Other equipment laws
Motorcycle helmet laws by state: who has to wear one
Pick a state and enter the rider's age: the tool says whether the statute requires a helmet. The table below gives every state, with the section read and the age threshold.
Do you have to wear a helmet?
Helmet in Texas
Not by age
| Rule | by age |
| Age threshold | 21 |
| Statute | Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003 |
Some states also ask for a course, an insurance policy or years of license: read the condition in the table.
Helmet rules for motorcycle riders fall into three groups. 15 jurisdictions read for this site require a helmet for every rider and passenger, whatever their age. 28 require one only below an age threshold, most often 18 (18 states) or 21 (8 states), with Delaware at 19 and Missouri at 26. Illinois and Iowa have no helmet requirement for adult riders. For Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and Tennessee the rule could not be confirmed in the official text on the day of the check, and this site says so rather than guessing. Age is often not the only condition. Texas lets riders aged 21 or more go without a helmet if they completed a safety course or carry health insurance covering crash injuries, Florida asks riders over 21 for a policy with at least $10,000 in medical benefits, and Pennsylvania asks for two years of license or a course. Several states also require a helmet for anyone riding on an instruction permit. Helmets themselves must meet federal standard FMVSS 218.
Do you have to wear a helmet?
Helmet in Texas
Not by age
| Rule | by age |
| Age threshold | 21 |
| Statute | Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003 |
Some states also ask for a course, an insurance policy or years of license: read the condition in the table.
Statutes read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the check works
Helmet rule by state
"Every rider" means the statute requires a helmet for all operators and passengers. "By age" means it applies below the age shown, often with further conditions described below. "Not confirmed" means the official text could not be read on the day of the check.
| State | Helmet required for | Age | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | every rider | – | Ala. Code § 32-5A-245 |
| Alaska | by age | under 18 | AS 28.35.245 |
| Arizona | by age | under 18 | A.R.S. § 28-964 |
| Arkansas | not confirmed | – | Ark. Code Ann. § 27-20-104(b)(1) |
| California | every rider | – | Cal. Veh. Code § 27803 |
| Colorado | by age | under 18 | C.R.S. § 42-4-1502(4.5) |
| Connecticut | by age | under 18 | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-289g |
| Delaware | by age | under 19 | 21 Del. C. § 4185(b) |
| District of Columbia | every rider | – | 18 DCMR § 2215.3 |
| Florida | by age | under 21 | Fla. Stat. § 316.211 |
| Georgia | not confirmed | – | O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315 |
| Hawaii | by age | under 18 | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 286-81(e) |
| Idaho | by age | under 18 | Idaho Code § 49-666 |
| Illinois | none | – | not confirmed |
| Indiana | by age | under 18 | Ind. Code § 9-19-7-1; § 9-24-8-3 |
| Iowa | none | – | Iowa Code § 321.275 |
| Kansas | by age | under 18 | K.S.A. 8-1598 |
| Kentucky | by age | under 21 | KRS 189.285(3) |
| Louisiana | every rider | – | La. R.S. 32:190 |
| Maine | by age | under 18 | 29-A M.R.S. § 2083 |
| Maryland | every rider | – | Md. Code, Transp. § 21-1306 |
| Massachusetts | every rider | – | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 7 |
| Michigan | not confirmed | – | MCL 257.658 (not read) |
| Minnesota | by age | under 18 | Minn. Stat. § 169.974, subd. 2(d), 4(a) |
| Mississippi | not confirmed | – | Miss. Code § 63-7-64 |
| Missouri | by age | under 26 | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 302.020.2-3 |
| Montana | by age | under 18 | Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-417 |
| Nebraska | by age | under 21 | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279 |
| Nevada | every rider | – | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 486.231 |
| New Hampshire | by age | under 18 | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:122 |
| New Jersey | every rider | – | N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7 |
| New Mexico | not confirmed | – | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 66-7-356 |
| New York | every rider | – | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 381(6) |
| North Carolina | every rider | – | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-140.4 |
| North Dakota | by age | under 18 | N.D. Cent. Code § 39-10.2-06 |
| Ohio | by age | under 18 | Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.53(C) |
| Oklahoma | by age | under 18 | Okla. Stat. tit. 47, § 12-609(B) |
| Oregon | every rider | – | Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 814.269, 814.275 |
| Pennsylvania | by age | under 21 | 75 Pa.C.S. § 3525 |
| Rhode Island | by age | under 21 | R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-4 |
| South Carolina | by age | under 21 | S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3660 |
| South Dakota | by age | under 18 | S.D. Codified Laws § 32-20-4 |
| Tennessee | not confirmed | – | Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-9-302 |
| Texas | by age | under 21 | Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003 |
| Utah | by age | under 21 | Utah Code § 41-6a-1505 (amended 2026, ch. 334) |
| Vermont | every rider | – | 23 V.S.A. § 1256 |
| Virginia | every rider | – | Va. Code § 46.2-910 |
| Washington | every rider | – | RCW 46.37.530(1)(c) |
| West Virginia | every rider | – | W. Va. Code § 17C-15-44 |
| Wisconsin | by age | under 18 | Wis. Stat. § 347.485(1) |
| Wyoming | by age | under 18 | Wyo. Stat. § 31-5-115(o) |
Conditions beyond age
An age threshold rarely tells the whole story. Texas and Florida trade the helmet for insurance or training once a rider turns 21. Pennsylvania lets riders 21 and over go without a helmet if they have held a license for two full calendar years or completed an approved course. Nebraska, since 2023, allows riders 21 and over to go without one if they hold a Class M license and completed the required course. Kentucky requires a helmet under 21, on an instruction permit and during the first year of license. Delaware requires one up to 19 and, for riders newly endorsed since July 30, 2023, during their first two years. Missouri sets the line at 26.
Check a rider's case here, with any state and age:
Do you have to wear a helmet?
Helmet in Pennsylvania
Not by age
| Rule | by age |
| Age threshold | 21 |
| Statute | 75 Pa.C.S. § 3525 |
Some states also ask for a course, an insurance policy or years of license: read the condition in the table.
Passengers and permits
Many statutes cover passengers as well as operators. North Dakota requires any passenger to wear a helmet when the operator must, regardless of the passenger's age, and Wisconsin and South Dakota forbid carrying an unhelmeted passenger under 18. Learners are a frequent special case: Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin, among others, require a helmet for anyone riding on an instruction permit, whatever their age.
Eye protection
Several states that do not require a helmet for adults still require eye protection, or a windscreen of a set height, for every operator. Kansas, for example, requires eye protection unless the motorcycle has a windscreen of at least 10 inches, and Rhode Island requires it for all operators. Read the state's statute before riding without goggles.
The two states not confirmed
Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and Tennessee: the helmet section could not be read in an official version on the day of the check (official site refusing our connections, or official code not readable by page), so no rule is shown for them as confirmed. A rule read only on a non-official copy of a code is not used here.
The helmet itself
Where a helmet is required, it must meet FMVSS 218, the federal standard for motorcycle helmets, which sets tests for impact attenuation, penetration resistance and the retention system. Helmets certified to it carry the DOT symbol. Colorado and Connecticut name the standard in their statutes.