using a helmet while operating a motorcycle.

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exemptions to us state motorcycle laws infographic

which states are considering changing their
helmet laws?

Like all laws, motorcycle helmet laws change and adjust over time to reflect each state’s political processes.  As such there seems to always be a state or two in the US that is considering a change to their motorcycle helmet laws. 

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Additional Motorcycle Helmet LAWS related info

Just like every motorcycle rider is different, so are those riders’ head shapes.  And, as such, I’m sure you can imagine, if a helmet fits tighter on some areas of your head and looser on others (resulting in unbalanced pressure points), that could negatively impact the safety benefits of the helmet is involved in a high energy impact event.  For this reason, the federal government has come up with a guide to help motorcycle riders choose the right motorcycle helmet .

motorcycle helmet proper fit for different rider head shapes

Every responsible motorcycle rider knows, with riding motorcycles come added personal safety risks – they know that .. they accept that.  Yet, those same riders often times don’t know or have simply forgotten those precious few motorcycle safety tips that could save their lives.  So, for those riders we invite you to just take a FEW MINUTES to look over this list of the Top 10 Motorcycle Safety Facts Every Motorcycle Rider Should Know … it could SAVE YOUR LIFE!!!

motorcycle helmet safety information

Updates and corrections welcomE

The current state of motorcycle helmet laws across the 50 US states is something that changes over time and has nuances that often are not described well by available governing resources.  Therefore, if at any time you see something on this site that you feel is inaccurate we will welcome that information and take appropriate action if you will simply give us the information and the source(s) of motorcycle helmet law information you have.  We do ask that you provide us with an authoritative source of information such as a government website or government office we can contact as non-government sources can provide information that simply is not verifiable.  Either way, we hope you help keep this free and voluntary site of US motorcycle helmet law state information as valuable as possible. 

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