Helmet Laws for Bicycle Riders-United States
Author / Coordinator: Schwebel, Goetz & SiebenMinnesota
March 2007
There is no federal law in the U.S. requiring bicycle helmets. States and localities began adopting laws in 1987, but there is no formal central registry for them. Here are the ones we are aware of as of this date. The States are probably all included, but some localities are likely to be missing. If there are two dates, the second one is the year the law was amended. More info on helmet laws is included after the chart.
Jurisdiction Effective Ages/Conditions Date
==================================================
Alabama
State Law Under 16 1995
Montevallo All ages 1993
Homewood All ages 1994
Arizona
Tucson Under 18 1993
Yuma Under 18 1997
California
State Law Passengers under 5 1987
State Law Riders under 18 1994
State Law Scooters, skateboards, In-line skates 2003
Connecticut
State Law Under 16 1993/1997
City of Seymour All ages 1998
Delaware
State Law Under 16 1996
District of Columbia
State Law Under 16 2000
Florida
State Law Under 16 1997
(excludes 2 Counties)
Georgia
State Law Under 16 1993
Hawaii
State Law Under 16 2001
Illinois
Barrington Under 17 1997
Chicago All ages (messengers only)
Cicero Under 16 1997
Inverness Under 16 1999
Libertyville (Incentives only) 1997
Skokie Under 16 2002
Kansas
Lawrence Under 15 2004
Kentucky
Louisville* (Parks) Under 18 2002
Louisville Extreme Park All ages 2002
Louisiana
State Law Under 12 2002
Maine
State Law Under 16 1999
Maryland
State Law Under 16 1995
Allegany Co Under 16 1992
Howard County Under 16 1990
Montgomery Co Under 18 1991
Sykesville All ages 1995
Massachusetts
State Law Passengers under 5 1990
State Law Riders under 13 1994
Michigan
Adrian Under 15 1998
E. Grand Rapids Under 18 1995
Farmington Hills * Under 16 1999
Kensington Metropark All Ages 1998
Missouri
Creve Coeur All ages * 2000
St Louis County for
unincorporated areas Under 17 2002
Columbia Under 16 * 2003
Florissant Under 17 2003
Montana
Billings Under 16 2001
Nevada
Duckwater Indian Res. Under 17 2001
Reno/Sparks Indian Under 17 2002
New Jersey
State Law Under 14 1992
New Mexico
Los Alamos County Under 18 1995
New York
State Law Passengers under 5 1989
State Law Riders under 14 1994
Chemung Co. Under 15 1995
Erie County Parks All ages 1993
Greenburgh All ages 1994
Guilderland Under 14 1992
Rockland County All ages 1992
Onondaga County Under 18 2001
(Syracuse)
North Carolina
State Law Under 16 2001
Black Mountain All ages 1996
Boone All ages 1995
Carolina Beach Under 16 1994
Carrboro Under 16 1997
Cary Under 16 2001
Chapel Hill Under 16 1992
Greenville Under 16 1998
Matthews Under 16 2001
Ohio
Akron Under 16 2001
Beachwood Under 16 1990
Blue Ash Under 16 2003
Brecksville Under 18 1998
Centerville Under 16 1999
Dayton Under 13 June 1,2004
East Cleveland Under 18 May 1,2004
Glendale Under 19 2000
Madeira Under 17 2002
Orange Village Ages 6 to 15 1992
Shaker Heights All ages over 5 1997
Strongsville Under 12 1993
Waynesville Under 17 2000
Oklahoma
Norman Under 18 2003
Okla. City (city prop. only) All ages 1999
Oregon
State Law Under 16 1994
Pennsylvania
State Law Passengers under 5 1991
State Law Riders under 12 1995
Rhode Island
State Law Under 9 1996
State Law Under 16 1998
Texas
Arlington Under 18 1997
Austin Under 18 1996/97
Bedford Under 16 1996
Benbrook Under 17 1996
Coppell Under 15 1997
Dallas All ages 1996
Fort Worth Under 18 1996
Houston Under 18 1995
Southlake Under 15 1999
Tennessee
State Law Under 16 1994/2000
Clarksville All ages 1993
Virginia
Albemarle County
Alexandria Under 15 1994
Amherst County
Arlington County Under 15 1993
Blacksburg Under 15 1994
Clarke County
Fairfax County Under 15 1993
Falls Church Under 15 1993
Floyd County
Front Royal Under 15 1996
Hampton Under 15 1999
James City County Under 15 1999
Luray
Manassas Under 15 1995
Manassas Park Under 15 1997
Newport News Under 15 1997
Norfolk Under 15 2001
Orange County
Petersburg Under 15 2000
Prince William Co. Under 15 1995
Radford Under 15 2000
Roanoke Under 15 2000
Salem Under 15 2000
Stafford County
Vienna
Virginia Beach Under 15 1995
Williamsburg Under 15 2001
Wise
York County Under 15 1994
Washington State
Aberdeen All ages 2001
Bainbridge Island All ages 2001
Bellevue All ages 2002
Bremerton All ages 2000
Des Moines All ages 1993
DuPont All ages
Duvall All ages 1993
Eatonville Under 16 1996
Enumclaw All ages 1993
Fircrest All ages 1995
Gig Harbor All ages 1996
Hunts Point All ages 1993
Island County: All ages (Rec. only.) 1997
Kent All ages 1999
King Cnty.(inc.Seattle) All ages 1993/03
Lakewood All ages 1996
Milton All ages 1997
Orting Under 17 1997
Pierce County All ages 1994
Port Angeles All ages 1994
Poulsbo Under 18 1995
Puyallup All ages 1994
Renton All ages 1999
Seatac All ages over 1 yr 1999
Snohomish skate park All ages 2002
Snoqualmie All ages 1996
Steilacoom All ages 1995
Tacoma All ages 1994
University Place All ages 1996
West Virginia
State Law Under 15 1996
Clarksburg Under 18 1993
Morgantown All ages 1993
South Charleston Under 18 1994
St. Albans Under 18 1995
Wisconsin
Port Washington Under 17 1997