Motorcycle State Helmet Laws & Helmet Standards

Motorcycle Helmet Laws tend to vary with each state. The Universal Helmet Laws requires all motorcyclist to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. There are 19 states that have this law set in place.

There are 28 states that have partial laws set in place. Such as age, passenger, and insurance requirements.

There are 3 states that have NO helmet law at all; Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire (Live Free or Die)

This chart shows which states have Universal Helmet Laws, Partial Helmet Laws, and no Helmet Laws:

There are also two different helmet standards in the U.S., DOT and SNELL.

DOT - is set by the Federal Government's Department of Transportation.

The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) known as FMVSS 218 (49CFR571.218), describes in great detail the requirements for "DOT" certification of all helmets sold in the United States for use by motorcyclists. Helmets that do not meet the minimal DOT certification standards may not be sold as "motorcycle helmets."

SNELL - is a private organization

It's an additional certification source intended to provide testing standards and "Snell" certification to a different standard than FMVSS 218. The Snell standards don't replace the DOT standards; meeting Snell standards is completely voluntary. All motorcycle helmets sold in the U.S.A. must be DOT "certified", in that they must have gone through the proper procedures in a certified testing lab to meet DOT standards for motorcycle helmets, but they are not required to be Snell certified.

In Europe there is the ECE

ECE - is the most common helmet certification internationally, required by over 50 countries worldwide. It is arguably the most up to date standard and is more comparable to a DOT approved helmet then SNELL.

So if you are planning to ride across the country make sure you brush up on all your helmet laws. Some of the fines for not wearing a helmet can be expensive. Also look into helmet standards if you have safety concerns.

At Deadbeat Customs we have a wide helmet selection. We have DOT helmets, novelty helmets, open face, full face, and half helmets. Check it out.

Find the one you like best and ride safe !