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Buckle up! The easiest way to prevent injury or death is to buckle your seat belt. The amount of deaths and serious injusires that could have been prevented by wearing a seat belt is staggering. Be stern with friends and family by demanding that they wear their seat belts. It's so easy people, just buckle up!

State Initial
effective date
Standard enforcement? Who is covered? In what seats? Maximum fine 1st offense Damages reduced for nonuse?
Alabama 7/18/91 yes; effective 12/9/99 15+ yrs. in front seat (eff. 7/1/06) $25 no
Alaska 9/12/90 yes; effective 5/1/06 16+ yrs. in all seats $15 yes
Arizona 1/1/91 no 5+ yrs. in front seat;5 through 15 in all seats $10 yes
Arkansas 7/15/91 no 15+ yrs. in front seat $25 no
California 1/1/86 yes; effective 1/1/93 16+ yrs. in all seats $20 no
Colorado 7/1/87 no 16+ yrs. in front seat $15 yes
Connecticut 1/1/86 yes 7+ yrs. in front seat $15 no
Delaware 1/1/92 yes; effective 6/30/03 16+ yrs. in all seats $25 no
District of Columbia 12/12/85 yes; effective 10/1/97 16+ yrs. in all seats $50 no
Florida 7/1/86 no 6+ yrs. in front seat; 6 through 17 yrs. in all seats $30 yes


State Initial
effective date
Standard enforcement? Who is covered? In what seats? Maximum fine 1st offense Damages reduced for nonuse?
Georgia 9/1/88 yes; effective 7/1/96 6 through 17 yrs. in all seats; 18+ yrs. in front seat $15 no
Hawaii 12/16/85 yes 8 through 17 yrs. in all seats; 18+ yrs. in front seat $45 no
Idaho 7/1/86 no 7+ yrs. in all seats
(eff. 5/29/05)
$25 no
Illinois 1/1/88 yes; effective 7/3/03 16+ in front seat; 18 and younger in all seats if driver is younger than 18 yrs. (eff. 1/1/06) $25 no
Indiana 7/1/87 yes; effective 7/1/98 16+ yrs. in front seat $25 no
Iowa 7/1/86 yes 11+ yrs. in front seat $25 yes
Kansas 7/1/86 no 14+ yrs. in front seat $10 no
Kentucky 7/15/94 yes; effective 7/20/06 more than 40 in. in all seats $25 no
Louisiana 7/1/86 yes; effective 9/1/95 13+ yrs. in front seat $25 no
Maine 12/26/95 no 18+ yrs. in all seats $50 no

 

State Initial
effective date
Standard enforcement? Who is covered? In what seats? Maximum fine 1st offense Damages reduced for nonuse?
Maryland 7/1/86 yes; effective 10/1/97 16+ yrs. in front seat $25 no
Massachusetts 2/1/94 no 12+ yrs. in all seats $25 no
Michigan 7/1/85 yes; effective 4/1/2000 4+ yrs. in front seat; 4 through 15 yrs. in all seats $25 yes
Minnesota 8/1/86 no all in front seat; 3 through 10 yrs. in all seats $25 no
Mississippi 7/1/94 yes; effective 5/27/06
(until then, yes only for children < 8)
4 through 7 yrs. in all seats/8+ yrs. in front seat $25 no
Missouri 9/28/85 no (yes for children <16) 16+ yrs. in front seat (eff. 8/10/06) $10 yes
Montana 10/1/87 no 6+ yrs. in all seats $20 no
Nebraska 1/1/93 no 18+ yrs. in front seat $25 yes
Nevada 7/1/87 no 6+ yrs. in all seats $25 no
New Hampshire n/a no law no law no law no


State Initial
effective date
Standard enforcement? Who is covered? In what seats? Maximum fine 1st offense Damages reduced for nonuse?
New Jersey 3/1/85 yes; effective 5/1/2000 7 yrs. and younger and more than 80 lbs.; 8 through 17 in all seats; 18+ in front seat $20 yes
New Mexico 1/1/86 yes 18+ yrs. in all seats $25 no
New York 12/1/84 yes 16+ yrs. in front seat $50 yes
North Carolina 10/1/85 yes (secondary for rear seat occupants) 16+ yrs. in all seats $25 no
North Dakota 7/14/94 no 18+ yrs. in front seat $20 no
Ohio 5/6/86 no 4+ yrs. in front seat $30 driver/$20 passenger yes
Oklahoma 2/1/87 yes; effective 11/1/97 13+ yrs. in front seat $20 no
Oregon 12/7/90 yes 16+ yrs. in all seats $75 yes
Pennsylvania 11/23/87 no 8 through 17 yrs. in all seats; 18+ yrs. in front seat $10 no
Rhode Island 6/18/91 no (yes for children <18)
(eff. 07/01/05)
13+ yrs. in all seats $57 no


State Initial
effective date
Standard enforcement? Who is covered? In what seats? Maximum fine 1st offense Damages reduced for nonuse?
South Carolina 7/1/89 yes; 12/9/2005 6+ yrs. in front seat; 6+ yrs. in rear seat with shoulder belt $25 no
South Dakota 1/1/95 no 18+ yrs. in front seat $20 no
Tennessee 4/21/86 yes; 7/1/2004 16+ yrs. in front seat $50 no
Texas 9/1/85 yes 4 and younger and 36 in. or more; 5 through 16 yrs. in all seats; 17+ yrs. in front seat (eff. 9/1/05) $200 no
Utah 4/28/86 no (yes for children <19 yrs.) 16+ yrs. in all seats $45 no
Vermont 1/1/94 no 16+ yrs. in all seats (eff. 1/1/04) $25
(eff. 1/1/04)
no
Virginia 1/1/88 no 16+ yrs. in front seat $25 no
Washington 6/11/86 yes; 7/1/2002 16+ yrs. in all seats $37 no
West Virginia 9/1/93 no 8+ yrs. in front seat; 8 through 17 yrs. in all seats $25 yes
Wisconsin 12/1/87 no 8+ yrs. in all seats $10 yes
Wyoming 6/8/89 no 9+ yrs. in all seats $25 driver/$10 passenger no

 

Some info provided by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety