Motorcycle Helmet Laws by State

Alabama helmet law

Required for all riders

No person may operate or ride upon a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle in Alabama without wearing approved protective headgear, and none may do so without wearing shoes. The rule applies to every rider and every passenger regardless of age. Alabama encourages, but does not require, a face shield or other eye protection.

Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed., October 2024) — Motorcycle Operation in Alabama · verified 2026-07-28

Alaska helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator is 18 or older
• the operator holds the M1, M2 or M3 license or endorsement rather than only an instruction permit — A rider operating on an instruction permit, or taking the DMV road test, must wear a helmet regardless of age.

Alaska requires a helmet of anyone operating a motorcycle who is under 18, anyone riding on an instruction permit, anyone taking a motorcycle road test, and every passenger regardless of age. Only an operator who is 18 or older and already holds the M1, M2 or M3 license or endorsement may ride without one.

Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle License (helmet requirement) · verified 2026-07-28

Arizona helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

A.R.S. § 28-964 requires a protective helmet on the head of any operator or passenger of a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or motor-driven cycle who is under 18. A law-enforcement officer may cite a violation of the helmet rule only against a rider aged 16 or 17 who holds a driver license or permit; an operator who is 18 or older can also be cited if a passenger under 18 rides without a helmet, or if the operator and an unhelmeted rider under 18 are travelling together as part of the same group. The $100 civil penalty applies to a first violation by a rider aged 16 or 17. The helmet and eye-protection rules do not apply to an enclosed three-wheeled vehicle, to a farm or agricultural vehicle used for agricultural work, or on private property.

A.R.S. § 28-964 · verified 2026-07-28

Arkansas helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 21 or older

All passengers and operators of a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle must wear protective headgear unless the rider is 21 or older. A violation of this section is a misdemeanour carrying a fine of between $10 and $50, up to 30 days in jail, or both. The requirement does not apply on a farm, on private property, or when riding specifically to move the vehicle to a farm.

Ark. Code § 27-20-104(b) · verified 2026-07-28

California helmet law

Required for all riders

Every driver and every passenger on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorised bicycle must wear a safety helmet meeting the standards set under Vehicle Code § 27802. The helmet must be fastened by its straps and fit securely without excessive lateral or vertical movement. The requirement does not reach a fully enclosed three-wheeled vehicle at least seven feet long and four feet wide weighing 900 pounds or more unladen.

Cal. Veh. Code § 27803 · verified 2026-07-28

Colorado helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 years of age or older

Section 42-4-1502(4.5) requires each person under 18 riding as an operator or passenger on a motorcycle, autocycle or low-power scooter to wear a protective helmet meeting federal motorcycle-helmet standards (49 CFR 571.218), secured with a chin strap. A rider or passenger 18 or older may ride without one. A three-wheeled autocycle with a maximum design speed of 25 mph, a windshield and seat belts is exempt regardless of the occupants' ages. Violation is a class A traffic infraction.

C.R.S. § 42-4-1502(4.5) · verified 2026-07-28

Connecticut helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 years of age or older

No person under 18 may operate or ride as a passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle unless wearing protective headgear meeting the minimum specifications of 49 CFR 571.218. A rider or passenger 18 or older may ride without one. Violation is an infraction carrying a fine of not less than $90. Separately, and without any age limit, every motorcycle learner's permit holder must wear protective headgear while riding on the permit, regardless of age, as one of the permit's own restrictions.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-289g · verified 2026-07-28

Delaware helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 19 years of age or older
• the rider is not, and is not riding with, a person who obtained a motorcycle endorsement less than two years ago — A 'newly-endorsed person' is anyone who obtained a motorcycle endorsement on or after 30 July 2023. For the first two years after obtaining the endorsement, that person must wear a helmet and eye protection regardless of age, and so must any passenger they carry, even if the passenger is 19 or older.

Delaware's helmet rule has a layer most states do not: every operator and passenger, of any age, must have an approved safety helmet in their possession while riding, even when the law does not require them to wear it. Wearing it is mandatory for anyone up to 19, and for any newly endorsed rider (endorsed on or after 30 July 2023) and their passenger during that rider's first two years, regardless of age. A rider who is 19 or older and beyond their own first two years of endorsement may carry the helmet without wearing it. Violation is a civil or administrative assessment of not less than $25 nor more than $50; no other court cost may be added and it is not a criminal offence.

21 Del. C. § 4185(b) · verified 2026-07-28

District of Columbia helmet law

Required for all riders

The DC Municipal Regulations require every motorcycle operator and passenger to wear a protective helmet and eye protection (goggles, safety glasses, or an approved windshield in place of goggles), with no age exemption — DC is one of a small group of jurisdictions with a fully universal helmet law. The Metropolitan Police Department's own published fine schedule sets the civil fine for failing to wear the required helmet, goggles, safety glasses or windshield on a motorcycle at $75, under ticket code T218; a lower $25 fine (T216) applies to the same failure on a motor-driven cycle, a distinct, lower-powered class of vehicle under DC law.

18 DCMR § 2215 · verified 2026-07-28

Florida helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is over 21 years of age
• the rider is covered by an insurance policy providing at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries incurred in a crash while operating or riding a motorcycle

Both the age and the insurance criteria must be met together for the exemption to apply, and each binds an operator and a passenger identically — Florida's statute reads 'operate or ride upon' for both the base headgear duty and the exemption, unlike states that spare a passenger the insurance requirement. A person under 16 riding a moped needs a helmet regardless; riders of a very low-power cycle (50cc or less, 2 brake horsepower or less, incapable of 30 mph) and anyone in an enclosed cab are outside the section altogether. A violation is a noncriminal, nonmoving traffic infraction under Chapter 318, so no fine amount or point value is set within § 316.211 itself.

Fla. Stat. § 316.211 · verified 2026-07-28

Georgia helmet law

Required for all riders

Georgia requires a DOT-compliant helmet of every operator and every passenger, with no age, experience or insurance exemption of any kind — a rider 18, 68 or any age in between must wear one. The Department of Driver Services' own rider manual states plainly that 'Georgia requires a DOT compliant helmet' and that 'your passenger should wear the same protective gear as you'. The standard for approved headgear is set by Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-13-.02 by reference to 49 C.F.R. § 571.218, the federal Motorcycle Helmets standard (FMVSS 218).

O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315 · verified 2026-07-28

Hawaii helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

Hawai'i's Motorcycle Operator Manual states plainly: 'Any operator or passengers under 18 years of age must wear an approved safety helmet securely fastened with a chin strap.' A rider 18 or older, operator or passenger, may ride without one. This is distinct from Hawai'i's moped rule under Act 222 (effective 25 June 2025), which makes a helmet mandatory for every moped rider regardless of age — the motorcycle rule recorded here is age-gated, the moped rule is not.

HRS § 286-81(2)(e) · verified 2026-07-28

Idaho helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

No one under 18 may operate or ride on a motorcycle or motorbike without a protective safety helmet meeting standards set by the director. The requirement does not apply on private property, to vehicles used as an implement of husbandry, or to a completely enclosed autocycle. A citation carries a $50 fine, and a conviction adds no violation points and does not count as a moving traffic violation for insurance rating.

Idaho Code § 49-666 · verified 2026-07-28

Illinois helmet law

No helmet requirement

Section 11-1404 is the Illinois Vehicle Code provision setting the special equipment persons riding motorcycles must wear, and it requires eye protection only. No helmet requirement appears in it or elsewhere in the Code, so Illinois riders and passengers of any age may ride without a helmet.

625 ILCS 5/11-1404 · verified 2026-07-28

Indiana helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

IC 9-19-7-1(b) requires an individual less than 18 years of age who is operating or riding on a motorcycle or motor driven cycle to wear a DOT-standard helmet and protective glasses, goggles or a transparent face shield. The section does not apply to a person in an autocycle. Violating this chapter is a Class C infraction under IC 9-19-7-3. Separately from this age-based rule, the BMV's own restrictions on a Motorcycle Learner's Permit require the permit holder to wear a helmet regardless of age — so a permit holder 18 or older is still bound by a helmet duty, just not the one recorded in conditions[] here, which describes the general statutory rule for a licensed rider.

Ind. Code § 9-19-7-1 · verified 2026-07-28

Iowa helmet law

No helmet requirement

Section 321.275 is the Iowa Code provision governing how a motorcycle or motorized bicycle must be operated on the highways — passenger seating, footrests, headlights, lane position and packages. It sets no helmet requirement for an operator or passenger of any age, and no other section of Chapter 321 does either. The Department of Transportation states the same conclusion directly: Iowa law does not require helmets for motorcycles or autocycles.

Iowa Code 321.275 · verified 2026-07-28

Kansas helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

No one under 18 may operate or ride a motorcycle or motorized bicycle without a helmet meeting the minimum guidelines the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966; a rider 18 or older may ride without one. The section does not apply to a person riding within an enclosed cab, an autocycle, a golf cart, or a three-wheeled industrial or cargo vehicle commonly known as a truckster.

K.S.A. 8-1598 · verified 2026-07-28

Kentucky helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 21 or older

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator is not riding on a motorcycle instruction permit — A motorcycle instruction permit holder must wear a helmet while operating regardless of age, and Kentucky law separately bars a permit holder from carrying a passenger at all, so this criterion has no separate passenger case to bind.
• the operator has held a valid motorcycle operator's license, or a combination motor vehicle-motorcycle operator's license, for at least one year

Protective headgear is required of a rider or passenger under 21, of an instruction-permit holder operating a motorcycle regardless of age, and of an operator who has held a valid motorcycle license (or combination motor vehicle-motorcycle license) for less than one year. A rider who is 21 or older, is not on an instruction permit, and has held the license at least a year may ride without a helmet. The secretary of the Transportation Cabinet fixes and publishes the approved-headgear and approved-eye-protection standards. The section excludes vehicles with an enclosed cab, tractors, and mopeds as separately defined.

KRS 189.285 · verified 2026-07-28

Louisiana helmet law

Required for all riders

No one may operate or ride upon a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle without a securely fastened safety helmet, of any age, and with no exemption for insurance coverage or riding experience. Local police authorities may permit an exemption for parade or exhibition participants while actually taking part. The requirement does not reach a person in an autocycle equipped with supports meeting or exceeding safety-helmet standards, or a rollbar or roll cage. A violation carries a $50 fine that includes all court costs, with no other cost or fee added.

R.S. 32:190 · verified 2026-07-28

Maine helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator is 18 or older
• the operator is not riding on a learner's permit and it has been more than one year since the operator successfully passed a driving test — A learner's-permit holder must wear headgear regardless of age, and so must an operator within one year of passing the road test, even if that operator is 18 or older.

For a passenger only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind the operator:

• the passenger is 18 or older
• the operator carrying the passenger is not themselves required to wear headgear under this section — 29-A M.R.S. §2083(1)(D) binds a passenger to whatever the operator's own status requires: if the operator must wear headgear (because under 18, on a permit, or within a year of testing), every passenger must wear it too, whatever the passenger's own age. The experience criterion that binds an operator does not separately bind a passenger; only the operator's resulting duty does.

Section 2083 does not read as a single exemption list; it names four classes of person who must wear headgear (an under-18 passenger, an under-18 operator, an operator on a learner's permit or within a year of passing a road test, and any passenger of an operator who must wear headgear) and everyone else is free to ride without it. The section does not apply to an autocycle. Standards are set by reference to ANSI Z90.1 or FMVSS 218.

29-A M.R.S. §2083 · verified 2026-07-28

Maryland helmet law

Required for all riders

Section 21-1306(b) requires every individual who operates or rides on a motorcycle to wear protective headgear meeting standards the MVA Administrator establishes; the section carries no age or experience exemption and does not apply to a person riding in an enclosed cab. Subsection (e) provides that a failure to wear the required headgear may not be treated as evidence of negligence or contributory negligence, may not limit any party's liability, and may not diminish recovery for damages arising from the ownership, maintenance or operation of a motorcycle.

Md. Code, Transportation §21-1306 · verified 2026-07-28

Massachusetts helmet law

Required for all riders

Every person operating a motorcycle or riding as a passenger, including in an attached sidecar, must wear protective head gear meeting standards the Registrar prescribes, and an operator may not permit a passenger to ride without it. The one exemption is narrow: no head gear is required if the motorcyclist is taking part in a properly permitted public parade and is 18 years of age or older. Outside that specific context the requirement is universal and carries no general age exemption.

M.G.L. c.90 §7 · verified 2026-07-28

Michigan helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 21 or older
• security for first-party medical benefits of at least $20,000 is in effect — An operator riding alone needs at least $20,000. An operator carrying a passenger needs at least $20,000 per person per occurrence, unless the passenger carries $20,000 of their own, in which case the operator needs only $20,000.

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator has held a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years, or has passed an approved motorcycle safety course — This criterion binds the operator only. A passenger 21 or older is not required to have any riding history or training.

Every criterion must be met for the exemption to apply — meeting two of the three leaves the helmet requirement in force. Crash helmets must be approved by the Michigan State Police. The requirement does not reach a rider in an autocycle whose roof meets or exceeds crash-helmet standards. A separate rule requires a crash helmet on anyone under 19 operating a moped on a public thoroughfare.

MCL 257.658 · verified 2026-07-28

Minnesota helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator holds the full motorcycle endorsement rather than only a motorcycle instruction permit — Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 2(d)(3) separately requires anyone riding by virtue of an instruction permit to wear protective headgear, regardless of age; an 18-or-older permit holder is therefore not yet exempt on age alone. Because a permit holder may not carry a passenger at all, this second criterion has no separate application to a passenger.

Subdivision 4(a) requires protective headgear only of a person under 18 who operates or rides a motorcycle, and requires eye protection of every operator regardless of age. Subdivision 4(b) exempts participants, of any age, in a permitted parade, and exempts anyone riding within an enclosed-cab autocycle, from both requirements.

Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 4 · verified 2026-07-28

Mississippi helmet law

Required for all riders

Section 63-7-64 requires a crash helmet meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 of every person operating or riding a motorcycle or motor scooter on a public road, with no age exemption for either an operator or a passenger. Two narrow exemptions apply: a person operating an autocycle as defined in Section 63-3-103, and a person riding in a parade at no more than 30 miles per hour who is 18 or older. A violation is punishable as a traffic offence under Section 63-9-11.

Miss. Code Ann. § 63-7-64 · verified 2026-07-28

Missouri helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 26 or older

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator has been issued a motorcycle licence rather than only an instruction permit — An operator 26 or older who has been issued only an instruction permit must still wear protective headgear at all times the vehicle is in motion. This carve-back does not reach a passenger: once both the passenger and the operator are 26 or older, the passenger's exemption does not depend on the operator's permit-versus-licence status.

Every rider under 26 operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle or motortricycle must wear protective headgear meeting standards the director sets. No political subdivision may impose its own headgear requirement, and no rider may be stopped, inspected or detained solely to check compliance with this subsection. Failure to wear required headgear is an infraction carrying a fine of up to $25, with no court costs and no licence points.

RSMo 302.020.2 · verified 2026-07-28

Montana helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

An operator and a passenger under 18 years of age on a motorcycle, moped, motorised scooter or quadricycle must wear protective headgear meeting standards the Department of Justice establishes. The requirement does not reach an operator or passenger of a fully enclosed autocycle with a windshield, non-removable doors and a roof. A violation carries the penalty set in § 61-9-518.

Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-417 · verified 2026-07-28

Nebraska helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 21 or older
• the operator holds a Nebraska Class M license or endorsement earned with a qualifying safety course — the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's three-hour Basic eCourse, if the Class M credential was issued before 1 May 2024, or the full basic motorcycle safety course under the Motorcycle Safety Education Act, if issued on or after 1 May 2024 — with proof submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles, or holds a motorcycle license issued by another state — This criterion is satisfied by the OPERATOR's course completion or out-of-state license, not the passenger's own. A passenger 21 or older is exempt only if the operator also meets this condition; the passenger need not personally complete a course. Both riders are exempt together once both are 21+ and the operator qualifies, so the criterion functionally binds both riders' outcome even though only the operator performs the qualifying act.

An operator or passenger under 21 must always wear a DOT-compliant protective helmet with chin strap. From 21, an operator is exempt only by holding a Class M license or endorsement earned through the qualifying safety course for its issue date, or by holding an out-of-state motorcycle license; a passenger 21 or older is exempt once the operator meets that same test, without needing a course of their own. A violation is an infraction carrying a $250 fine, enforced only as a secondary action unless the violation involves a person under 18 riding in a position not designed for passengers.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279 · verified 2026-07-28

Nevada helmet law

Required for all riders

The driver and passenger of any motorcycle or moped driven on a highway must wear protective headgear securely fastened on the head, meeting standards the Department is required to adopt. The requirement does not apply during an authorized parade, to an enclosed three-wheeled vehicle other than a trimobile, or, once a pending 2023 amendment takes effect, to an autocycle whose roof meets crash-helmet standards; that amendment awaits a notification from the DMV Director to the Governor that has not yet been made.

NRS 486.231 · verified 2026-07-28

New Hampshire helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

No person under 18 may drive or ride upon a motorcycle or autocycle without protective headgear of a type the Director approves, fitted with a neck or chin strap. A rider or passenger 18 or older may ride without a helmet under this section. An operator who carries a passenger under 18 who is not wearing the required headgear is separately guilty of a violation, regardless of the operator's own age. Paragraph III would void the requirement entirely if federal law no longer conditioned highway funds on it.

RSA 265:122 · verified 2026-07-28

New Jersey helmet law

Required for all riders

No person may operate or ride upon a motorcycle unless wearing a securely fitted protective helmet, of a size proper for that person and of a type approved by the federal Department of Transportation, equipped with either a neck or chin strap and reflectorized on both sides. The rule binds anyone riding upon the motorcycle, so it reaches a passenger exactly as it reaches the operator, with no age or experience exemption.

N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7 · verified 2026-07-28

New Mexico helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

Persons under the age of 18 must wear a safety helmet when operating or riding on a motorcycle. The same rule and age line are repeated in the New Mexico Driver Manual, which adds that all riders and passengers are recommended, though not required, to wear a helmet regardless of age.

New Mexico MVD — Helmet Law · verified 2026-07-28

New York helmet law

Required for all riders

Every motorcycle operator and every passenger must wear an approved motorcycle helmet meeting United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218, with no age, experience or insurance exception. New York was the first state in the country to adopt a universal helmet requirement, in force since 1 January 1967. The Department recommends, but does not require, at least four square inches of reflective material on each side of the helmet.

N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 381, as published by the NYS DMV in the Motorcycle Operator's Manual (MV-21MC) · verified 2026-07-28

North Carolina helmet law

Required for all riders

G.S. 20-140.4(a)(2) prohibits operating a motorcycle or moped on a highway or public vehicular area unless the operator and all passengers wear safety helmets meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218, with a retention strap properly secured. The requirement does not reach an autocycle with fully enclosed seating or a roll bar or roll cage. A violation is an infraction, not negligence per se or contributory negligence per se in a civil action, and carries no driver's license points or insurance surcharge.

G.S. 20-140.4(a)(2) · verified 2026-07-28

North Dakota helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator is 18 or older

For a passenger only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind the operator:

• the passenger is 18 or older
• the motorcycle's operator is also 18 or older, so that the operator is not required to wear a helmet — N.D.C.C. 39-10.2-06(1) makes this a linked condition: a passenger's own age does not by itself decide the outcome. If the operator is under 18 and so is required to wear a helmet, the statute requires 'any passenger must also wear a safety helmet regardless of the age of the passenger' — so an 18-or-older passenger riding behind an under-18 operator must still wear a helmet. A passenger is exempt only when both the passenger and the operator are 18 or older.

N.D.C.C. 39-10.2-06(1) provides that no person under 18 may operate or ride upon a motorcycle unless a DOT-standard safety helmet is worn by the operator and the rider, except in a lawful parade, and that if the operator is required to wear a helmet, any passenger must also wear one regardless of the passenger's own age. Subsection 3 separately makes it unlawful to operate a motorcycle carrying an unhelmeted passenger under 18. The section does not apply within an enclosed cab or on a golf cart. No separate eye-protection requirement for motorcyclists was found in Title 39 during this collection.

N.D.C.C. § 39-10.2-06(1) · verified 2026-07-28

Ohio helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator is 18 or older
• the operator's endorsement or license does not currently carry a 'novice' designation — Ohio Rev. Code 4507.13 gives every motorcycle endorsement or license issued to a person 18 or older with no prior motorcycle licensure in Ohio or elsewhere a 'novice' designation, effective for one year from issuance. An operator within that first year must wear a helmet regardless of age.

For a passenger only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind the operator:

• the passenger is 18 or older
• the passenger's own endorsement or license, if any, does not currently carry a 'novice' designation
• the motorcycle's operator is also 18 or older and not currently novice-designated — Ohio Rev. Code 4511.53(C)(1) provides that 'no other person shall be a passenger on a motorcycle operated by such a person' (an operator under 18 or novice-designated) 'unless similarly wearing a protective helmet' — so an 18-or-older, non-novice passenger must still wear a helmet if the operator is under 18 or a current novice. A passenger is fully exempt only when the passenger's own age/novice test AND the operator's age/novice test both clear.

Ohio Rev. Code 4511.53(C)(1) provides that no person under 18, and no person holding a motorcycle endorsement or license currently bearing a 'novice' designation under section 4507.13, may operate or be a passenger on a motorcycle without a United States Department of Transportation-approved protective helmet, except in a lawful parade, and that if the operator is required to wear a helmet, any passenger must also wear one regardless of the passenger's own age. Separately, 4511.53(C)(3) requires every holder of a temporary instruction permit (TIPIC) to wear a helmet while operating, regardless of age, matching the permit restriction BMV states directly. A first violation of the helmet or eye-protection provisions is a minor misdemeanor; a second within a year of a prior predicate offense is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, and a third is a third-degree misdemeanor.

Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.53(C)(1) · verified 2026-07-28

Oklahoma helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

The statute reads: 'No person under eighteen (18) years of age shall operate or ride upon any motorcycle unless such person is properly wearing a crash helmet' meeting 49 C.F.R. § 571.218 standards. The same rule reaches an operator and a passenger alike through the phrase 'operate or ride upon,' and no age-independent exemption for training or riding experience exists in current law.

47 O.S. § 12-609(B) (crash helmet requirement for a person under 18), as stated by Service Oklahoma · verified 2026-07-28

Oregon helmet law

Required for all riders

ORS 814.269 makes it an offence for a motorcycle operator to ride without a motorcycle helmet, and ORS 814.275 makes it a separate offence for a passenger to ride without one; both are Class D traffic violations. ORS 814.290 sets the only exemptions: a person within an enclosed cab, or a person operating or riding a three-wheeled vehicle capable of less than 15 mph. There is no age or experience exemption for an open two-wheeled or open three-wheeled machine. A separate offence, ORS 814.260, applies the same helmet duty to a moped rider.

ORS 814.269 (operator) and 814.275 (passenger) · verified 2026-07-28

Pennsylvania helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 21 years of age or older — A passenger must independently be 21 or older to reach the passenger exemption in subsection (d)(4); the passenger's own age does not depend on the operator's age.

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator has been licensed to operate a motorcycle for not less than two full calendar years, or has completed a motorcycle rider safety course approved by PennDOT or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation — This criterion binds the operator only. A passenger's own licensing or training history is never checked. However, under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3525(d)(4) a passenger's exemption is derivative of the OPERATOR's: a passenger 21 or older is exempt only 'if the passenger' is riding with an operator who is independently exempt under (d)(2) or (d)(3). A 21-or-older passenger riding with a non-exempt operator — one who is under 21, or 21+ but without two years' licensure or a safety course — must still wear a helmet. The typed conditions[] AND-list cannot express this cross-party contingency; it is recorded here and in helmetLaw.details, and flagged in schemaGaps.

Section 3525(a) requires protective headgear of any operator or rider unless subsection (d) exempts them. Subsection (d) exempts: (1) the operator or any occupant of an enclosed-cab three-wheeled motorcycle; (2) a person 21 or older licensed to operate a motorcycle for at least two full calendar years; (3) a person 21 or older who has completed an approved safety course; and (4) 'the passenger of a person exempt under this subsection if the passenger is 21 years of age or older' — meaning a passenger's exemption requires BOTH that the passenger is 21+ AND that the operator they are riding with is independently exempt under (2) or (3). A passenger therefore never independently qualifies through their own experience or training; PennDOT's own helmet FAQ states the same rule in plain language: 'If you are exempt from wearing a helmet and your passenger is 21 years of age or older, he or she is also exempt.'

75 Pa.C.S. § 3525 · verified 2026-07-28

Rhode Island helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:

• the operator is 21 years of age or older — Section 31-10.1-4 sets this age condition for an OPERATOR only. Section 31-10.1-6 imposes a separate, unconditional helmet duty on every passenger with no age exemption of any kind, so this condition does not apply to, and cannot exempt, a passenger.
• the operator has held a licence issued under § 31-10.1-1 for at least one full year from its date of issuance — 'All new operators, regardless of age, shall be required, for a period of one year from the date of issuance of the first license ... to wear a helmet.' A newly licensed rider therefore cannot reach the helmet exemption on age alone, even at 21 or older, until a full year has passed since first licensure. This criterion has no counterpart for a passenger; passengers are never exempt under § 31-10.1-6.

For an operator, both conditions must be met together: 21 or older AND licensed for at least one full year. Meeting only one leaves the helmet requirement in force. For a passenger, § 31-10.1-6 imposes an unconditional helmet duty with no age or experience exemption at all — 'any passenger ... must wear a properly fitting helmet' — so a passenger's own age or the operator's exempt status makes no difference to the passenger's own duty. A passenger under 12 must additionally have a secured backrest, feet on a footrest, and sit behind the operator, unless riding in a sidecar. An autocycle is exempt from this entire chapter (§ 31-10.1-6.1) and its operator may ride under an ordinary Rhode Island driver's licence. Violations are fined under § 31-41.1-4.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-4 · verified 2026-07-28

South Carolina helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 21 or older

Section 56-5-3660 makes it unlawful for anyone under 21 to operate or ride upon a two-wheeled motorised vehicle without a protective helmet bearing a neck or chin strap and reflectorised on both sides, of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety. A rider 21 or older may ride without a helmet. Violating any of §§ 56-5-3660 through 56-5-3690 is a misdemeanour punishable by a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days.

SC Code § 56-5-3660 · verified 2026-07-28

South Dakota helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older

No person under 18 may operate or ride upon a motorcycle on a South Dakota public street or highway without a protective helmet meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 as it stood on 1 January 1984. Separately, no operator of any age may carry a passenger under 18 who is not wearing a protective helmet, which reaches even an operator who is 18 or older. A violation is a Class 2 misdemeanour, punishable under § 22-6-2 by up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both.

SDCL § 32-20-4 · verified 2026-07-28

Tennessee helmet law

Required for all riders

A crash helmet must be worn whenever a motorcycle, motor driven cycle or motorized bicycle is in motion, and during all on-cycle testing. The helmet must meet or exceed the standards set by the United States Department of Transportation, must fit snugly, and its chin strap must be properly fastened. The requirement reaches passengers as well as drivers, and there is no exemption for a rider's age, insurance cover or riding experience. Section 55-9-302(b) does carry narrow situational exceptions. One covers an autocycle that is fully enclosed, which since 28 April 2025 means having side panels, a roll bar or roof, and a windshield. Another, in force since 1 July 2015, covers a funeral procession, a memorial ride under a police escort or a body escort detail, and applies only where the driver travels at no more than thirty miles per hour, the driver or passenger is twenty-one or older, and the procession does not exceed fifty miles.

T.C.A. § 55-9-302, as amended by Public Chapter 197 (2025) · verified 2026-07-28

Texas helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 21 or older
• the rider has completed a TDLR-approved motorcycle operator training course, or carries proof of medical insurance (a card or certificate stating the insurer's name, the policy number, and the policy period) — The manual states this exemption in terms of 'persons 21 years of age or older' and does not separate an operator's condition from a passenger's, so it is recorded here as binding both.

Helmets meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 are required of motorcycle operators and passengers on any motorcycle or moped regardless of size or number of wheels. A rider 21 or older is exempt only if they have completed the TDLR-approved motorcycle operator training course or are covered by qualifying medical insurance; a rider using someone else's motorcycle to take the skills test must wear a helmet unless the same age-and-course-or-insurance condition is met.

TDLR Motorcycle Operator Training Manual — Helmet and Passengers · verified 2026-07-28

Utah helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 21 or older

Section 41-6a-1505 requires protective headgear meeting federal motorcycle helmet standards (49 C.F.R. § 571.218) of any operator or passenger under 21 riding a motorcycle, electric-assisted bicycle, motor-assisted scooter, high-power electric device, or an autocycle that is not fully enclosed, on a highway. A court must waive $8 of a moving-violation fine for a rider 21 or older who was wearing compliant headgear at the time, except for a driving-under-the-influence violation. A maximum fine of $110 applies to a motorcycle or high-power-electric-device violation of the section; failure to wear headgear does not constitute negligence and cannot be introduced as evidence of negligence in civil litigation.

Utah Code § 41-6a-1505 · verified 2026-07-28

Vermont helmet law

Required for all riders

Section 1256 requires anyone who operates or rides upon a motorcycle on a highway to properly wear protective headgear conforming to the federal motorcycle helmet standard, 49 C.F.R. § 571.218. There is no age exemption: the duty binds every operator and every passenger. The only exemption is for occupants of a fully enclosed autocycle, defined as one with a windshield and full top and side enclosures able to support the vehicle's weight and protect occupants.

23 V.S.A. § 1256 · verified 2026-07-28

Virginia helmet law

Required for all riders

Every operator and any passenger on a motorcycle or autocycle must wear a protective helmet meeting Snell, ANSI or federal DOT standards, with no age exemption. Operators and passengers are excused only on a motorcycle with wheels eight inches or less in diameter, or on a three-wheeled motorcycle or autocycle with a nonremovable roof, windshield and enclosed body, and while riding at 15 mph or less as part of a Department of Transportation or locality-authorised, law-enforcement-escorted parade. Failure to wear the required gear does not constitute negligence per se in a civil proceeding. Transporting a child under five years old as a passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle is separately unlawful.

Code of Virginia § 46.2-910 · verified 2026-07-28

Washington helmet law

Required for all riders

It is unlawful for any person to operate or ride upon a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or moped on a state highway, county road or city street without wearing a motorcycle helmet, with the chin or neck strap fastened securely while the vehicle is in motion; there is no age exemption. Excepted are antique motor-driven cycles and vehicles equipped with a steering wheel, seat belts meeting federal standards, and a partially or completely enclosed seating area for driver and passenger certified to federal enclosure standards. Transporting a child under five years old on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle is separately unlawful. Selling a helmet that fails to meet Snell, ANSI or federal DOT standards is also unlawful.

RCW 46.37.530 · verified 2026-07-28

West Virginia helmet law

Required for all riders

Section 17C-15-44(a) requires every operator and every passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle to wear a protective helmet meeting ANSI Z90.1, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218, or Snell specifications, with no age exemption anywhere in the section. The only stated exemption is for a rider with a valid driver's license operating a fully enclosed autocycle. The helmet and eye-protection clauses name 'motorcycle or motor-driven cycle' only; mopeds are defined separately in the Code and are not textually reached by either requirement. No fine is set inside Section 44 itself; a first violation of Article 15's equipment provisions, which is the general Article penalty that applies here, carries a fine of not more than $100, rising to $200 for a second conviction within a year and $500 for a third.

W. Va. Code § 17C-15-44 · verified 2026-07-28

Wisconsin helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older — Section 347.485(1)(a) reads 'operate or ride,' so the age criterion governs an operator's and a passenger's own personal duty to wear a helmet identically.
• the rider does not hold a Wisconsin Class M instruction permit — A permit holder must wear a helmet regardless of age; a full Class M license holder who is 18 or older is not subject to this criterion. Like the age criterion, the statute's 'operate or ride' language applies this to either role.

Separately from the operator's and passenger's own personal helmet duty, § 347.485(1)(am) makes an operator responsible for a passenger under 18 wearing a helmet, regardless of the operator's own age or permit status — this is the operator's own duty, distinct from the passenger's personal duty under (1)(a). The section does not reach a moped, which Wisconsin defines and regulates separately from a motorcycle.

Wis. Stat. § 347.485 · verified 2026-07-28

Wyoming helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

• the rider is 18 or older — Section 31-5-115(o) reads 'operate or ride,' covering an operator and a passenger under a single age rule rather than two separate lists.

Section 31-5-115(o) requires protective headgear, securely fastened and of a type approved by the superintendent, of any minor who operates or rides a motorcycle on a public highway, street or thoroughfare. The requirement does not reach a person riding within an enclosed cab, a person operating or riding a moped, or an autocycle occupant (subsection (t)), and it also applies to motor-driven cycles under subsection (s). Operators in an officially authorised parade are exempt from subsections (e) through (o), which includes the helmet clause. Headgear must meet or exceed ANSI Z90.1-1971, though equipment meeting the older Z90.1-1966 standard remains accepted.

W.S. § 31-5-115(o) · verified 2026-07-28