Bike Helmet Laws State by State(All State)- Biking Kids

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Bike Helmet Laws State by State

You may be wondering whether your kids need to wear a helmet. What are the bicycle helmet laws in your state? At what age can a person legally not wear a bicycle helmet?

While there is no federal law in the United States that requires wearing a bike helmet, there are laws that enforce helmets in the majority of states. Although, the exact requirements around the helmet law vary greatly across the United States, as well as between cities within each state.

To help you decipher the bicycle helmet laws that are in your state, we’ve compiled a list of the legal requirements for wearing a helmet.

General Requirements

In general, if there is a law around wearing a helmet, it will pertain to youth under 18 years old. Some states, however, lower that age threshold to as low at 12 years old. And other states extend the laws to apply to other two-wheelers like scooters. There are sometimes even laws around whether a passenger is required to wear a helmet.

Hopefully, this article helps to resolve some of your confusion around bicycle helmet laws state by state. If you need further clarification, be sure to check with your local guidelines either online or at your local police station. And even if bicycle helmets are not required by law, they are often highly encouraged. Bike helmets are a simple yet effective way to prevent serious injuries in the event of an accident.

Why Do Kids Need to Wear Bike Helmets?

Bicycle helmets save lives. Scientists and neuroscientists have done enormous research on head injuries and have helped to create the safest bicycle helmet technology to date. Right now, the safest kid helmets you can find are all MIPS certified.

It’s not difficult for an enjoyable bike ride to turn into a dangerous event. With cars, uneven terrain, or inexperienced riders, accidents can happen quickly. This is why it’s so important for kids to wear bike helmets.

The majority of states require a bicycle helmet is worn by kids. The age threshold varies, but almost all cases are for youth under 18 years old. And in states where there is no bicycle helmet laws in place, kids are often still encouraged to wear their helmets while riding.

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Bike Helmet Laws in the United States

Most of the bicycle helmet laws across the Unites States apply to bike riders under 18 years old. Although, there is some variance between different states and depending on the type of bike. For example, Alabama, Connecticut, and Massachusetts require a bicycle helmet is worn for all e-bike riders.

There are a number of other factors that can determine the laws around wearing a bicycle helmet. Some states, such as Oregon, allow children under 16 years old to not wear a bicycle helmet if it conflicts with religious belief or practice. California is not permissive to any child not wearing a bicycle helmet, regardless of faith.

There are 13 states with no bicycle helmet law currently in place (Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming). In some cases, the motivation for forgoing a bike helmet law is because the law would discourage more cyclists on the road. It’s argued that more cyclists on the road would actually up to increase road safety. That’s because cars would become more aware and experienced with driving alongside bikers. So, let’s break it down for you, here is the list of bike helmet law state by state.