Do you know the helmet law for motorcycle riders in your state? There are many people who believe wearing helmets are required by law, but that really depends on the local laws.
In some states, a helmet is required when riding a motorcycle, but not all state laws are the same. Each locality enforces their own laws for riding without a helmet. Some states only enforce helmet wearing for those riders under ages 18-21, while others allow anyone to ride without a helmet.
The following article will explain how this can happen and what to do if it does happen to you. Keep reading to learn more about motorcycle helmet laws and whether or not riding without a helmet is illegal or legal.
Each state has a different law but most of the laws are similar to each other.
Here’s the table for each state’s laws:
| States in the USA | Legal/illegal to wear moto Helmet |
| Hawaii | In Hawaii riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Arizona | In Arizona riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| California | In California, it’s illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. |
| Florida | In Florida riders under the age of 21 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Texas | In Texas riders under the age of 21 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Montana | Montana Doesn’t have a law about motorcycle helmets (legal to not wear a helmet) |
| Alaska | In Alaska riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Colorado | All operators and passengers under 18 years of age must wear helmets. |
| Tennessee | All riders are required |
| Indiana | Indiana Doesn’t have a law about motorcycle helmets (legal to not wear a helmet) |
| Alabama | Alabama Doesn’t have a law about motorcycle helmets (legal to not wear a helmet) |
| Pennsylvania | In Pennsylvania riders under the age of 21 should wear an approved helmet. |
| New jersey | All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Utah | In Utah riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Oregon | In Oregon, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Nevada | In Nevada, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Delaware | In Delaware riders under the age of 19 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Kentucky | In Kentucky riders under the age of 21 should wear an approved helmet. |
| North Carolina | In North Carolina, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Maryland | In Maryland, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Vermont | In Vermont, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Missouri | Missouri Doesn’t have a law about motorcycle helmets (legal to not wear a helmet) |
| Wyoming | In Wyoming riders under the age of 21 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Massachusetts | In Massachusetts, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Virginia | In Virginia, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Idaho | In Idaho riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Rhode Island | In Rhode Island riders under the age of 21 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Kansas | In Kansas riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| West Virginia | In West Virginia, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| New Mexico | In New Mexico riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Arkansas | In Arkansas riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Illinois | Illinois Doesn’t have a law about motorcycle helmets (legal to not wear a helmet) |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Doesn’t have a law about motorcycle helmets (legal to not wear a helmet) |
| Michigan | In Michigan riders under the age of 21 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Minnesota | In Minnesota riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Nebraska | In Nebraska, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Maine | In Maine riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| South Dakota | In South Dakota riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Iowa | Iowa Doesn’t have a law about motorcycle helmets (legal to not wear a helmet) |
| Connecticut | In Connecticut, it’s legal not to wear a motorcycle helmet |
| Oklahoma | In Oklahoma riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Doesn’t have a law about motorcycle helmets (legal to not wear a helmet) |
| Georgia | In Georgia riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Wisconsin | In Wisconsin riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Mississippi | In Mississippi, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Washington | In Washington, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| Ohio | In Ohio riders under the age of 18 should wear an approved helmet. |
| Louisiana | In Louisiana, All riders are required to wear helmets |
| New York | In New York, All riders are required to wear helmets |
Table of Contents
Which States Can You Ride A Motorcycle Without A Helmet?
The 9 states in which you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet are: Montana, Indiana, Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, Illinois, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire.
Although you may be questioned by your friends and family for not wearing a helmet, you can wear or not wear a helmet in these 9 states.
But if you cross over the border to any of the other 41 states who do require helmets to be worn by law, you may levy a heavy fine or other disciplinary action. Although the laws are not identical on wearing a helmet, they are usually pretty strict on helmet-wearing.
Riding motorcycles without helmets is not recommended due to the risk of head injuries in the case of accidents. Even if your state law doesn’t require you to wear a helmet, we highly recommend that you do. Helmets can reduce your head injury risk by more than 50 percent in case of an accident. In many state laws all passengers are required to wear helmets whether they are adults or not.
Something to note is that motorcycles are fast, and it’s difficult for drivers of other vehicles on the road to see motorcyclists in time to react. This often results in accidents. Motorcycle helmets can save your life even in cases where other cars hit you while you are stopped or parked on the side of the road. Wearing a helmet can prevent head injuries, death, and reduce the chance of accidents blocking roadsides. Please wear motorcycle helmets when riding motorcycles.
also read: Full Face Motorcycle Helmet With Best Visibility
Is It Illegal To Ride A Motorcycle Without a Helmet In Texas?
Yes, and No. It is illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet in Texas if you are under 21.
However, if you are over 21 then it is not required to wear a helmet. However, it is highly recommended that you should always wear your motorcycle helmet for your own safety. Texans require that all motorcycle operators and passengers must wear a helmet. The only exemption is for those who are over 21 years of age. They can choose whether to use helmets or not. In the case of an accident, an individual will be held responsible if he/she is traveling without a helmet under Texas’ bike laws.
Is It Illegal To Ride A Motorcycle Without A Helmet In Florida?
Yes. It is illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet in Florida if you are under 21 years old. If you are under 21 years old, you must wear a helmet when operating or riding on a motorcycle. If you are over 21 years old then it’s not required for you to wear helmets however Florida law still requires all motorcycle operators and passengers to wear helmets. In case of an accident, an individual will be held responsible if he/she is traveling without wearing a helmet under Florida’s bike laws.
Conclusion:
To sum up, we recommend that you should always wear helmets when riding motorcycles and don’t try to ride motorcycles without helmets even if the state you’re riding in permits it. If your state requires a helmet then please wear one. Otherwise it will be a mess of legal complications. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
We conclude that motorcycle helmets shouldn’t be optional and they should be required by law everywhere to avoid serious injury or death.
If you have any questions, please ask us in the comment section. we will try to answer them as soon as possible.
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resources: https://www.iihs.org/topics/motorcycles/motorcycle-helmet-laws-table
