Motorcycle Riding Laws in the USA

Depending on the state you ride, we are abiding by the law to wear appropriate gear when riding a motorcycle. This varies from city to city, Motorcycle Riding Laws in the USA.

Some places are very strict in wearing protective gear and other states are not so strict when it comes to riding a motorcycle.

In this article, I am going to provide you with motorcycle riding laws in the USA.

Riding Laws in the USA

To ensure a safe ride, it is important to know the regulations when it comes to riding a motorcycle. There are certain restrictions when it comes to protective gear for riding a motorcycle. Such laws mention below:

Helmet Laws

To know about wearing a helmet, the majority of the states in the USA have made it compulsory to wear a helmet. This shows that 27 of them have to wear a helmet before riding a motorcycle. Only 19 states have required by law to wear a helmet. Certain cities such as West Virginia and New Jersey have required conditions to wear a helmet. Other cities such as Illinois and Iowa do not require wearing a helmet.

Eye Protection Laws

Regarding eye protection, some cities have passed the law to wear eye protection for ensuring a safe ride. Only 14 cities are not required to wear eye protection for motorcycle riding. For riding with certain circumstances, only five states have made it compulsory to wear eye protection. The 18 states have made it compulsory to wear eye protection unless equipped with a windscreen. The remaining 12 states have required wearing eye protection on the road.

Noise Restriction Laws

To keep the noise level low, some cities are very strict when it comes to noise restrictions. Only 11 states are compulsory to wear mufflers on the road. Other eight cities are not so strict when wearing mufflers during the ride. The other 15 states have allowed riders to wear mufflers without any cutouts. The remaining 18 cities have allowed riders to wear mufflers with additional noise prohibited.

Motorcycle Passenger Laws

The USA does not have strict laws when it comes to motorcycle riding with a passenger. A few states have strict age limits for passenger riding. Out of 50 states, only four states forbid passengers ages 5-8 to sit at the back of the motorcycle. The majority of the states do not have strict laws on riding with a passenger. However, the rider needs to educate the passenger about road safety to prevent further road accidents. Therefore, avoid putting the rider’s life at risk.

Motorcycle Daytime Headlights Laws

Motorcycle riding laws in the USA have strict safety regarding the use of daytime headlights. Since daytime headlights are becoming a common safety, more and more states have passed laws with the use of headlights during the daytime hours. Twenty-four states have permitted the use of modulating headlights. The other 18 cities are required by the state law to use headlights during the day. The remaining seven states have allowed riders to use daytime headlights after certain manufacturing date.

Motorcycle Lane Splitting Laws

Riding a motorcycle tends to have lane-splitting that leaves it controversial for some states. Lane splitting occurs when motorcyclists ride between vehicles on the same lane or road. Lane splitting can help traffic on large areas of the road but leaves some danger for motorcyclists due to visibility. To dive in about the lane-splitting laws, only one city that is California has made it legal for lane splitting. The other 38 states have considered it illegal to do lane splitting on the road. The remaining 12 states did not mention or have not prohibited lane-splitting for motorcycle riding.

The Legal Age of Motorcycle Licenses

Regardless of the level of experience, a rider must reach a certain age to get a motorcycle-riding license. This varies from city to city and one must pass the motorcycle test to get the license. To know about motorcycle riding laws in the USA, the general age a rider can ride the motorcycle is at 16 years and above.

Some states such as Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Connecticut must have permits below 17 or 14 years of age. Other cities such as Colorado, Delaware, Columbia, Florida, Georgia, and Hawaii must have a temporary permit and must pass the motorcycle test to know about the knowledge of road safety. These cities require doing a practical test on the ability to ride a motorcycle. Create a racing logo with PhotoADKing’s racing logo maker.

Other cities such as Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, and Maryland must reach around 17 or 18 years of age to get the license. Riders must complete the license by getting the motorcycle test approved by the transport authority. Motorcyclists must have a Class M license to ride a motorcycle.

The remaining states must pass the written test and practical test to ride a motorcycle legally and so should have the learner’s permit to get to the next level of motorcycling test. This age of getting the learner’s permit should be between the ages of 15-17 years.

Motorcycle Helmet Laws by State

A rider needs to wear a helmet before heading out to ride a motorcycle. In different states and cities, there is a certain age limit to wear a helmet before operating to ride a bike.

In the majority of states, motorcyclists have to be 17 years and below to wear a helmet before riding a motorcycle. Other states have required riders of all ages to wear a helmet. The remaining states have the age of 20 years and below to wear a helmet.

If you want to follow the motorcycle laws, wear a helmet before you ride!

Conclusion | Motorcycle Riding Laws in the USA

Here are the motorcycle-riding laws in the USA where motorcyclists abide by safety rules to ride the motorcycle safely. Not following the laws of motorcycle riding would result in fatal road accidents. If you are not sure about the laws of riding a motorcycle in your city, just refer to these guides above.

So follow the motorcycle laws and ride safely!

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