Introduction
Helmet laws vary from state to state in the United States, and even some cities have their own regulations. Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have universal helmet laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets whenever they are operating a motorcycle, regardless of age and experience level. 29 states have partial helmet laws that require only certain riders, such as those under 18 or 21 years old, to wear helmets when operating a motorcycle. Three other states – Illinois, Massachusetts, and Iowa, do not have helmet laws. Studies conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have revealed that universal helmet laws are associated with higher rates of helmet use among motorcyclists. In addition, the NHTSA has found that universal helmet laws result in lower fatality rates for adult motorcyclists than partial helmet laws do. Despite the fact that motorcycles account for only 3% of registered vehicles in America, they account for 14% of all traffic fatalities; thus demonstrating how important it is that all riders comply with any applicable helmet law. Ultimately, by wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, riders can help protect themselves from serious injury or death if an accident occurs.
| State | Motorcycle Helmet Requirements | Number of Fatal Car Accidents | Number of Car Accident Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Age Requirement | 53 | 64 |
| Arizona | Age Requirement | 967 | 1,054 |
| Arkansas | Age Requirement | 585 | 638 |
| Colorado | Age Requirement | 574 | 622 |
| Connecticut | Age Requirement | 279 | 295 |
| Delaware | Age Requirement | 104 | 116 |
| Florida | Age Requirement | 3,098 | 3,331 |
| Hawaii | Age Requirement | 81 | 85 |
| Idaho | Age Requirement | 188 | 214 |
| Indiana | Age Requirement | 815 | 897 |
| Kansas | Age Requirement | 382 | 426 |
| Kentucky | Age Requirement | 709 | 780 |
| Maine | Age Requirement | 151 | 164 |
| Michigan | Age Requirement | 1,011 | 1,084 |
| Minnesota | Age Requirement | 369 | 394 |
| Missouri | Age Requirement | 914 | 987 |
| Montana | Age Requirement | 190 | 213 |
| New Mexico | Age Requirement | 365 | 398 |
| North Dakota | Age Requirement | 96 | 100 |
| Ohio | Age Requirement | 1,154 | 123 |
| Oklahoma | Age Requirement | 599 | 652 |
| Pennsylvania | Age Requirement | 106 | 1,129 |
| Rhode Island | Age Requirement | 66 | 67 |
| South Carolina | Age Requirement | 962 | 1,064 |
| South Dakota | Age Requirement | 132 | 141 |
| Texas | Age Requirement | 352 | 3,874 |
| Utah | Age Requirement | 256 | 276 |
| Wisconsin | Age Requirement | 561 | 614 |
| Wyoming | Age Requirement | 114 | 127 |
| Alabama | All Riders | 852 | 934 |
| California | All Riders | 3,558 | 3,847 |
| District of Columbia | All Riders | 34 | 36 |
| Georgia | All Riders | 1,522 | 1,664 |
| Louisiana | All Riders | 762 | 828 |
| Maryland | All Riders | 540 | 567 |
| Massachusetts | All Riders | 327 | 343 |
| Mississippi | All Riders | 687 | 752 |
| Nebraska | All Riders | 217 | 233 |
| Nevada | All Riders | 293 | 317 |
| New Jersey | All Riders | 547 | 584 |
| New York | All Riders | 963 | 1,046 |
| North Carolina | All Riders | 1,412 | 1,538 |
| Oregon | All Riders | 461 | 508 |
| Tennessee | All Riders | 1,119 | 1,217 |
| Vermont | All Riders | 58 | 62 |
| Virginia | All Riders | 796 | 850 |
| Washington | All Riders | 525 | 560 |
| West Virginia | All Riders | 249 | 267 |
| Illinois | No Law | 1,087 | 1,194 |
| Iowa | No Law | 304 | 337 |
| New Hampshire | No Law | 98 | 104 |
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements by State
Alabama
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#13
Ranked in the US
#14
Alaska
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#50
Ranked in the US
#49
Arizona
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#9
Ranked in the US
#11
Arkansas
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#20
Ranked in the US
#21
California
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#1
Ranked in the US
#2
Colorado
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#21
Ranked in the US
#22
Connecticut
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#34
Ranked in the US
#34
Delaware
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#44
Ranked in the US
#44
District of Columbia
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#51
Ranked in the US
#51
Florida
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#2
Ranked in the US
#3
Georgia
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#3
Ranked in the US
#4
Hawaii
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#47
Ranked in the US
#47
Idaho
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#39
Ranked in the US
#38
Illinois
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
No Law
Ranked in the US
#7
Ranked in the US
#7
Indiana
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#14
Ranked in the US
#15
Iowa
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
No Law
Ranked in the US
#32
Ranked in the US
#32
Kansas
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#27
Ranked in the US
#28
Kentucky
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#17
Ranked in the US
#18
Louisiana
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#16
Ranked in the US
#17
Maine
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#40
Ranked in the US
#40
Maryland
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#24
Ranked in the US
#25
Massachusetts
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#31
Ranked in the US
#31
Michigan
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#8
Ranked in the US
#9
Minnesota
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#28
Ranked in the US
#30
Mississippi
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#18
Ranked in the US
#19
Missouri
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#12
Ranked in the US
#13
Montana
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#38
Ranked in the US
#39
Nebraska
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#37
Ranked in the US
#37
Nevada
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#33
Ranked in the US
#33
New Hampshire
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
No Law
Ranked in the US
#45
Ranked in the US
#45
New Jersey
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#23
Ranked in the US
#24
New Mexico
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#29
Ranked in the US
#29
New York
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#10
Ranked in the US
#12
North Carolina
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#4
Ranked in the US
#5
North Dakota
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#46
Ranked in the US
#46
Ohio
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#5
Ranked in the US
#43
Oklahoma
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#19
Ranked in the US
#20
Oregon
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#26
Ranked in the US
#27
Pennsylvania
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#43
Ranked in the US
#8
Rhode Island
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#48
Ranked in the US
#48
South Carolina
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#11
Ranked in the US
#10
South Dakota
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#41
Ranked in the US
#41
Tennessee
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#6
Ranked in the US
#6
Texas
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#30
Ranked in the US
#1
Utah
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#35
Ranked in the US
#35
Vermont
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#49
Ranked in the US
#50
Virginia
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#15
Ranked in the US
#16
Washington
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#25
Ranked in the US
#26
West Virginia
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
All Riders
Ranked in the US
#36
Ranked in the US
#36
Wisconsin
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#22
Ranked in the US
#23
Wyoming
Motorcycle Helmet Requirements
Age Requirement
Ranked in the US
#42
Ranked in the US
#42