Table 2-4:  Key Provisions of Safety Belt Use Laws: 2003,,,,,,,,
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State,Effective1,Enforcement2,,   Fine,,,Seats covered,Vehicles exempted21
Alabama,7/18/1992,,Primary,,$25 ,,Front,"Designed for >10 passengers; model year <1965.  Exemptions for medical reasons, rural mail carriers, and paper delivery."
Alaska,9/12/1990,,Secondary,,$15 ,,All,School bus.
Arizona,1/1/1991,,Secondary,,$10 ,,All,Designed for >10 passengers; model year < 1972.
Arkansas,7/15/1991,,Secondary,,$25 ,,Front,"School, church, or public bus; model year <1968."
California,1/1/1986,,Primary,,$20 ,,All,None.
Colorado,7/1/1987,,Secondary3,,$17 ,,Front,"Passenger bus, school bus"
Connecticut,1/1/1986,,Primary,,$37 ,,Front15,"Truck or bus >15,000 lbs."
Delaware,1/1/1992,,Primary,,$25 ,,All,Postal service vehicles.
District of Columbia,12/12/1985,,Primary,,$50 ,8,All,Seating >8 people.
Florida,7/1/1986,,Secondary,,$30 ,,Front16,"School bus, public bus, truck >5,000 lbs."
Georgia,9/1/1988,,Primary,,$15 ,,Front16,Designed for >10 passengers; pickup; offroad; rural letter carriers; emergency vehicles.
Hawaii,2/16/1985,,Primary,,$45 ,,Front16,"Bus or school bus >10,000 lbs."
Idaho,7/1/1986,,Secondary,,$10 ,9 ,All,">8,000 lbs."
Illinois,7/1/1985,,Primary,,$25 ,,Front,"Emergency vehicles, frequent stops, medical or physical reasons"
Indiana,7/1/1987,,Primary,,$25 ,,Front17,"Truck, tractor, RV."
Iowa,7/1/1986,,Primary,,$25 ,,Front,None.
Kansas,7/1/1986,,Secondary,,$10 ,,Front,"Designed for >10 people; truck >12,000 lbs."
Kentucky,7/13/1994,,Secondary,,$25 ,,All,"Designed for >10 people; truck >12,000 lbs."
Louisiana,7/1/1986,,Primary,,$25 ,10,Front,Designed for >10 people; model year <1981.
Maine,12/27/1995,,Secondary,,$25-$50,,All,None.
Maryland,7/1/1986,,Primary,,$25 ,,Front,"Historic vehicle, taxi, written medical excuse"
Massachusetts,2/1/1994,,Secondary,,$25 ,,All,"Truck >18,000 lbs; bus and taxi operators."
Michigan,7/1/1985,,Primary,,$25 ,,Front15,"Taxi, bus, school bus."
Minnesota,8/1/1986,,Secondary,,$25 ,,Front18,Farm pickup truck.
Mississippi,3/20/1990,,Secondary,,$25 ,,Front19,"Farm vehicle, bus; exemptions for medical reasons and letter carriers."
Missouri,9/28/1985,,Secondary4,,$10 ,,Front15,"Designed for >10 people; truck >12,000 lbs; postal workers; vehicle being used for agriculture"
Montana,10/1/1987,,Secondary,,$20 ,,All,None.
Nebraska,1/1/1993,,Secondary,,$25 ,,Front15,Model year <1973.
Nevada,7/1/1987,,Secondary,,$25 ,,All,"Taxi, bus, school bus."
New Hampshire,None,,No adult law,,NA,,NA20,"School bus, vehicle for hire; model year <1968.",
New Jersey,3/1/1985,,Primary,,$42 ,11,Front16,<1966; medical exemption; rural letter carriers; vehicles not required to be equipped with safety belts under Federal law.   ,
New Mexico,1/1/1986,,Primary,,$25 ,8,All,">10,000 lbs.",
New York,12/1/1984,,Primary,,$50-$100,12,Front15,"Bus, school bus, taxi, emergency vehicle, rural letter carriers",
North Carolina,10/1/1985,,Primary,,$25 ,,Front,Designed for >11 people; farm vehicle drivers; rural mail carriers on official business; medical reasons; all safety belts already in use.,
North Dakota,7/14/1994,,Secondary5,,$20 ,,Front,Designed for >10 people.,
Ohio,5/6/1986,,Secondary,,$25 ,,Front,None.,
Oklahoma,2/1/1987,,Primary,,$20 ,,Front,"Farm vehicle, truck, truck tractor, RV.",
Oregon,12/7/1990,,Primary,,$75 ,,All,"Newspaper, mail, meter, transit vehicle.22",
Pennsylvania,11/23/1987,,Secondary6,,$10 ,,Front,"Truck >7,000 lbs.",
Rhode Island,6/18/1991,,Secondary,,$50 ,,All,None.,
South Carolina,7/1/1989,,Secondary,,$10 ,,All,"School bus, public bus; vehicle with no belts in rear seating areas.",
South Dakota,1/1/1995,,Secondary5,,$20 ,,Front,"Passenger bus, school bus; medical reasons, rural mail carriers on official business; newspaper or periodical deliveries.",
Tennessee,4/21/1986,,Secondary,,$10 ,,Front,">8,500 lbs.",
Texas,9/1/1985,,Primary,,$25-$200,,Front,"Designed for >10 people, truck over 15,000 lbs, farm vehicle.",
Utah,4/28/1986,,Secondary7,,$45 ,13 ,All,Medical reasons; all seats occupied.,
Vermont,1/1/1994,,Secondary,,$10 ,,All,"Bus, taxi.",,,,,,,
Virginia,1/1/1988,,Secondary,,$25 ,,Front,"Designed for >10 people, taxi.",,,,,,,
Washington,6/11/1986,,Primary,,$86 ,,All,Designed for >10 people.,,,,,,,
West Virginia,9/1/1993,,Secondary,,$25 ,,Front,Designed for >10 people.,,,,,,,
Wisconsin,12/1/1987,,Secondary,,$10 ,,All,"Taxi, farm truck.",,,,,,,
Wyoming,6/8/1989,,Secondary,,$25,14,All,Persons with physical/medical exemption documented by physician's signature; postal vehicles; all seats occupied.,,,,,,,
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"1Effective date of first belt law in the state; 2Primary enforcement enables police officers to stop vehicles and write citations whenever they observe a violation of the seat belt law.  Secondary enforcement allows police officers to write a citation for seat belt infractions only after stopping a vehicle for some other traffic infraction; 3Primary enforcement for all positions if driver is under 17 years of age; 4Primary for children under 16 years of age; 5Primary enforcement for all positions if occupant is under 18 years of age; 6The fine is $10, but with court, EMS, judicial, and computer costs the ticket total is $51.50; 7Primary enforcement for all positions if occupant is under 19 years of age; 8Plus 2 points on license; 9Plus costs;",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"10$25 for first offence, $50 for second offense, $50 plus court costs for third offense; 11$42 for safety belt violation, $10-$25 for child seat violation; 12Plus 3 points on license.  Front seat passengers 16 and older can be fined up to $50 and drivers can be fined up to $100 for each passenger under 16 not wearing a seat belt; 13Reduced to $15 upon completion of class; 14Fine for driver is $25, fine for passengers over 12 years is $10; 15All seats for under 16; 16All seats for under 18; 17All seats for under 12; 18All seats for under 11; 19All seats for under 8; 20All seats for under 18, primary law, $25 fine; 21Most states exempt vehicles not manufactured with seatbelts; 22Police/emergency vehicles exempted in some situations.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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KEY: NA = not applicable; RV = recreational vehicle.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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"SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts 2004 Early Edition, Washington, DC: 2005, available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSFAnn/ TSF2004EE.pdf as of Nov. 21, 2005.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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