Table 2-4: Key Provisions of Safety Belt Use Laws: 2010

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

State	Effective¹	Enforcement²	Base fine	Seat belt required		Exemptions⁵
State	Effective¹	Enforcement²	Base fine	Seats³	Ages⁴	Exemptions⁵
Alabama	7/18/1991	Primary	$25	Front	15 years and older	Medical reasons, model year <1965, rural mail carriers/ newspaper delivery vehicles, vehicles operating in reverse.
Alaska	9/12/1990	Primary	$15	All	16 years and older	School buses, emergency vehicles, mail or newspaper delivery vehicles, non-highway vehicles (generally, off-road or snowmobiles).
Arizona	1/1/1991	Secondary	$10	All Front	5-15 years 5 years and older	Designed for >10 passengers, model year <1972, rural mail carriers, medical reasons.
Arkansas	7/15/1991	Primary	$20 ⁶	Front	15 years and older	Model year < 1972. Not required when an emergency exists that threatens the life of a child or person operating a motor vehicle. Any child who is physically unable because of a medical condition (as certified by a physician) is exempted.
California	1/1/1986	Primary	$20 ⁷	All	16 years and older	Medical reasons, emergency vehicles, rural postal service vehicles, newspaper delivery vehicles, recycling vehicles, taxis.
Colorado	7/1/1987	Secondary⁸	$71	Front	16 years and older	Ambulence crew, peace officer, medical reasons, passenger buses, school buses, postal service vehicles, delivery and pickup service vehicles.
Connecticut	1/1/1986	Primary	$92 ⁹	Front	7 years and older	Medical reasons, emergency vehicles other than fire-fighting apparatus, postal service vehicles, newspaper delivery vehicles.
Delaware	1/1/1992	Primary	$25	All	16 years and older	Medical reasons, postal service vehicles, tractors, off-highway vehicles, electric personal assistive mobility devices.
District of Columbia	12/12/1985	Primary	$50	All	16 years and older	Vehicles manufactured before July 1, 1966; medical reasons; all seat belts occupied;seating for >8 people, taxis (6pm-6am).
Florida	7/1/1986	Primary	$30	All Front	6-17 years >6 years	Medical reasons; newspaper delivery vehicles; solid waste/ recyclable collection service vehicles working designated routes; persons traveling in the living quarters of a recreational vehicle or a space within a truck body primarily intended for merchandise or property; school buses; buses that transport for compensation; farm tractors or implements of husbandry; trucks >26,000 lb.
Georgia	9/1/1988	Primary	$15	All Front	8-17 years 18 years and older	Pickups, vehicles designed for >10 passengers, off-road vehicles, vehicles used for frequent stops (all seats), rural postal vehicles, newspaper delivery vehicles, emergency vehicles, driver in reverse, taxis, public transit vehicles.
Hawaii	12/16/1985	Primary	$45 ¹⁰	All Front	8-17 years 18 years and older	Bus or school bus >10,000 lb, emergency vehicles, taxicabs. DOT may establish additional exemptions.
Idaho	7/1/1986	Secondary	$10 ¹¹	All	7 years and older	Vehicles >8,000 lb, mail carriers, implements of husbandry, motorcycles.
Illinois	1/1/1988	Primary	$25	All Front	18 years and under if driver is under 19 years 16 years and older	Motorcycles, vehicles that stop frequently for medical reasons, rural letter carriers, model year <1965.
Indiana	7/1/1987	Primary	$25	All	16 years and older	Medical reasons, vehicles that stop frequently, farm vehicles, RVs, postal vehicles, non-drivers in parades, public utility vehicles, towing recovery vehicles, occupant other than operator of vehicle used by a public utility in an emergency.
Iowa	7/1/1986	Primary	$25	Front	18 years and older	Delivery vehicles that do not exceed 25 mph between stops, bus passengers, medical reasons, model year <1965, emergency vehicles, motorcycles, rural letter carriers.
Kansas	7/1/1986	Primary¹²	$10 ¹³	All Front	14-17 years 18 years and older	Designed for >10 people, truck >12,000 lb, off-road vehicles, postal vehicles, vehicles delivering newspapers.
Kentucky	7/15/1994	Primary	$25	All	All	Designed for >10 people, farm trucks registered for agricultural use only and with gross weight 2,000 lb or greater, motorcycles.
Louisiana	7/1/1986	Primary	$25	All	13 years and older	Vehicles with gross weight >10,000 lb, utility vehicles traveling <20 mph, model year <1981, postal vehicles, farm vehicles, persons delivering newspapers.
Maine	12/26/1995	Primary	$50	All	18 years and older	Medical reasons, rural mail carriers, persons delivering newspapers, postal vehicles, passengers riding in taxi or limousine for hire.
Maryland	7/1/1986	Primary	$25	Front	16 years and older	“Historical” vehicles, for-hire vehicles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, vehicles delivering mail, vehicles built before June 1, 1964.
Massachusetts	2/1/1994	Secondary	$25 ¹⁴	All	13 years and older	Buses, trucks 18,000 lb or more, taxis, utility vehicles, model year <1966, postal vehicles, farm vehicles, authorized emergency vehicles, side-facing seat in car owned for antique collecting.
Michigan	7/1/1985	Primary	$25	Front	16 years and older	Medical reasons, taxis, buses, school buses, postal service vehicles, model year <1965, commercial vehicles making frequent stops.
Minnesota	8/1/1986	Primary	$25	All	8 years and older	Farm pickup trucks, postal vehicles, commercial vehicles making frequent stops and going <25 mph between stops, vehicles driving in reverse, persons riding in a vehicle in which all the seating positions equipped with seat belts are occupied by other persons in seat belts, model year <1965, medical reasons.
Mississippi	7/1/1994	Primary	$25	Front	7 years and older	Vehicles driving in reverse, farm vehicles, medical reasons, buses, postal vehicles, utility meter readers’ vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, vehicles designed to carry >15 persons, trailers.
Missouri	9/28/1985	Secondary (primary for <16 years old)	$10 ¹⁵	Front	16 years and older	Vehicles designed for >10 people, trucks >12,000 lb, postal service vehicles, vehicles requiring frequent entry or exit, agricultural vehicles.
Montana	10/1/1987	Secondary	$20	All	6 years and older	Medical reasons, motorcycles, taxis, vehicles making frequent stops, occupants of motor vehicle in which all seat belts are being used by other occupants.
Nebraska	1/1/1993	Secondary	$25	Front	18 years and older	Taxis, mopeds, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, model year <1973, parade vehicles.
Nevada	7/1/1987	Secondary	$25	All	6 years and older	Medical reasons, public transportation vehicles, postal service vehicles, emergency vehicles, delivery vehicles not exceeding 15 mph. Any vehicle or seating position if the State determines compliance is impractical.
New Hampshire	n/a	No law for persons 18 years or older (primary for <18 years old)	n/a	All	17 years and younger	n/a
New Jersey	3/1/1985	Primary (secondary for rear seat occupants)	$46 ¹⁶	All	8 years and older	Vehicles manufactured before 1966, medical reasons, rural letter carriers, fewer belts than seats.
New Mexico	1/1/1986	Primary	$25 ¹⁷	All	18 years and older	Vehicles >10,000 lb, medical reasons, rural letter carriers.
New York	12/1/1984	Primary	$50	Front Rear	All 15 years and under	Buses, school buses, taxis, liveries, emergency, rural letter carriers.
North Carolina	10/1/1985	Primary (secondary for rear seat occupants)	$25.50 ($10 for rear) ¹⁸	All	16 years and older	Medical reasons, farm vehicles, postal vehicles, designated commercial vehicles, delivery vehicles traveling <20 mph, trash/recycling trucks.
North Dakota	7/14/1994	Secondary	$20	Front	18 years and older	Designed for >10 people, farm vehicles, rural mail carriers, medical reasons, all front seat belts in use by other occupants.
Ohio	5/6/1986	Secondary	$30 ¹⁹	All Front	8-14 years 15 years and older	Postal service vehicles, medical reasons, vehicles delivering newspapers.
Oklahoma	2/1/1987	Primary	$20	Front	13 years and older	Farm vehicles, RVs, motorcycles, motorized bicycles, postal service vehicles, school buses, taxicabs, emergency vehicles.
Oregon	12/7/1990	Primary	$110	All	16 years and older	Vehicles in interstate commerce, designed for >15 passengers, newspaper and mail vehicles, meter and transit vehicles, for-hire vehicles, trash trucks, emergency vehicles, taxicab operators.
>Pennsylvania	11/23/1987	Secondary	$10	All Front	8-17 years 18 years and older	Vehicles manufactured before 1966, medical reasons, trucks >7,000 lb, rural letter carriers, delivery vehicles, vehicles traveling <15 mph.
Rhode Island	6/18/1991	Primary	$75	All	13 years and older	Vehicles manufactured before 1966, medical reasons, postal service vehicles.
South Carolina	7/1/1989	Primary ²⁰	$25	All	6 years and older	Medical reasons, emergency vehicles, postal service vehicles, delivery vehicles, parade vehicles; school, church, or day care buses; vehicles except taxis, vehicles in which all seating positions with seat belts are already occupied, persons occupying vehicles not originally equipped with seat belts.
South Dakota	1/1/1995	Secondary	$25	Front	18 years and older	Motorcycles, motorized bicycles, vehicles manufactured before 1973, medical reasons, passenger buses, school buses, farm vehicles,rural mail carriers, newspaper or periodical delivery vehicles.
Tennessee	4/21/1986	Primary	$10 ²¹	Front	16 years and older	Vehicles >8,500 lb, rural letter carriers, utility workers, newspaper delivery vehicles, automobile salespersons who drive <50 miles per day on average, parade vehicles, hayrides crossing a highway from one field to another if operated at <15 mph.
Texas	9/1/1985	Primary	$50 maximum ²²	All	7 years and older	Farm vehicles <48,000 lb, postal service vehicles, newspaper delivery, meter readers.
Utah	4/28/1986	Secondary (primary for drivers and occupants 18 years and younger)	$45	All	16 years and older	Vehicles manufactured before 1966, medical reasons, all seats occupied or person is riding in a seating position not equipped with seat belts.
Vermont	1/1/1994	Secondary (primary for drivers and occupants 17 years and younger)	$25	All	18 years and older	Buses, taxis, rural mail carriers, delivery vehicles traveling <15 mph, emergency vehicles, farm tractors, vehicles ordered by emergency personnel to evacuate persons from stricken area.
Virginia	1/1/1988	Secondary (primary for passengers 17 years and younger in all seats)	$25 ²³	Front	18 years and older	Medical reasons, trucks >10,000 lb, school buses, motor homes, taxis, police vehicles enforcing parking or transporting prisoners, law enforcement officers when seat belts are impractical, rural mail carriers, newspaper delivery vehicles, utility meter readers, commercial vehicles making frequent stops.
Washington	6/11/1986	Primary	$124	All	16 years and older	Medical reasons, vehicles designed for >10 people; when all designated seating positions are occupied; vehicles exempted by State regulation, including farm construction or commercial vehicles making frequent stops.
West Virginia	9/1/1993	Secondary	$25	All Front	8-17 years 17 years and older	Motorcycles, vehicles designed for >10 people, vehicles manufactured before 1967, medical reasons, rural mail carriers, trailers. All seat belts in use and vehicle contains more passengers than total number of seat belts or other safety devices installed in compliance with Federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Wisconsin	12/1/1987	Primary	$10	All	8 years and older	Emergency vehicles in which compliance could endanger passngers; taxis, farm trucks engaged in farming, rural mail carriers, land surveyors.
Wyoming	6/8/1989	Secondary	$25 ²⁴	All	9 years and older	Medical reasons, postal vehicles; excess passengers exempted if all seats occupied.

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.

³The word “All” used in this category means everyone must be restrained. For children, that may be in a child restraint.

⁴May include rear-facing child restraint seats, forward-facing child restraint seats, and booster seats.

⁵Emergency vehicle and bus exemptions generally do not apply to the operator.

⁶Arkansas reduces the fine for the primary violation by $10.to first offense. Fine for second and subsequent offenses is $50.

⁷Fine for second and subsequent offenses is not more than $50.

⁸Primary enforcement for child safety restraints.

⁹If a driver under 18 years old commits a violation, he/she is subject to a higher fine: $92 for >18 years old ($50 fine + $7 fee + $35 surcharge) and $120 for <18 years old ($75 fine + $10 fee + $35 surcharge).

¹⁰In addition to the $45 fine, the driver must pay a surcharge of $10 for the neurotrauma special fund.

¹¹Drivers <18 years old pay $51.50, including court costs.rcharge of $10 for the neurotrauma special fund.

¹²Secondary enforcement for other seating positions.

¹³The fine is $60 for violators 14-17 years old.

¹⁴Drivers in Massachusetts may be fined $25 for violating the belt law themselves and $25 for each unrestrained passenger 12-16 years old.

¹⁵The fine is $50 for violators 8-15 years old.

¹⁶Includes court costs.

¹⁷New Mexico also assesses 2 points for violations.

¹⁸Fine is $25.50 for front seat violation, plus $135.50 in court costs. No court costs for rear seat violation.

¹⁹Fine is $30 for a driver violating the law, $20 for passenger(s).

²⁰Seat belt law may not be enforced by checkpoints designed for that purpose.

²¹Drivers 18 years or older who do not contest the citation pay a $10 fine by mail ($20 for drivers 16-17 years old); $20 for subsequent violations.

²²A person who allows a child who is younger than 17 years of age and is not required to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system to ride in a passenger van designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers without securing the child individually by a safety belt, if the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt, is subject to a fine not to exceed $200.

²³Driver ticketed for passengers <18 years old without restraints.

²⁴Passengers violating the seat belt requirements are subject to a fine of $10.

KEY: n/a = not applicable; RV = recreational vehicle.

NOTES: For the most current provisions of state seat belt laws, see the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Safety Belt Use Laws, available at www.iihs.org/laws/SafetyBeltUse.aspx. For more information on child restraint laws, see Traffic Safety Facts Annual Report, available at www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Cats.

SOURCES: Effective Dates: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute, Safety Belt Use Laws, available at www.iihs.org/laws/SafetyBeltUse.aspx as of April 2013. Enforcement, Base fine, Seat belt required and Exemptions: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts 2010, table 126, available at www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Cats as of April 2013.

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Table 2-4: Key Provisions of Safety Belt Use Laws: 2010