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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Table 2-3: Key Provisions of Safety Belt Use Laws: 2001

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Table 2-3: Key Provisions of Safety Belt Use Laws: 2001

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State Effective1 Enforcement 2 Fine Seats Vehicles exempted6
Alabama 7/18/1992 Primary $25 Front Designed for more than 10 passengers; model year before 1965
Alaska 9/12/1990 Secondary $15 All School bus
Arizona 1/1/1991 Secondary $10 Front Designed for more than 10 passengers; model year before 1972
Arkansas 7/15/1991 Secondary $254 Front School bus, church bus, public bus; model year before 1968
California 1/1/1986 Primary $20 All None
Colorado 7/1/1987 Secondary3 $15 Front3 Passenger bus, school bus
Connecticut 1/1/1986 Primary $37 Front Truck or bus over 15,000 lbs.
Delaware 1/1/1992 Secondary $20 Front Postal service vehicles
District of Columbia 12/12/1985 Primary $504 All Seating more than 8 people
Florida 7/1/1986 Secondary $30 Front School bus, public bus, truck over 5,000 lbs.
Georgia 9/1/1988 Primary $15 Front Designed for more than 10 passengers, pickup truck
Hawaii 2/16/1985 Primary $20 Front Bus or school bus over 10,000 lbs.
Idaho 7/1/1986 Secondary $5 Front Over 8,000 lbs.
Illinois 7/1/1985 Secondary $25 Front None
Indiana 7/1/1987 Primary $25 Front Truck, tractor, RV
Iowa 7/1/1986 Primary $25 Front None
Kansas 7/1/1986 Secondary $10 Front Designed for more than 10 people, truck over 12,000 lbs.
Kentucky 7/13/1994 Secondary $25 All Designed for more than 10 people
Louisiana 7/1/1986 Primary $25 Front Designed for more than 10 people; model year before 1981
Maine 12/27/1995 Secondary $60 All Manufactured without seat belts
Maryland 7/1/1986 Primary $25 Front Historic vehicle
Massachusetts 2/1/1994 Secondary $25 All Truck over 18,000 lbs., bus, taxi operators
Michigan 7/1/1985 Primary $25 Front Taxi, bus, school bus
Minnesota 8/1/1986 Secondary $25 Front Farm pickup truck
Mississippi 3/20/1990 Secondary $25 Front Farm vehicle, bus
Missouri 9/28/1985 Secondary $10 Front Designed for more than 10 people, truck over 12,000 lbs.
Montana 10/1/1987 Secondary $20 All None
Nebraska 1/1/1993 Secondary $25 Front Model year before 1973
Nevada 7/1/1987 Secondary $25 All Taxi, bus, school bus
New Hampshire None NA NA NA NA
New Jersey 3/1/1985 Primary $42 Front None
New Mexico 1/1/1986 Primary $254 All Over 10,000 lbs.
New York 12/1/1984 Primary $50 Front Bus, school bus, taxi, emergency vehicle
North Carolina 10/1/1985 Primary $25 Front Designed for more than 10 people
North Dakota 7/14/1994 Secondary $20 Front Designed for more than 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
Pennsylvania 11/23/1987 Secondary $10 Front Truck over 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
South Dakota 1/1/1995 Secondary $20 Front Bus, school bus
Tennessee 4/21/1986 Secondary $10 Front Over 8,500 lbs.
Texas 9/1/1985 Primary $50 Front Designed for more than 10 people, truck over 15,000 lbs.
Utah 4/28/1986 Secondary $45 All None
Vermont 1/1/1994 Secondary $10 All Bus, taxi
Virginia 1/1/1988 Secondary $25 Front Designed for more than 10 people, taxi
Washington 6/11/1986 Secondary $71 All Designed for more than 10 people
West Virginia 9/1/1993 Secondary $25 Front Designed for more than 10 people
Wisconsin 12/1/1987 Secondary $10 All Taxi, farm truck
Wyoming 6/8/1989 Secondary $255 All Designed for more than 11 people, bus

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 18 years;4Plus 2 points on license;5Fine for driver is $25; fine for passengers over 12 years is $10;6Most states exempt vehicles not manufactured with seat belts.

KEY: NA = not applicable; RV = recreational vehicle.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts 2002 Early Edition, Washington, DC: 2003, available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSFAnn/TSF2002.pdf as of Oct. 1, 2003.