Motorcycle Helmet Laws by State: 2026 Map and Checker

Motorcycle Helmet Laws by State

Every state writes its own helmet rule. Pick a state, enter the rider's age and choose operator or passenger to see what the law requires: who must wear a helmet, any condition for riding without one (such as an insurance minimum or a training course), the eye-protection rule and any fine written into the statute. Each answer links to the statute or official page we checked.

Law as of September 29, 2026. Checked against each state's statute or an official state or federal page. General information, not legal advice.

Your result

Choose a state and enter the rider's age. The answer shows who must wear a helmet, the age limit, any condition for riding without one, the eye-protection rule, any fine stated in the statute and the source.

Helmet law map

Tap a state to load it into the checker.

All riders must wear a helmet

Some riders (usually by age)

No helmet law

Motorcycle helmet laws in all 50 states and DC

17 states and the District of Columbia require a helmet for every rider. 31 states require one only for some riders, usually those under an age limit. 2 states have no helmet law for any age. Conditions for riding without a helmet and eye-protection rules vary, so check the row for your state.

Helmet rules as of September 29, 2026. † = checked on an archived copy of the official page because the site blocked our checker.
State	Helmet required for	Conditions for exemption	Eye protection	Statute or source
Alabama	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Not verified	Code of Ala. 32-5A-245
Alaska	Operators under 18, operators without a motorcycle license or endorsement, and all passengers	Operators 18 or older who hold a motorcycle license or endorsement may ride without a helmetEvery passenger must wear a helmet; the statutory exception covers only licensed operators	Operators: an eye-protective device (the rule excepts a motor-driven cycle with a qualifying windshield)	AS 28.35.245; 13 AAC 04.350
Arizona	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Operators: glasses, goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a protective windshield	A.R.S. 28-964
Arkansas	Motorcyclists under 21Note: Rule as stated in the state's Strategic Highway Safety Plan; the Arkansas Code text could not be read from our checker.	Age 21 or older	Not verified	Arkansas law, per the ARDOT Strategic Highway Safety Plan
California	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Not verified	Cal. Veh. Code 27803 †
Colorado	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Operators and passengers: goggles or eyeglasses with safety glass or plastic lenses, unless the helmet has such eye protection	C.R.S. 42-4-1502(4.5); 42-4-232 †
Connecticut	Operators and passengers under 21	Age 21 or older	Operators: goggles, glasses or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a windscreen or windshield	Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-289g (as amended by P.A. 25-65) †
Delaware	Operators and passengers up to 19, plus newly endorsed operators and their passengers for 2 yearsAlso: Operators endorsed on or after July 30, 2023, and their passengers, for the first 2 years after endorsement	Riders older than 19 (outside the newly endorsed rule) need not wear a helmet but must have an approved helmet in their possession	All operators and passengers: approved eye protection	21 Del. C. 4185
District of Columbia	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators: goggles or a face shield, unless the motorcycle has an approved windscreen or the operator wears safety-glass spectacles	18 DCMR 2215
Florida	All riders, except riders over 21 who carry the required insurance	Riders over 21 may ride without a helmet if covered by an insurance policy with at least $10,000 in medical benefits for motorcycle crash injuries	Operators: an approved eye-protective device, with no windshield exception	Fla. Stat. 316.211
Georgia	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Required, per the Georgia DDS motorcycle manual (statute text not reachable, so any windshield exception is not verified)	Georgia law, per the Governor's Office of Highway Safety
Hawaii	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Operators and passengers: safety glasses, goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a windscreen or windshield	Haw. Rev. Stat. 286-81
Idaho	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Not verified	Idaho Code 49-666 †
Illinois	No helmet requirement for any rider	Not applicable (no helmet law)	Operators and passengers: glasses, goggles or a transparent shield (a qualifying windshield counts as a shield)	625 ILCS 5/11-1404 (eye protection); no helmet statute †NHTSA DOT HS 813 732
Indiana	Operators and passengers under 18, and operators with a motorcycle learner's permitAlso: Operators riding on a motorcycle learner's permit, at any ageNote: Rule as stated by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (fact sheet on 2020 data) and the BMV; the Indiana Code text could not be read from our checker.	Age 18 or older	Not verified	Indiana law, per the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute
Iowa	No helmet requirement for any rider	Not applicable (no helmet law)	Not verified	Iowa Code ch. 321 (no helmet section)NHTSA DOT HS 813 732
Kansas	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Operators: protective glasses, goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a windscreen at least 10 inches high; passengers under 18 at all times	K.S.A. 8-1598
Kentucky	Operators and passengers under 21Also: Operators with a motorcycle instruction permit, and operators licensed for less than 1 year	Age 21 or older	Operators: an approved eye-protective device at all times the motorcycle is in motion	KRS 189.285
Louisiana	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators: an approved eye protective device unless the motorcycle has a windshield high enough to give adequate eye protection	La. R.S. 32:190
Maine	Operators and passengers under 18Also: Operators with a learner's permit or within 1 year of passing the driving test, and passengers of any operator who must wear headgear	Age 18 or older	Not verified	29-A M.R.S. 2083
Maryland	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators: an approved eye-protective device unless the motorcycle has a windscreen	Md. Code, Transp. 21-1306
Massachusetts	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators: eye glasses, goggles or a protective face shield if the motorcycle has no windshield or screen	Mass. G.L. c. 90, s. 7 †
Michigan	Operators and passengers under 21	Riders 21 or older: the operator must have held a motorcycle endorsement for at least 2 years or passed a motorcycle safety course, and the operator or rider must carry at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits	Operators riding above 35 mph on a motorcycle without a windshield: goggles, a transparent face shield or eyeglasses of shatter-resistant material	MCL 257.658 †
Minnesota	Operators and passengers under 18Also: Operators riding on a motorcycle instruction permit	Age 18 or older	All operators: an eye-protective device	Minn. Stat. 169.974, subd. 4
Mississippi	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Not verified	Mississippi law, per the MDPS Driver's Manual †
Missouri	Operators and passengers under 26Also: Operators 26 or older riding on an instruction permit	Operators 26 or older may ride without a helmet if, besides proof of financial responsibility, they are covered by health insurance or other insurance that provides medical benefits for motorcycle accident injuriesPassengers 26 or older: the statute states no helmet rule for them, and its insurance condition names operators only	Not verified	RSMo 302.020.2 and 302.026
Montana	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Not verified	MCA 61-9-417
Nebraska	Operators and passengers under 21	Riders 21 or older: an operator who completed the required safety course (the MSF 3-hour Basic eCourse if licensed before May 1, 2024, otherwise the full basic course) and filed proof with the DMV, or who holds another state's motorcycle license; a passenger 21 or older riding with such an operator	Operators: glasses covering the orbital region, a face shield attached to the helmet, goggles, or a windshield that protects the operator's and passenger's line of vision	Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-6,279 †
Nevada	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Driver and passenger: protective glasses, goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a transparent windscreen meeting state standards	NRS 486.231 †
New Hampshire	Operators and passengers under 18Note: The statute voids this rule if federal funding stops requiring it, and NHTSA lists New Hampshire among states with no helmet requirement; we show the rule as the statute still states it.	Age 18 or older	Drivers: eyeglasses, goggles or a protective face shield unless the motorcycle has a windshield or screen that protects the driver's eyes and face	RSA 265:122 †
New Jersey	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators: approved goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a windscreen	New Jersey law, per the MVC 2026 Driver Manual
New Mexico	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Operators: an approved eye protective device (face shield, goggles or safety eyeglasses) unless the motorcycle has an approved fixed windshield	NMSA 1978, 66-7-356
New York	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators must wear goggles or a face shield of a type approved by the commissioner	N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law 381(6) †
North Carolina	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Not verified	North Carolina law, per the NCDMV Driver Handbook (revised May 2025)
North Dakota	Operators and passengers under 18Also: Any passenger of an operator who is required to wear a helmet, regardless of the passenger's age	Age 18 or older	Not verified	N.D.C.C. 39-10.2-06
Ohio	Riders under 18, novice-designation and instruction-permit operators, and their passengersAlso: Operators whose license or endorsement carries a "novice" designation, or who ride on a temporary instruction permit, regardless of age; every passenger of a novice or under-18 operator	Age 18 or older	All operators and passengers must use safety glasses or another protective eye device	Ohio Rev. Code 4511.53 †
Oklahoma	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Operators: goggles, protective eyewear meeting the ANSI standard, or a face shield, unless the motorcycle has a windshield	47 O.S. 12-609(B)
Oregon	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Not verified	Oregon law, per the Oregon DMV
Pennsylvania	Operators and passengers under 21, and older riders who do not meet an exemption	Riders 21 or older who have been licensed to operate a motorcycle for at least two full calendar years or have completed a motorcycle rider safety course approved by PennDOT or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation; passengers 21 or older of such an exempt rider	All operators and passengers must wear an eye-protective device of a type approved by PennDOT	75 Pa.C.S. 3525 †
Rhode Island	Operators under 21, all new operators for their first year, and all passengersAlso: All new operators, regardless of age, for one year from the date their first motorcycle license is issued	Age 21 or olderEvery passenger must wear a properly fitting approved helmet; an operator may not carry a passenger who is not wearing one	All operators must use eye protection of a type approved by the DMV administrator	R.I. Gen. Laws 31-10.1-4, 31-10.1-6 †
South Carolina	Operators and passengers under 21	Age 21 or older	Operators under 21: goggles or a face shield unless the vehicle has a windshield meeting Department of Public Safety specifications	S.C. Code 56-5-3660 to 56-5-3700
South Dakota	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Operators: an eye protective device unless the motorcycle has a windscreen that gives adequate eye protection	SDCL 32-20-4, 32-20-4.1, 32-20-4.2
Tennessee	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Motorcyclists: eye protection unless the motorcycle has a windshield	Tenn. Code Ann. 55-9-302 (per the Tennessee Highway Safety Office) †
Texas	Operators and passengers under 21, and older riders who meet neither exception	Riders at least 21 years old who have completed a motorcycle operator training and safety course or are covered by a health insurance plan providing medical benefits for injuries from a motorcycle collision	Not verified	Tex. Transp. Code 661.003 †
Utah	Operators and passengers under 21	Age 21 or older	Not verified	Utah Code 41-6a-1505
Vermont	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators: eye glasses, goggles or a protective face shield unless the motorcycle has a windshield or screen	23 V.S.A. 1256, 1257 †
Virginia	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators: a face shield, safety glasses or goggles unless the motorcycle has safety glass or a windshield	Va. Code 46.2-910
Washington	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	Operators: glasses, goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a windshield	RCW 46.37.530
West Virginia	All operators and passengers	No age exemption	All operators and passengers must wear shatter-resistant eyeglasses, goggles or a face shield (contact lenses do not count), with or without a windshield	W. Va. Code 17C-15-44
Wisconsin	Operators and passengers under 18, and instruction permit holdersAlso: Riders who hold a motorcycle instructional permit, regardless of age	Age 18 or olderPassengers under 18; an operator may not carry a passenger under 18 who is not wearing a helmet	Operators: a face shield, glasses or goggles unless the motorcycle has a windshield rising at least 15 inches above the handlebar	Wis. Stat. 347.485 †
Wyoming	Operators and passengers under 18	Age 18 or older	Not verified	Wyo. Stat. 31-5-115(o)

Not verified in the eye-protection column means the sections we could read state no eye-protection rule, or the statute text could not be read, and no official page we found states the rule. A fine is shown in the checker only when the cited section states one. † Where a state site blocked our checker, we read the latest archived copy of the same official page; a change made after that copy would not show here, so follow the link before you rely on a row.

Helmet law questions

Which states require every motorcycle rider to wear a helmet?

As of September 29, 2026, 17 states and the District of Columbia require a helmet for every operator and passenger: Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Use the checker or the table for the exact wording in each state.

Which states have no motorcycle helmet law?

Illinois and Iowa have no helmet requirement for riders of any age, according to NHTSA's Motorcycles: 2023 Data fact sheet (July 2025). Illinois still requires eye protection. NHTSA also lists New Hampshire, but its statute still states a rule for riders under 18, so the table shows that rule with a note.

Can adults ride without a helmet if they carry insurance or took a course?

In some states that limit the helmet rule to younger riders, older riders can ride without a helmet only if they meet a condition written into the law. An insurance or medical-benefits condition applies in Florida, Michigan, Missouri, and Texas. A training, licensing or experience condition applies in Alaska, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The exact amounts and terms are in the conditions column of the table.

Do motorcycle passengers have to wear a helmet?

In most states the passenger rule matches the operator rule. Every passenger must wear a helmet in Alaska and Rhode Island, even where some adult operators may ride without one. Separate passenger wording also applies in Missouri and Wisconsin. Choose Passenger in the checker to see the rule that applies.

Is eye protection required on a motorcycle?

35 of the 51 jurisdictions in our table have an eye-protection rule, usually goggles, glasses or a face shield; in 21 of them a qualifying windshield or windscreen replaces it. For 16 we show Not verified: either the sections we could read state no eye-protection rule or the statute text could not be read, and no official page we found states the rule.

Does riding without a helmet affect an injury claim?

Insurers sometimes argue that a helmet would have reduced a rider's head injuries. How far that argument can go depends on state law and the medical evidence; our guide on motorcycle accidents without a helmet explains it.

How we checked. Each row was read in the state's statute on its legislature website, or on the state DMV, highway safety office or transportation page when the statute site could not be read from our checker. NHTSA's Motorcycles: 2023 Data fact sheet (July 2025) is the source for the states with no helmet law. Industry and advocacy tables were used only as hints. Law as of September 29, 2026.

Know what your motorcycle accident claim is worth before you answer

Motorcycle collisions produce catastrophic injuries at rates far exceeding car-on-car crashes, yet riders face a unique disadvantage when seeking compensation: pervasive bias. Adjusters, jurors, and even police officers sometimes assume the motorcyclist was reckless, regardless of the evidence. That bias can shrink a settlement offer before the real facts are examined. Use the estimator above to see a starting range for your claim, and read on to understand why motorcycle cases require a sharper strategy. This site is an independent information resource, not a law firm.

How this works

Three steps, no phone number required

Most people arrive here after an insurance adjuster has already named a figure. The point of this page is simple: give you an independent second number, and the reasoning behind it, before you answer.

Step 01

Gather what you can document

Medical bills and expected future care, wages you actually lost, repair or total-loss figures, and the out-of-pocket costs people usually forget: travel to appointments, braces and devices, paid help at home.

Step 02

Run the estimator

It applies the multiplier method adjusters commonly use to non-economic damages, then adjusts for your state's comparative-fault rule and the policy limit that actually caps most claims.

Step 03

Take the range to a licensed attorney

The output is a discussion range, never a valuation. Bring it to a lawyer licensed in your state (most personal-injury consultations are free and fees are contingent) and let them price the parts a calculator cannot see.

By situation

Guides for your situation

Fault rules, insurance layers and typical evidence differ sharply between these. Start with the one that matches your facts.

Claim Process

Step-by-step guide to filing a motorcycle accident injury claim.

Settlement Timeline

How long motorcycle accident settlements typically take.

What to Do After

First steps after a motorcycle crash to protect your claim.

Insurance Tactics

How insurers use rider bias to cut payouts and how to fight back.

By state

State rules that change what a claim is worth

Comparative fault, filing deadlines, damage caps, minimum liability limits and no-fault requirements are all set state by state. Pick yours.

Legal notice

MotorcycleAccidentAttorney.us is an informational website, not a law firm. It is operated by Mustafa Bilgic, an individual who is not a licensed attorney. Nothing here is legal advice, nothing creates an attorney-client relationship, and no calculator output is a valuation or an offer.

We do not take cases, review documents, contact insurers or refer you to a particular lawyer. Deadlines and fault rules vary by state and a missed deadline can end a valid claim permanently; consult a licensed attorney in your state before you accept, reject or file anything. Your state bar's referral service and the American Bar Association's Find Legal Help directory are independent starting points.

Questions

Questions people ask before they answer the adjuster

Does not wearing a helmet reduce my settlement?

It depends on your state. Some states allow the insurer to argue that a helmet would have lessened your head injuries, reducing the payout for that portion of damages. Other states bar that argument entirely. Helmet laws vary widely; the key is knowing your state's specific rule before negotiations begin.

Why do motorcycle accident claims face bias?

Decades of cultural stereotyping cast motorcyclists as risk-takers. Adjusters and jurors carry that impression into the claims process, sometimes attributing fault to the rider without supporting evidence. Strong documentation (training certificates, safety gear, a clean record) directly counters that narrative.

How is a motorcycle total-loss valued?

Insurers use fair-market-value guides, but motorcycles with aftermarket parts, custom work, or low mileage are frequently undervalued. Keep receipts for every upgrade. An independent appraisal from a motorcycle-specific dealer or certified appraiser can challenge a lowball total-loss offer.

What if the other driver says I was lane splitting?

Lane splitting is legal in some states and prohibited in others. If it is legal where the crash occurred, the other driver's argument carries little weight. If it is prohibited, the insurer may argue you were partially at fault, which could reduce, but not necessarily eliminate, your recovery under comparative-negligence rules.

How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident claim?

Statutes of limitations are commonly two to three years, but your state's deadline controls; check immediately. Claims against government entities often have far shorter notice windows. Missing the deadline almost always forfeits the claim.

Published and maintained by

Mustafa Bilgic, independent operator, MotorcycleAccidentAttorney.us

Not an attorney and not affiliated with any law firm. Pages here summarise publicly available law, federal agency data and documented insurance practice, with sources listed on each page.

Sources used across this site: state comparative-fault statutes · Insurance Information Institute · Bureau of Labor Statistics · IRS Pub. 4345 · NHTSA
Last reviewed 2026-08-25.