HELMET  USE  LAWS

By the early 1970s, virtually all states had laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets. But Illinois repealed its law in 1970 and, by 1980, most states had abandoned or substantially limited theirs usually restricting coverage to riders younger than 18. Legislators in some states later reinstated helmet laws so that all but 4 states now require some or all motorcyclists to wear helmets. (Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, New Hampshire don't have helmet laws.) Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas have changed their laws covering all riders to apply only to young riders. Helmet use rates approach 100 percent in 20 states and the District of Columbia where motorcycle helmet laws apply to all riders, but the laws in 27 states that apply only to some cyclists aren't effective.

Bicycle helmets also prevent injuries, but no state has a universal bicycle helmet law. Only 17 states and the District of Columbia have statewide bicycle helmet laws, and they apply only to young riders. Local ordinances in a few states require bicycle helmets for some or all riders.

Helmet Laws By State

Of the fifty states, only 4 are 100% helmet law free:

Colorado, Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire

Of the other 46 states, 20 have full helmet laws for all motorcycle riders:

Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
You can click on each or any of these states and read the statute, the regulation defining what constitutes a "safety helmet" and our suggestions about how to best attack the statute in court.

19 States have helmet laws that exempt adult riders, riders over the age of majority 18 years old and over:

Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

There are 7 states that require adult bikers between the ages of 18 and 20 to wear a helmet:

Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Texas.