Connecticut: Do adults have to wear motorcycle helmets?
Since October 1, 2025, Connecticut has required helmets for motorcycle drivers and passengers under 21.
Public Act 25-65 raised the helmet age from under 18 to under 21, effective October 1, 2025. Adults 21 and older are not required to wear a helmet under this law. A violation is an infraction with a fine of at least $90. Autocycles are excluded. In the quoted amendment, words in brackets were deleted by the 2025 law.
Conditions
- Riders under 21 must wear a helmet
What the law says
(a) No person under [eighteen] twenty-one years of age may (1) operate a motorcycle or a motor-driven cycle, as defined in section 14-1, or (2) be a passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, unless such operator or passenger is wearing protective headgear [of a type which] that conforms to the minimum specifications established in 49 CFR 571.218, as amended from time to time.
Sources
- Public Act 25-65, Sec. 19 (Connecticut General Assembly) Official · cga.ct.gov
- CT Division of Criminal Justice, 2025 Legislative Updates (P.A. 25-65, Sec. 19) Official · portal.ct.gov
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-289g (text before the 2025 amendment) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles
- Website
- portal.ct.gov
How bordering states compare
- Massachusetts All ridersMassachusetts requires every motorcycle operator and passenger to wear a helmet.
- New York All ridersNew York requires every motorcycle operator and passenger to wear a helmet that meets the federal safety standard.
- Rhode Island Only some ridersRhode Island requires helmets for operators under 21, all new operators for their first year, and every passenger.
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