{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Dataset","name":"US Motorcycle Helmet Law Dataset","description":"Motorcycle helmet-use requirements by US jurisdiction: who must wear one, exemption conditions, eye-protection and penalty rules, and the statute each is drawn from.","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","dateModified":"2026-07-28","jurisdictionCount":51,"sourceMethodology":"Every record is verified against that jurisdiction's own statute or administrative code, never a secondary aggregator or law-firm summary. Full methodology: https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/about#authorship","states":[{"name":"Alabama","slug":"alabama","abbreviation":"AL","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed., October 2024) — Motorcycle Operation in Alabama","url":"https://www.alea.gov/sites/default/files/Updated%20ALEA%202024%20Motorcycle%20Manual%20Proof%209.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed., October 2024) — Motorcycle Operation in Alabama","url":"https://www.alea.gov/sites/default/files/Updated%20ALEA%202024%20Motorcycle%20Manual%20Proof%209.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/alabama"},{"name":"Alaska","slug":"alaska","abbreviation":"AK","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"operator"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator holds the M1, M2 or M3 license or endorsement rather than only an instruction permit","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"A rider operating on an instruction permit, or taking the DMV road test, must wear a helmet regardless of age."}],"appliesToPassengers":false,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle License (helmet requirement)","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/motorcycle-license/"},"sources":[{"label":"Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle License (helmet requirement)","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/motorcycle-license/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/alaska"},{"name":"Arizona","slug":"arizona","abbreviation":"AZ","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator must wear protective glasses, goggles or a transparent face shield unless the motorcycle is equipped with a protective windshield. The requirement binds the operator only, not a passenger."},"penalty":{"fine":100},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"A.R.S. § 28-964","url":"https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/00964.htm"},"sources":[{"label":"Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-964 (Motorcycles; all-terrain vehicles; motor driven cycles; equipment; exception; citations; civil penalty; community restitution)","url":"https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/00964.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/arizona"},{"name":"Arkansas","slug":"arkansas","abbreviation":"AR","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every operator and passenger, regardless of age, must wear protective glasses, goggles or a transparent face shield; unlike the headgear rule, the statute carries no age exception for eye protection."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Ark. Code § 27-20-104(b)","url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACT-300-Book-2021.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Arkansas Code § 27-20-104 (Standard equipment required) — Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws, 2021 Edition","url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACT-300-Book-2021.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/arkansas"},{"name":"California","slug":"california","abbreviation":"CA","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Cal. Veh. Code § 27803","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=27803"},"sources":[{"label":"California Vehicle Code § 27803 (safety helmets)","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=27803"},{"label":"California Vehicle Code § 27802 (helmet standards)","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=27802"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/california"},{"name":"Colorado","slug":"colorado","abbreviation":"CO","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 years of age or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":false,"details":"Colorado's motorcycle safety-equipment section (§ 42-4-232) governs seating, load and passenger footrests; it does not set a separate eye-protection requirement for a motorcycle operator or passenger of any age."},"penalty":{"points":0},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"C.R.S. § 42-4-1502(4.5)","url":"https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Colorado Revised Statutes § 42-4-1502 (motorcycles and autocycles — protective helmet)","url":"https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/colorado"},{"name":"Connecticut","slug":"connecticut","abbreviation":"CT","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 years of age or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every motorcycle or motor-driven cycle operator, regardless of age, must wear goggles, glasses or a face shield with lenses of safety glass or plastic unless the motorcycle is equipped with a conforming windshield or wind screen. This duty binds the operator; § 14-289d does not extend it to a passenger."},"penalty":{"fine":90},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-289g","url":"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_248.htm"},"sources":[{"label":"Connecticut General Statutes § 14-289g (protective headgear for motorcycle or motor-driven cycle operators and passengers under eighteen years of age)","url":"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_248.htm"},{"label":"Connecticut General Statutes § 14-289d (vision-protecting devices for operators of motorcycles or motor-driven cycles)","url":"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_248.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/connecticut"},{"name":"Delaware","slug":"delaware","abbreviation":"DE","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 19 years of age or older","minAge":19,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the rider is not, and is not riding with, a person who obtained a motorcycle endorsement less than two years ago","appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every operator or passenger, regardless of age, must wear eye protection approved by the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Unlike the helmet-wearing duty, this eye-protection duty carries no age or experience exemption."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"21 Del. C. § 4185(b)","url":"https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c041/sc11/index.html"},"sources":[{"label":"21 Delaware Code § 4185 (operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle; helmet and eye protection requirements)","url":"https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c041/sc11/index.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/delaware"},{"name":"District of Columbia","slug":"district-of-columbia","abbreviation":"DC","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"DC's motorcycle-riding regulation ties eye protection to the same section as the helmet mandate: a rider cited for riding without a helmet is cited alongside a want of goggles, safety glasses, or a windshield, under the same 18 DCMR § 2215 violation code."},"penalty":{"fine":75},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"18 DCMR § 2215","url":"https://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/Collateral_Book_Updated_January_2025.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Metropolitan Police Department — Collateral List for Moving, Parking, and Non-Moving Violations (T218, 18 DCMR § 2215, motorcycle helmet/eye-protection violation)","url":"https://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/Collateral_Book_Updated_January_2025.pdf"},{"label":"DC Municipal Regulations — 18 DCMR § 2215, Riding on Motorcycles and Motor-Driven Cycles and Riding in Autocycles (section record)","url":"https://dcregs.dc.gov/Common/DCMR/SectionList.aspx?SectionNumber=18-2215"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/district-of-columbia"},{"name":"Florida","slug":"florida","abbreviation":"FL","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is over 21 years of age","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"insurance","exemptWhen":"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","minMedicalCoverage":10000,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Section 316.211(2) binds the operator only ('a person may not operate a motorcycle unless...'), with no windshield exception. A passenger has no independent eye-protection duty under this section."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Fla. Stat. § 316.211","url":"https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/316.211"},"sources":[{"label":"Fla. Stat. § 316.211 (equipment for motorcycle and moped riders)","url":"https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/316.211"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/florida"},{"name":"Georgia","slug":"georgia","abbreviation":"GA","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Eye protection is required in Georgia for riders generally; the Motorcycle Operator Manual states it as a plain requirement rather than a windshield-conditioned one."},"penalty":null,"details":"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).","statuteCitation":{"label":"O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315","url":"https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/570-13"},"sources":[{"label":"Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-13 (Specifications for Protective Headgear for Vehicular Users, implementing O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315)","url":"https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/570-13"},{"label":"Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-12 (Motorcyclists' Eye Protection, implementing O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315)","url":"https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/570-12"},{"label":"Georgia DDS — Motorcycle Operator Manual, Section 3: Before You Ride","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/section-3-you-ride"},{"label":"Georgia DDS — Motorcycle Operator Manual, Section 8: Passengers, Cargo, and Group Riding","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/section-8-passengers-cargo-and-group-riding"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/georgia"},{"name":"Hawaii","slug":"hawaii","abbreviation":"HI","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Any operator or passenger, of any age, must wear glasses, goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle is equipped with a windshield — unlike the helmet duty, Hawai'i's eye-protection rule is not age-gated."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"HRS § 286-81(2)(e)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/motorcycles-motor-scooters-and-mopeds-general-information/"},"sources":[{"label":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation — Motorcycles, Motor Scooters and Mopeds General Information (current; cites HRS 286 (2)(e) helmet duty)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/motorcycles-motor-scooters-and-mopeds-general-information/"},{"label":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation — General Information: Motorcycles, Scooters and Mopeds (PDF, HRS § 286-81(2)(e) permit-phase helmet duty)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2022/03/General-Information-Motorcycles-Scooters-and-Mopeds.pdf"},{"label":"Hawai'i Motorcycle Operator Manual (Version 5, 2017) — operator and passenger helmet and eye-protection rule","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2017/09/Motorcycle-Manual-Version-5-2017.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/hawaii"},{"name":"Idaho","slug":"idaho","abbreviation":"ID","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":50,"points":0},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Idaho Code § 49-666","url":"https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title49/T49CH6/SECT49-666/"},"sources":[{"label":"Idaho Code § 49-666 (motorcycle, motorbike, UTV and ATV safety helmets and seatbelts)","url":"https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title49/T49CH6/SECT49-666/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/idaho"},{"name":"Illinois","slug":"illinois","abbreviation":"IL","regime":"none","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":null,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Operators and passengers must wear glasses, goggles or a transparent shield. Glasses and shields must be shatter-resistant; goggles must not restrict peripheral vision. A windshield extending above eye level satisfies the requirement. Contact lenses do not."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"625 ILCS 5/11-1404","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K11-1404.htm"},"sources":[{"label":"625 ILCS 5/11-1404 (special equipment for persons riding motorcycles)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K11-1404.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/illinois"},{"name":"Indiana","slug":"indiana","abbreviation":"IN","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Required only of a rider under 18, under the same subsection as the helmet duty. Indiana has no separate universal eye-protection requirement for a rider 18 or older."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Ind. Code § 9-19-7-1","url":"https://www.in.gov/ipac/files/Title-9-Indiana-Code-2022.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Indiana Code Title 9, Motor Vehicles (2022 compilation) — IC 9-19-7-1, Minors; protective headgear and face shields; exception for autocycles","url":"https://www.in.gov/ipac/files/Title-9-Indiana-Code-2022.pdf"},{"label":"Indiana BMV — Motorcycle Operator Manual, 21st Edition (learner's-permit helmet restriction)","url":"https://www.in.gov/rsi/files/motorcycle-operators-manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/indiana"},{"name":"Iowa","slug":"iowa","abbreviation":"IA","regime":"none","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":null,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Iowa Code 321.275","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.275.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Iowa Code 321.275 (operation of motorcycles and motorized bicycles)","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.275.pdf"},{"label":"Iowa Department of Transportation — Get a Motorcycle, Moped, or Autocycle License (autocycle helmet and safety-equipment note)","url":"https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/get-or-renew-drivers-licenses-ids-permits/motorcycle-moped-or-autocycle"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/iowa"},{"name":"Kansas","slug":"kansas","abbreviation":"KS","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every operator, of any age, must wear protective glasses, goggles or a shatterproof, impact-resistant transparent face shield unless the motorcycle carries a windscreen at least 10 inches high measured from the centre of the handlebars. A passenger under 18 must wear the same eye protection with no windscreen exemption stated; the statute does not require eye protection of a passenger who is 18 or older."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"K.S.A. 8-1598","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_015_0098.html"},"sources":[{"label":"K.S.A. 8-1598 (operation of motorcycles; equipment required for operators and riders)","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_015_0098.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/kansas"},{"name":"Kentucky","slug":"kentucky","abbreviation":"KY","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator is not riding on a motorcycle instruction permit","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"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."},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has held a valid motorcycle operator's license, or a combination motor vehicle-motorcycle operator's license, for at least one year","appliesTo":"operator"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"KRS 189.285(1)(b) requires an approved eye-protective device of every motorcycle operator at all times the vehicle is in motion, with no age exemption and no windscreen exemption stated. The statute's text binds the operator; it does not separately impose an eye-protection duty on a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"KRS 189.285","url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=6361"},"sources":[{"label":"KRS 189.285 (regulations for operating and riding on motorcycles)","url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=6361"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/kentucky"},{"name":"Louisiana","slug":"louisiana","abbreviation":"LA","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every operator of a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle must wear an approved eye-protective device — goggles, a face shield or safety glasses meeting the secretary's specifications — unless the vehicle has a windshield of sufficient height to give adequate eye protection under R.S. 32:358. Devices worn at night may not be tinted. The section binds the operator; it does not separately require eye protection of a passenger."},"penalty":{"fine":50},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"R.S. 32:190","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88170"},"sources":[{"label":"R.S. 32:190 (safety helmets)","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88170"},{"label":"R.S. 32:190.1 (eye protective devices to be worn by motorcyclist; windshield on motorcycle)","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88171"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/louisiana"},{"name":"Maine","slug":"maine","abbreviation":"ME","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"operator"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"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","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"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."},{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the passenger is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"passenger"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator carrying the passenger is not themselves required to wear headgear under this section","appliesTo":"passenger","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"29-A M.R.S. §2083","url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec2083.html"},"sources":[{"label":"29-A M.R.S. §2083 (protective headgear)","url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec2083.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/maine"},{"name":"Maryland","slug":"maryland","abbreviation":"MD","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator must wear an eye-protective device of a type approved by the Administrator unless the motorcycle is equipped with a windscreen, in which case eye protection is not separately required."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Md. Code, Transportation §21-1306","url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/21-1306.html"},"sources":[{"label":"Md. Code, Transportation §21-1306 (protective headgear; eye-protective devices)","url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/21-1306.html"},{"label":"MDOT MVA — Motorcycle Training & Education (headgear and eye protection required by Maryland law)","url":"https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/driver-education-safety/motorcycle-training-education"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/maryland"},{"name":"Massachusetts","slug":"massachusetts","abbreviation":"MA","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Required of the operator only, and only when the motorcycle has no windshield or screen: 'the operator of such motorcycle shall wear eye glasses, goggles or a protective face shield when operating such vehicle.'"},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §7","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section7"},"sources":[{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §7 (equipment; protective head gear; eye protection)","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section7"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/massachusetts"},{"name":"Michigan","slug":"michigan","abbreviation":"MI","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has held a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years, or has passed an approved motorcycle safety course","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"This criterion binds the operator only. A passenger 21 or older is not required to have any riding history or training."},{"type":"insurance","exemptWhen":"security for first-party medical benefits of at least $20,000 is in effect","minMedicalCoverage":20000,"appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Where a motorcycle is operated above 35 mph and is not equipped with a windshield, the operator must wear goggles with transparent lenses, a transparent face shield or eyeglasses, in shatter-resistant material large enough to protect the eyes from insects, airborne material and road debris. The section binds the operator; it does not impose the same requirement on a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"MCL 257.658","url":"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-257-658"},"sources":[{"label":"MCL 257.658 (riding on seat of motorcycle; wearing of crash helmet; conditions)","url":"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-257-658"},{"label":"Michigan State Police — Motorcycle Law Guide for Law Enforcement Officers (MCL 257.658 operator and passenger conditions)","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/msp/ohsp/pdfs3/Motorcycle_Law_Guide_Enforcement_03_press.pdf"},{"label":"MCL 257.708a (goggles, eyeglasses or face shields)","url":"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-708a"},{"label":"Michigan State Police — Michigan Motorcyclist Laws Guide for Operators (MCL 257.708a eye protection)","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/msp/-/media/Project/Websites/msp/ohsp/1_April-2023/6400-Michigan-Motorcyclist-Laws-Guide-for-Operators.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/michigan"},{"name":"Minnesota","slug":"minnesota","abbreviation":"MN","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator holds the full motorcycle endorsement rather than only a motorcycle instruction permit","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Required of the operator at every age with no exemption: 'no person shall operate a motorcycle without wearing an eye-protective device.' No comparable duty is imposed on a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 4","url":"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.974"},"sources":[{"label":"Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 4 (equipment for operator and passenger; protective headgear)","url":"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.974"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/minnesota"},{"name":"Mississippi","slug":"mississippi","abbreviation":"MS","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Miss. Code Ann. § 63-7-64","url":"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2015/html/HB/0100-0199/HB0111SG.htm"},"sources":[{"label":"House Bill 111, 2015 Regular Session, Chapter 406 (enrolled act; current text of Miss. Code Ann. § 63-7-64)","url":"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2015/html/HB/0100-0199/HB0111SG.htm"},{"label":"DPS Driver Service Bureau — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/node/299"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/mississippi"},{"name":"Missouri","slug":"missouri","abbreviation":"MO","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 26 or older","minAge":26,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has been issued a motorcycle licence rather than only an instruction permit","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":25,"points":0,"primaryEnforcement":false},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"RSMo 302.020.2","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.020"},"sources":[{"label":"RSMo 302.020 (protective headgear; failure to wear; fine; no points)","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.020"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/missouri"},{"name":"Montana","slug":"montana","abbreviation":"MT","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-417","url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0090/part_0040/section_0170/0610-0090-0040-0170.html"},"sources":[{"label":"Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-417 (headgear required for minor motorcycle riders)","url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0090/part_0040/section_0170/0610-0090-0040-0170.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/montana"},{"name":"Nebraska","slug":"nebraska","abbreviation":"NE","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"training","exemptWhen":"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","appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator must use glasses covering the orbital region, a protective face shield attached to a helmet, goggles, or a windshield protecting the operator's and passenger's horizontal line of vision in all riding positions. The statute's eye-protection duty is worded as an operator obligation."},"penalty":{"fine":250,"primaryEnforcement":false},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,279"},"sources":[{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279 (protective helmets; eye protection; required; when)","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,279"},{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,282 (violation; penalty; enforcement)","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,282"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/nebraska"},{"name":"Nevada","slug":"nevada","abbreviation":"NV","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"The driver and passenger of a motorcycle or moped must wear protective glasses, goggles or a face shield meeting Department standards unless the vehicle has a transparent windscreen meeting those standards, in which case eye protection is not required."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"NRS 486.231","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec231"},"sources":[{"label":"NRS 486.231 (protective headgear, glasses, goggles or face shields; when use required; exceptions)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec231"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/nevada"},{"name":"New Hampshire","slug":"new-hampshire","abbreviation":"NH","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"If the motorcycle has no windshield or screen protecting the driver's eyes and face while sitting erect, the driver must wear eyeglasses, goggles or a protective face shield while the motorcycle is in motion. The statute binds the driver only; it does not separately require eye protection of a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"RSA 265:122","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/265/265-122.htm"},"sources":[{"label":"RSA 265:122 (protective headgear)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/265/265-122.htm"},{"label":"RSA 265:123 (eye and face protection)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/265/265-123.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/new-hampshire"},{"name":"New Jersey","slug":"new-jersey","abbreviation":"NJ","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7","url":"https://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/motorcycle/index.html"},"sources":[{"label":"New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Highway Traffic Safety — Motorcycle Safety (N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7)","url":"https://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/motorcycle/index.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/new-jersey"},{"name":"New Mexico","slug":"new-mexico","abbreviation":"NM","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"New Mexico MVD — Helmet Law","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/helmet-law/"},"sources":[{"label":"New Mexico MVD — Helmet Law","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/helmet-law/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/new-mexico"},{"name":"New York","slug":"new-york","abbreviation":"NY","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every motorcycle operator must wear approved eye protection, even where the motorcycle has a windshield, and any windshield must itself be of an approved type. The eye protection must conform to American National Standards Institute standard ANSI Z87.1; prescription or made-to-order safety glasses qualify where the wearer can produce written certification that they meet DMV standards. The Department recommends approved goggles or a face shield for full protection. The requirement is stated of the operator and not separately of a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 381, as published by the NYS DMV in the Motorcycle Operator's Manual (MV-21MC)","url":"https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/mv21-mc.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"New York State Motorcycle Operator's Manual (MV-21MC) — Special Rules and Required Equipment, the NYS DMV's published statement of the VTL § 381 helmet and eye-protection requirements","url":"https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/mv21-mc.pdf"},{"label":"New York Governor's Traffic Safety Committee — Motorcycle Safety (universal helmet law, effective 1 January 1967)","url":"https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/motorcycle-safety"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/new-york"},{"name":"North Carolina","slug":"north-carolina","abbreviation":"NC","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":25.5,"points":0},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"G.S. 20-140.4(a)(2)","url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-140.4.html"},"sources":[{"label":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-140.4 (special provisions for motorcycles and mopeds)","url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-140.4.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/north-carolina"},{"name":"North Dakota","slug":"north-dakota","abbreviation":"ND","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"operator"},{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the passenger is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"passenger"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the motorcycle's operator is also 18 or older, so that the operator is not required to wear a helmet","appliesTo":"passenger","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"N.D.C.C. § 39-10.2-06(1)","url":"https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c10-2.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"N.D. Cent. Code § 39-10.2-06 (equipment for motorcycle riders)","url":"https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c10-2.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/north-dakota"},{"name":"Ohio","slug":"ohio","abbreviation":"OH","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"operator"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator's endorsement or license does not currently carry a 'novice' designation","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"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."},{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the passenger is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"passenger"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the passenger's own endorsement or license, if any, does not currently carry a 'novice' designation","appliesTo":"passenger"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the motorcycle's operator is also 18 or older and not currently novice-designated","appliesTo":"passenger","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Ohio Rev. Code 4511.53(C)(1) requires safety glasses or another protective eye device of every operator and every passenger on a motorcycle, with no age or novice exception; this is separate from and broader than the helmet rule. An autocycle or a cab-enclosed motorcycle with its occupant compartment top in place is exempt from both the eye-protection and the age/novice helmet rule under (C)(2), though not from the TIPIC-specific helmet rule in (C)(3)."},"penalty":{"fine":150},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.53(C)(1)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.53"},"sources":[{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.53 (operation of bicycles, motorcycles and snowmobiles)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.53"},{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4507.13 (contents and characteristics of driver's license; novice designation)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4507.13"},{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.28 (financial sanctions; misdemeanor fine schedule)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2929.28"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/ohio"},{"name":"Oklahoma","slug":"oklahoma","abbreviation":"OK","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every motorcycle must carry a windshield, or the operator must wear ANSI Z87.1 goggles, a face shield, or other protective eyewear meeting that standard. This equipment duty binds the operator; no separate eye-protection duty is published for a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"47 O.S. § 12-609(B) (crash helmet requirement for a person under 18), as stated by Service Oklahoma","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/service/all-pages/apply-for-endorsement.html"},"sources":[{"label":"Service Oklahoma — Apply for Motorcycle License (helmet and eye-protection requirement)","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/service/all-pages/apply-for-endorsement.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/oklahoma"},{"name":"Oregon","slug":"oregon","abbreviation":"OR","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"ORS 814.269 (operator) and 814.275 (passenger)","url":"https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors814.html"},"sources":[{"label":"Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 814 §§ 814.260, 814.269, 814.275, 814.280, 814.290 (motorcycle and moped helmet offences and exemptions)","url":"https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors814.html"},{"label":"Oregon DMV — Motorcycle Instruction Permit & Endorsement (helmet requirement, plain-language statement)","url":"https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/pages/driverid/motorcycle_endorse.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/oregon"},{"name":"Pennsylvania","slug":"pennsylvania","abbreviation":"PA","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 years of age or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"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","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.'","statuteCitation":{"label":"75 Pa.C.S. § 3525","url":"https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/75/00.035.025.000..HTM"},"sources":[{"label":"75 Pa.C.S. § 3525 (protective equipment for motorcycle riders)","url":"https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/75/00.035.025.000..HTM"},{"label":"PennDOT — Pennsylvania Motorcycle Helmet Law FAQs","url":"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/faqs/driver-licensing-faqs/pa-motorcycle-helmet-faqs"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/pennsylvania"},{"name":"Rhode Island","slug":"rhode-island","abbreviation":"RI","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 21 years of age or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"operator","detail":"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."},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has held a licence issued under § 31-10.1-1 for at least one full year from its date of issuance","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"'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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Operators of motorcycles, motor scooters and motor-driven cycles must use eye protection of a type approved by the DMV administrator. This duty binds the operator only; § 31-10.1-4 states no equivalent duty for a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-4","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-4.HTM"},"sources":[{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-4 (required equipment; operator helmet and eye-protection duty)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-4.HTM"},{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-6 (passengers; unconditional helmet duty)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-6.HTM"},{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-6.1 (autocycle exemption from this chapter)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-6.1.HTM"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/rhode-island"},{"name":"South Carolina","slug":"south-carolina","abbreviation":"SC","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"SC Code § 56-5-3670 requires an operator under 21 to wear goggles or a face shield of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety; § 56-5-3680 exempts an operator whose motorcycle carries an approved wind screen. The requirement binds the operator only and does not extend to a passenger, and it does not apply at all to a rider 21 or older."},"penalty":{"fine":100},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3660","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},"sources":[{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3660 (helmets must be worn by operators and passengers under age 21)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3670 (goggles or face shields for operators under age 21)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3680 (wind screens)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3700 (penalty for violation of §§ 56-5-3660 to 56-5-3690)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},{"label":"South Carolina DMV — Motorcycle","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/vehicle-owners/types-of-vehicles/motorcycle"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/south-carolina"},{"name":"South Dakota","slug":"south-dakota","abbreviation":"SD","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":500},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"SDCL § 32-20-4","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-20-4"},"sources":[{"label":"SDCL § 32-20-4 (protective helmet required for minor; violation as misdemeanor)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-20-4"},{"label":"SDCL § 22-6-2 (misdemeanor classes and penalties)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=22-6-2"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/south-dakota"},{"name":"Tennessee","slug":"tennessee","abbreviation":"TN","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"T.C.A. § 55-9-302, as amended by Public Chapter 197 (2025)","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0197.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Tennessee Public Chapter 197 (2025), amending T.C.A. § 55-9-302 — defines \"fully enclosed\" for the autocycle crash-helmet exception","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0197.pdf"},{"label":"Tennessee Public Chapter 492 (2015), amending T.C.A. § 55-9-302(b) — crash helmet requirements for riders and passengers; funeral procession, memorial ride and body escort exemption","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/109/pub/pc0492.pdf"},{"label":"Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety, Chapter 1340-1-12-.06 — Crash Helmet Standards (promulgated under the authority of T.C.A. § 55-9-302)","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1340/1340-01/1340-01-12.pdf"},{"label":"Tennessee General Assembly — HB0859 (114th General Assembly) bill history and Public Chapter assignment","url":"https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0859&GA=114"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/tennessee"},{"name":"Texas","slug":"texas","abbreviation":"TX","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"training","exemptWhen":"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)","appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"TDLR Motorcycle Operator Training Manual — Helmet and Passengers","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/pdf/tdlr-motorcycle-operators-manual.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Motorcycle Operator Training Manual (2025), Helmet and Passengers","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/pdf/tdlr-motorcycle-operators-manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/texas"},{"name":"Utah","slug":"utah","abbreviation":"UT","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":110},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Utah Code § 41-6a-1505","url":"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter6a/C41-6a-S1505_2026050620260506.html"},"sources":[{"label":"Utah Code § 41-6a-1505 (motorcycle protective headgear)","url":"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter6a/C41-6a-S1505_2026050620260506.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/utah"},{"name":"Vermont","slug":"vermont","abbreviation":"VT","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Where a motorcycle is not equipped with a windshield or screen, the operator must wear eyeglasses, goggles, or a protective face shield, with colourless lenses required from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise and whenever visibility is otherwise poor. Section 1257 binds the operator; it does not state a passenger duty."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"23 V.S.A. § 1256","url":"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01256"},"sources":[{"label":"23 V.S.A. § 1256 (Motorcycles; headgear)","url":"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01256"},{"label":"23 V.S.A. § 1257 (Eye protection)","url":"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01257"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/vermont"},{"name":"Virginia","slug":"virginia","abbreviation":"VA","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"The operator must wear a face shield, safety glasses or goggles, or have the motorcycle or autocycle equipped with safety glass or a windshield, at all times while operating. Section 46.2-910 binds the operator only; it does not state a duty for a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Code of Virginia § 46.2-910","url":"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-910/"},"sources":[{"label":"Code of Virginia § 46.2-910 (motorcycle and autocycle operators to wear helmets, etc.)","url":"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-910/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/virginia"},{"name":"Washington","slug":"washington","abbreviation":"WA","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator of a motorcycle, moped or motor-driven cycle without a windshield must wear glasses, goggles or a face shield conforming to state patrol rules. The section binds the operator; it does not state a duty for a passenger."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"RCW 46.37.530","url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.37.530"},"sources":[{"label":"RCW 46.37.530 (Motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, mopeds, electric-assisted bicycles — Helmets, other equipment — Children — Rules)","url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.37.530"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/washington"},{"name":"West Virginia","slug":"west-virginia","abbreviation":"WV","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator or passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle must wear safety, shatter-resistant eyeglasses (not contact lenses), eye goggles, or a face shield meeting American National Standards Institute Z 2.1 specifications, unless a windshield or fairing is fitted."},"penalty":{"fine":100},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17C-15-44","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17C-15-44/"},"sources":[{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17C-15-44 (safety equipment and requirements for motorcyclists)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17C-15-44/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17C-15-6 (penalty for violations of Article 15)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17C-15-6/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/west-virginia"},{"name":"Wisconsin","slug":"wisconsin","abbreviation":"WI","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."},{"type":"training","exemptWhen":"the rider does not hold a Wisconsin Class M instruction permit","appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every motorcycle operator must wear a face shield attached to the headgear, glasses or goggles, at every age and regardless of permit status. Eye protection worn after dark may not be tinted, except photosensitive corrective lenses. The requirement does not apply where the motorcycle or autocycle has a windshield at least 15 inches above the handlebar, or during a municipality-sanctioned parade."},"penalty":null,"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 347.485","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/347.485"},"sources":[{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 347.485 (protective headgear for use on motorcycles)","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/347.485"},{"label":"Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Mopeds","url":"https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/motorcycles/mc-safety/mopeds.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/wisconsin"},{"name":"Wyoming","slug":"wyoming","abbreviation":"WY","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":200},"details":"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.","statuteCitation":{"label":"W.S. § 31-5-115(o)","url":"https://www.wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title31.pdf"},"sources":[{"label":"Wyoming Statutes Title 31, Chapter 5, § 31-5-115 (operation of motorcycles, autocycles and pedestrian vehicles)","url":"https://www.wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title31.pdf"},{"label":"Wyoming Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Safety Laws","url":"https://dot.state.wy.us/home/dot_safety/motorcycle-safety/safety-laws.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/wyoming"}]}